When you have diabetes and work at a diabetes company, there are some unique perks. As the CWD team has grown over the last five years, so has the number of people with diabetes on the team. Of the team of full-time staff, there are four of us with T1D, and three parents of people with T1D. When working on a small team, it’s so helpful that everyone has a very real, personal understanding of T1D. It’s especially beneficial for our many travels.
Everyone has low snacks
Inevitably, one of us with T1D will not have enough low snacks at an event, but there’s always a backup! We also always carry glucagon—multiple varieties. While traveling to the ATTD conference in Florence in 2024, we went out to lunch where we ate some amazing pasta and pizza. After lunch, all the PWD with us, including me, started dropping low during a walk around the town. Not all pasta is created equally, and the pasta in Italy seems to have less of a glycemic index than pasta in the U.S. This trip taught us that even when you think you have enough low snacks, always pack some extra. We are now excessive in our low snack travel supply. NOTE: Try to travel with someone who can help carry those extra supplies for you.
We always carry glucagon after an experience at the same conference, where a friend of CWD, who worked in industry, had a severe hypoglycemic episode in the exhibit hall. There were hundreds of people in the exhibit hall working for diabetes companies or attending the conference, and not one of them had glucagon. The person had to be taken away via ambulance and treated at the local hospital. The company he was working for also now ensures glucagon is on hand at their booth at every diabetes event they attend.
Someone has enough insulin
A couple of weeks ago, we were meeting at “corporate headquarters,” aka Jeff and Brenda’s house, and when I got there, I realized my pod was almost out of insulin. I was immediately embarrassed that, even as the clinical director and certified diabetes care and education specialist, I had forgotten this critical component of my life. I had a few options:
- I could drive back home and get a new pod and insulin
- I could borrow insulin from my coworker, Sasha, who had a vial and syringes on her (Way to go!), though this was a short-term solution
- I could ask Jeff and Brenda’s neighbor with two kids with T1D if they happened to have any pods
- I could put in an infusion set, link up Sasha’s pump to the infusion set, and take some insulin
I decided to do numbers 2 and 3 – taking an injection and then gratefully accepting a pod from the neighbors. I wanted to get back into closed-loop mode, since that’s the method of management I currently prefer. Lesson learned – always be prepared and thank your diabuddies for having your back when you forget.
Supply exchanges when needed
Sometimes one of us has a few sensor failures, and other times, we run low on infusion sets. When we change to a new AID system, we have older supplies that others may be able to use. The number of times we have exchanged supplies (mostly sensors and infusion sets) is not small, and I fully expect to keep doing it as long as needed. The reality of how our healthcare system works is that sometimes people run out of things before the refill arrives at their house. It’s always good to have community connections so that when you’re in need, you can get help and then help someone else in their time of need.
Following each other’s CGMs
There is always at least one person watching your CGM. Leigh Fickling, CWD’s Chief Operating Officer, also affectionately called Chief Mom Officer, follows all team members with T1D, her child with T1D, and some other Fiffles who often travel to the same conferences we attend. Having an extra set of eyes and ears on your CGM data is so helpful when traveling across multiple time zones and eating food you aren’t used to. We also tend to get an extra hotel key to give to Leigh in case there is an instance where she needs to get in to assist.
Diabetes Hangovers are understood
We all have nights where our blood sugars are either too low or too high, and our sleep is interrupted. The next day can feel very much like a hangover, especially if you had ketones. On these days, we do not feel ashamed of messaging the team to say, “hey, I was up all night with a high,” or “I’ll be back online later; I am so high I need to lie down.” Everyone on the team gets it, wishes the person having a rough day well, and leaves them alone for a few hours.
This is something that feels really hard for me to do in scenarios where people do not understand diabetes. It’s hard to admit that sometimes diabetes gets the better of us, but it’s the reality. When I was younger, I would push through and bounce back quicker. In my 35th year of living with T1D, I am at a place where I can admit that sometimes I have to take extra breaks due to diabetes. I sincerely hope everyone with diabetes can prioritize themselves and take breaks when needed. We are not machines, and we need rest and support.
Thank you, CWD Team, for being the amazing group of people you are!
Written and clinically reviewed by Marissa Town, RN, BSN, CDCES