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How was your Diabetes Awareness Month? I celebrated by taking a step back from most online activities and burying my head in the sand. Because, as always, Your Diabetes (Awareness Month) May Vary. #YDAMMV – get it trending!
I got COVID at the beginning of November and that was the definition of Not Fun. I was lucky in a lot of ways – I managed to take my first dose of anti-virals an hour after the ‘you’re positive’ lines came up on a RAT and was able to recover at home mostly. I easily accessed care when I needed it, and, in circumstances absolutely not normal for most, had heads of diabetes, and infectious diseases, departments at city tertiary hospitals calling to check in on me and make sure I had all I needed. (I know this is a perk of the work I do, and I recognise the remarkable privilege my work offers.)
I also spent November making some big life decisions and some big life moves (We’re in New York for the next three months) and that has all been kind of…big. I have never been so grateful of my incredibly supportive family and friends and, especially diabetes friends who have been an absolute bedrock on helping me through this time.
But here I am. It’s December. And it’s cold. December and cold are not words that generally go together for an Aussie sun-lover, but I am more than happy to be living in a city where Christmas carols suddenly make sense. Humming ‘Baby, it’s cold outside’ when the aircon is blasting, wearing a tank top, and sweating in 40°C heat is all sorts of oxymoron. This year, I’m wandering the streets in boots, a giant pompom adorning my beanie and wrapped in layers of coats and scarves, just as Mariah Carey intended.
Next week, I’m leaving New York and travelling to Lisbon for the IDF Congress. I’m so honoured to have been invited to give an Award Lecture, as well as speak in and chair a number of other sessions. The best part of this particular conference is the Living with Diabetes Stream which is dedicated to recognising diabetes lived experience. I can’t wait to hear from diabetes advocates from all over standing on stages and bravely, authentically and honestly sharing their stories. I wish more professional conferences had this sort of focus. And I also can’t wait to meet up with diabetes friends, some of whom I’ve not seen since before COVID. The Congress will be big and there will be a lot of it shared online. Keep an eye out!
Oh, and if you haven’t managed to get your #dedoc° voices scholarship application in yet, now is the time. The deadline has been extended by a few days and you have until next week to get yours in. You’d be mad not to, because become a #dedoc° voice means joining remarkable diabetes advocates from across the world and becoming part of a network like no other. Learning from dozens and dozens of people with diabetes who are there to do nothing but build community and support each other is incredible. Come join us! (Disclosure: I am Head of Advocacy for #dedoc°.)
One of my favourite memes on social media is the response to people who tell the world they’re taking a break from or leaving social media groups or platforms: ‘This is not an airport. There is no need to announce departures.’ (Aussie airports at the moment are full of cancelled flights, so departure announcements seem to be few and far between, but I digress.)
And so, I didn’t announce that I was taking a little break from the online world. It wasn’t really planned. But it has coincided with a couple of weeks break from work and it’s been nice to step away a little and just be. Plus, it’s given me a lot of time to write and write and write and smash deadlines for some of the freelance work I never seem to have enough time to get done. (My submission emails inevitably start with ‘I’m so sorry for the delay in getting this to you…’) But here on Diabetogenic, I’m the editor, so delays are only holding me up and it would be weird to apologise to myself for repeatedly missing deadlines, especially when I don’t even have deadlines (mostly because I don’t set them because I know I’d never meet them) and there I go digressing again and is it any wonder I get nothing done?!
Having said that, I’ve received dozens of emails from people asking when to expect a new post, so to everyone who has messaged or wondered: ‘I’m so sorry for the delay in getting this to you…’.
But here I am back again, with a heap of great things I’ve seen recently and I want to share them here in a bit of an interweb jumble!
I’m writing
Yes, I know it’s weird to share my own writing on my own blog, but whatever! Plus,, there is nothing wrong with a bit of self-promotion. I’m back writing for diaTribe and absolutely delighted to have had these two pieces published recently.
This one is about how it’s important to tell stories of people with diabetes who choose to not run marathons or climb mountains in amongst stories of those who do.
