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The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) just hosted its annual conference for medical professionals who work in pediatric diabetes in Lisbon, Portugal, and members of the CWD team were lucky to attend. There were over 1800 attendees from all over the world at the meeting, including healthcare professionals, industry partners, and diabetes advocates, who presented their research and experiences to attendees. Here is a summary of the activities we participated in (Jeff, Leigh, Marissa). CWD-ISPAD-JENIOUS Prize Every year, CWD partners with early career investigators who are members of the JENIOUS group (Juniors in Educational Networking and International […]

Many newly diagnosed families are getting CGM’s (continuous glucose monitors) either at the start of diabetes or soon after. There are many benefits to starting CGM early, including access to glucose levels and trends and the ability to share and follow data. They can also allow caregivers to see glucose levels when their child with diabetes is unable to express their symptoms yet. The benefits tend to outweigh the challenges for most people, but we’d like to focus on mitigating some of the common challenges. First, some background on some of the common challenges related to CGMs. Constant Streaming Glucose […]

Managing diabetes involves a range of tools, many of which are sharp. Despite the complexity of our routines, it is crucial to dispose of used household sharps—such as used needles, syringes, lancets, and other sharps—safely. While it might seem challenging, there are straightforward methods to ensure safe disposal and prevent injury to you and others. It’s important to know that rules and regulations vary by state, so what might be okay in one area is not approved in another. Children With Diabetes’ partner, SafetyIsThePoint.org, has an easy-to-use map that shows what your state allows. Options, depending on your state’s disposal […]

Diabetes originally referred to a single condition characterized by “sweet urine,” but it has since developed into two main types: type 1 and type 2. Today, we recognize various forms of diabetes. An article in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine from 2020 emphasizes the significance of understanding your specific type of diabetes. This knowledge is crucial, as it helps tailor treatment options that are most effective for you and your body. The most common types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2, where type 2 is insulin resistance and type 1 is insulin dependence. Some of the features […]

What does adherence even mean when it comes to diabetes? Even when I do everything “correctly” that I am supposed to do to manage my blood sugars, the results are inconsistent. The number of variables affecting glucose levels is immeasurable, and we learn about new ones daily. How could someone ever be labeled as “adherent” given these circumstances? Am I not allowed to be human? To make mistakes? To forget things sometimes? This normal human behavior is common across all areas of life, and diabetes is no exception. So why am I labeled “non-adherent,” which is just a watered-down way […]

I’m sure most of us over 30 feel we always need more sleep and cannot catch up on the missing zzz’s. My friends with diabetes and I talk a lot about the “diabetes hangover” that can occur after a night of highs or lows due to missed sleep. The role that diabetes plays in sleep and sleep plays in diabetes is still being studied across the globe. Here’s a rundown of what the recent research shows. Diabetes causes missed sleep. I know this is obvious, but there are a lot of reasons that studies have found diabetes causes missed sleep: […]