Diabetes in Ireland, Diabetes Ireland, diabetes support, Diabetes Awareness
Grainne Flynn
Diabetes Awareness: What, Why, How, Who

There are lots of people on social media doing their bit for diabetes awareness, and this is fantastic. However, raising awareness seems to be a big buzzword these days, but what does that really mean, and how do we raise awareness of something effectively? Should I do it by sharing a random image on my Facebook feed that doesn’t tell any of my friends anything at all? Or should I use my social media to share information?

Grainne Flynn
Insulin Pump Use in Ireland

In this post, I will provide a short summary of the information revealed from parliamentary question responses on how many people in Ireland use insulin pumps, what clinics provide them as a treatment option and how many new pump starts are done each year.

Insulin Pump Use in Ireland
Newly Diagnosed Type 1...
Grainne Flynn
Adjusting to Life with Diabetes

My diabetes diagnosis shattered my confidence in my ability to take care of myself, and my plan quickly became to just get through the rest of the term, move home for the summer to my previous summer job and figure the rest out over the summer. Adjusting to my new normal of living with diabetes began while I was still in hospital, or did it?

Adjusting to Life with Diabetes
Grainne Flynn
My Diabetes Diagnosis

I realised last year that in all the blog posts I’d done these last 13 years, I have never shared my diagnosis story, so here it goes. My diabetes diagnosis is not unique; many of my friends with diabetes share similar experiences; however, some people end up very ill and may have spent time in intensive care units in hospitals. Thankfully this was not the case for me, but I did feel like I was dying.

My Diabetes Diagnosis
Grainne Flynn
Flash and CGM Uptake in Ireland 2022

The purpose of the document is to provide an estimate of the number of people who are using HSE-funded Flash and CGMs in Ireland and to prompt a discussion around access equality. I believe we need to talk about how fair it is that so many are approved for HSE funding and why some people are still being made to pay.

Flash and CGM Uptake in Ireland 2022

Diabetes Hands Foundation

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Diabetes Discrimination in Career Choices

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Lucky for me, or maybe for the world :-O, I never aspired to be an astronaut or an airline pilot for my career. But I have met just a few people with diabetes who did. In particular, a couple who all they wanted in life was to fly airplanes. But when they were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes they ruled it out. At the Diabetes Hands Foundation MasterLab 2016 conference there was a fantastic presentation on “Diabetes Discrimination in the Workplace”  that prompted me to feature this issue. I’ve divided it into two posts though as it was getting a bit long.

The first of which is how diabetes may affect your career choice. The second post will feature discrimination in your workplace and what your rights are.

Did you know that it’s only since 2015 that a person with type 1 diabetes can apply for An Garda Siochana in Ireland? But there are still difficulties for people with type 1 diabetes who want to join the defense forces, emergency services, railway workers and some careers at sea? What this probably means is that no one with type 1 diabetes has succeeded in passing the fitness tests to qualify for any of these careers. (source; Diabetes Ireland). But other countries don't have these restrictions. Why can a person with diabetes be a member of the police force in the US and not be in Ireland? Well, it's because these rules are being challenged in those countries and winning!

In the UK, some NHS Ambulance Trusts, still have restrictions in place on people with diabetes who wish to be ambulance crew. But these restrictions are being challenged.

In the US a person with diabetes CAN be a firefighter or a police officer! You CAN be a commercial pilot in the UK and Canada but not in the US. This is being challenged also.

My point is if you have a dream, if you know what you want to do with your life, don’t let people put you off. If you feel that you are right for any of those careers, then go for it! Where there is a will there is a way!

Here's the video from MasterLab 2016 - well worth a watch!!

https://youtu.be/Cmw31JpoZbE

I had hoped to publish part 2 of Diabetes Discrimination along with this post but Ha! Intentions were good but time did not cooperate. Part 2 next week!

The Big Blue Test for World Diabetes Day

This year, for World Diabetes Day, I am piggy backing on someone else's idea and taking part in the Big Blue Test. Why?

Because it's simple, it's easy, it doesn't cost me anything to participate, and it's giving to those who don't have access to insulin. Hell, it's just a good idea and I'm hoping that some of you will think so too and join me?

What is the Big Blue Test BBT?

The Big Blue Test is a diabetes awareness initiative that was started 7 years ago by an American non-profit organisation, called the Diabetes Hands Foundation (amazing organization worthy of another post). The BBT is about how one small change can have a huge impact on your health; if you have diabetes or not.

And every BBT logged raises money for those with diabetes who are less fortunate than us.

Results gathered over the lifetime of the program demonstrate that just 14 minutes of exercise has the potential to decrease participants’ blood glucose levels, in some instances as much as 20% (Type 1's should pack a Snickers;-D).

Not only is The Big Blue Test encouraging people who don't have diabetes to exercise and creating awareness about diabetes, but it's creating awareness in our own community about how effective even a little bit of exercise is as a diabetes management tool.

And, by participating in the Big Blue Test, we get to help people living with diabetes who are in need with grants for life-saving diabetes supplies, treatments and patient education, usually in developing countries.

 

How do I take the test?

Taking the Big Blue Test is easy:

  1. If you have diabetes you test their blood sugar, if you don't have diabetes, don't check your blood sugar.
  2. You exercise for at least 14-20 minutes.
  3. You test again (if you have diabetes), and
  4. You share their experience on BigBlueTest.org or through the app for iPhone or Android.

Log in, take the test. Do a little good today for yourself – and someone else.

From Diabetes Mine