And this one is about a new type 1 diabetes screening program for Australian children. I write about the reservations I had about having my daughter screened when she was little, but how things might be very different with research like this. The response to this article has been lovely and a lot of parents with diabetes have reached out to say that they have had similar concerns and feelings to those I articulate in the post.
Advocacy through art
I’m a huge fan of Jenna Cantamessa’s artwork, and this beautiful image and accompanying post is one of the reasons why! Click on the artwork to be taken to the TypeOneVibes Instagram account to read Jenna’s words.
Stripped Supply
I’m always happy to promote smart women doing smart things and so let me introduce you to Ashley from Stripped Safely. Here we are at the recent Australian Diabetes Congress.
When Ashley’s boyfriend was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, she realised there was a gap in the market when it comes to mail ordering NDSS supplies. Remember the old days when we used to be able to easily place an order online and have our pump lines or BGL strips delivered straight to our front door? Well, Ashley is making that happen again. It’s a subscription service and is super easy to use. Details about how to use Stripped Supply here.
Gong
You bet I’m proud to share this! Diabetes Australia’s Heads Up on Diabetes campaign recently received an award from the Australian Patients Association. The campaign was recognised as the Best Patients’ Campaign and how wonderful that shining a spotlight on diabetes and mental in such a powerful way has been awarded.
I’ll just say that while it is truly amazing to be acknowledged in this way, the real measure for me of the success of a campaign is how the diabetes community responds and it was clear from year one of this three-year campaign that people with diabetes from across the world absolutely loved it, as evidenced by the number of times the campaign videos were shared online. Oh, and there’s something quite incredible about sitting in a conference room and seeing our work played back to us by someone from outside the organisation. Yeah – that’s happened a number of times!
The Human Trial
So much buzz in the diabetes world at the moment about the incredible documentary out of the US, The Human Trial. Until 9 September, you can stream the film for free by going to this link. You will be prompted to make a donation if you can. All funds raised go to diabetes research.
More about this documentary soon.
Advocacy through poetry 1
At the recent Australian Diabetes Congress, I had the honour and pleasure of chairing a session with an brilliant array of diabetes advocates from Australia and across the world. One of the speakers was Ash Byrne who began her presentation with an incredibly powerful poem and then went on to speak about the mental health burdens of diabetes. You can see Ash readying her poem, Invisible, at this Facebook link.
Advocacy through poetry 2
Aussie diabetes advocate and #dedoc° voice, Leon Tribe shared this poem on Twitter earlier this week which beautifully explains the power of language and communication between people with diabetes and our healthcare professionals. (You may need to click on the image to read the poem more easily.)
Stigma – diabetes and beyond
‘I have a new thing, and I didn’t want to talk about it. In part, because of stigma. Mostly, because of stigma.’
This is the start of a powerful post from Dana Lewis where she shares how the stigma that comes with diabetes has influenced how she feels about being diagnosed with another autoimmune disease. Read it here.
TEDx does diabetes advocacy
I’ve been a long-time fan of Grainne Flynn’s advocacy work and have shared her posts here before. Recently, she did a TED Talk about grassroots advocacy. It is all shades of brilliant and an absolute joy to watch. So… watch!
#dedoc° is busy!
There is a lot going on in the world of #dedoc°! Here’s just a taste of upcoming events that everyone can get involved in. Plus, the #dedoc° voices program will be kicking off again later this month at EASD with a cohort of new voices and alumni on the ground in Stockholm as well as following along virtually.
I’m so excited to be part of the #dedoc° symposium at EASD! Delivering a community led and focused symposium as part of the scientific program at a professional is a Big.Deal. We’re continuing to live and breathe #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs in the most impressive ways!
Disclosures
As always, I am thrilled to share things that I’ve found interesting, but disclosures are important. I’ve not been asked to share anything you see here, but figure if I find something interesting (or feel like doing same shameless self-promotion) you might too. I also figure that being transparent is important as is reminding you to consider my bias when sharing things.
- I am a paid contributor to diaTribe
- I am the Head of Communities & International Affairs at Diabetes Australia
- I am the Global Head of Advocacy at #dedoc°
Psst…forgotten something?
If you’re in the northern hemisphere right now, you’re possibly all caught up in the sunshine, splashing around at the beach or spending time off work just taking time out. If you’re from the southern hemisphere, you’re either smart and have taken a holiday to Europe because EVERYONE.IS.IN.EUROPE.RIGHT.NOW, or under fifteen quilts in front of a roaring fire, counting down the days until it gets warmer. Sadly, I’m in the latter group.
I get it. Things slip by either way.
But! You only have a few days left to make sure you don’t miss out on applying for a #dedoc° voices scholarship. Wherever you are, a scholarship means you have something to look forward to in a couple of months’ time and the absolute thrill of either virtually or in-person attending a global diabetes conference or two. That’s right – TWO! EASD (European diabetes conference) and ISPAD (paediatric diabetes conference) are the next international conferences on the diabetes conference calendar. Both will be hybrid, with the in-person locations being Stockholm and Abu Dhabi respectively.
We’re well over two years into the #dedoc° voices program now, and the awesome thing about it is that it’s not just about the few days of the conference where you get to learn from incredible researchers and clinicians, while waving the lived experience flag and being surrounded by others with diabetes. I mean, that is all pretty great. But being a #dedoc° voice goes way beyond that! Once you receive a scholarship you are part of a network of remarkable diabetes advocates from across the world, and this network is the most supportive, encouraging, brilliant group of people, always ready to help. Every single week, I see people reaching out for support and advice and the responses are swift and many. I’ve not seen a single example of anything other than support, and have watched advocates truly flourish as they have worked with others, developed mentoring relationships and been supported to do brilliant things.
Unless you’re part of the program, you wouldn’t know this. And here’s the deal: anyone can become part of it. The #dedoc° voices program is open to people from across the world and everyone is in with an equal chance. You just need to spend some time completing an application. It is a competitive process, and places are limited. The people who get accepted are the ones who have taken some time with their application and really been able to demonstrate just how they are going to #PayItForward to their diabetes community if successful. No one is a shoe in; having a high follower count on socials means nothing if your application is sub-par. We take people who are new to the diabetes advocacy space, and are looking for a hand carving out their space, as well as seasoned advocates who are keen to work with others and become part of a global network, outside their own country.
So, get on it! Click on the image below, fill in the form and join us! You get to work on your advocacy while giving back to the community, all while wearing the #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs badge. How amazing is that?!
More on #diabetogenic about the #dedoc° voices program:
#dedoc° voices helping people with diabetes get into professional conferences
How #dedoc° voices supported people with diabetes in Ukraine
More on why to apply to join the #dedoc voices program
Disclosure
I have been an advisor for a number of years, and am now working with them as Head of Advocacy.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was thinking that diabetes conferences in the time of COVID would be different to pre-COVID times. But really, apart from some people wearing masks, less kissing the cheeks of strangers and sharing vaccination status (‘How many times have you been boosted?’), there wasn’t all that much the differed from the last face-to-face conference back in February 2020.
I realised that on day 2 as I walked through the barely light streets of Barcelona from my hotel to the conference centre that the idea and demands of ‘conferencing hard’ hadn’t changed. The 6.30am breakfast was still alive and well, scheduled so that there was time for another morning session before the actual sessions started. It makes for a very long morning which is what I said walking out of my fourth meeting for the day and seeing it was still only 10.30am.
Also the same is the way conference session timetablers still manage to clump all the sessions I want to go to in the same time block! I barely made it to any sessions anyway, (project and collaboration meetings made it difficult), but when I did have a spare half hour there were always several concurrent sessions I wanted to be in.
And in the same way, there is a magical equation applied to room allocation that results in the most popular sessions being given the smallest rooms, so that people are crowded in and then overflowing – something that has always been a problem but seems even more of an issue in COVID times.
The Exhibition Hall remained a playroom for HCPs with ever brighter and flashier booths all vying for attention. In what is starting to resemble a Las Vegas casino room, blinking lights, interactive boards, and promising giveaways keep attendees away from sessions and focused on shiny work of overpaid marketing and PR firms. They earn their coin – There were queues outside the Exhibition Hall each morning, and the booths were jam packed throughout each day.
I had one of the most confusing and weird experiences ever in this Exhibition Hall at the Abbott stand. I’d been given a heads up that they were giving away dummy Libre 3 sensors on the stand, so I wandered over to see what the buzz was all about. All around the massive booth that had prime position right at the entrance of the hall were giant interactive screens. Attendees were invited to work their way through a six-question survey to test their knowledge on Freestyle Libre 3.
After I got my score, I walked up to one of the Abbott staff and we had this encounter:
Me: ‘Hi, I’ve just done the survey and I was wondering if I could get a dummy sensor, please.’
Abbott staff: ‘I’m sorry?’
Me: ‘Oh, um… a demo sensor?’
Abbott staff: ‘We don’t give away demonstration sensors. Health professionals can register to have one sent to them.’ (She was eyeing the N/P label on my badge.)
Me: ‘Okay, well we can talk about that another time, but for now, what is the sensor that is being offered to people finishing the survey thing? A dummy sensor?’
Abbott staff: ‘Oh no. we don’t have dummy sensors. We have … (pause for effect) … glamour sensors.’ She wandered off to get me one while I stood there stunned at what I had just heard.
Look, I know I spend a lot of time working in the space of diabetes and language, but this one had be absolutely floored. Glamour sensor? I turned to my friend Andrea who had watched this entire encounter and we both mouthed in astonishment ‘Glamour sensor?’
The Abbott rep returned and handed me a box that looked suspiciously like it contained an engagement ring, which I thought was lovely if not a little forward considering we’d only said half a dozen sentences to each other.
I thanked her and opened it and there inside was this:
I sighed. There was my glamour sensor. A fun little token of love from the device company that makes a bloody good product…that is unaffordable to the vast majority of people with diabetes who could benefit from it. I get the excitement though. It is very sexy. It’s tiny and obviously I desperately want it to come to Australia NOW so that we can have access to it. Thank you and please. But is the fanfare and theatre around it at a diabetes conference all that necessary?
Which brings me to another thing that is exactly the same. As I get swept up in the excitement of new technology much like anyone else, I have another focus. And that focus is horribly annoying for whichever rep asks if they can help me when the see me lurking with intent at their booth. ‘Nice kit,’ I say to lull them into a false sense of security, letting them think I am just like any other admiring punter wandering around. And then: ‘When is it coming to Australia?’ The answers are always the same – no matter who I am speaking to and no matter which company they are from. It’s a variation on ‘No idea; maybe I do know, but I can’t tell you; you’re a long way away; there aren’t many of you; stop asking me.’
Also slightly gimmicky, but absolutely for the right reasons, was the demo Omnipod give away at the Insulet stand. Here, anyone could simply head up to the stand and ask for one, and Insulet would make a €5 donation to Spare a Rose for Ukraine. I can’t really complain about this seeming like a stunt when it’s going to a cause very, very close to my heart…!!
One of my favourite things that was a throwback from pre-COVID conferences was seeing groups of people with diabetes – many there as part of #dedoc° voices – wandering around together in packs, comparing notes, and supporting each other. That is something that certainly hasn’t changed, other than for those packs to be more recognisable and more welcome. Definitely a good thing! And something that I hope to see a lot more of in coming meetings.
DISCLOSURE
My flights and accommodation have been covered by #dedoc°, where I have been an advisor for a number of years, and am now working with them as Head of Advocacy.
Thanks to ATTD for providing me with a press pass to attend the conference.
Throughout ATTD I got to repeatedly tell an origin story that led us to this year’s #dedoc° symposium. I’ve told the story here before, but I’m going to again for anyone new, or anyone who is after a refresher.
It’s 2015 and EASD in Stockholm. A group of people with diabetes are crowded together in the overheated backroom of a cafe in the centre of the city. Organising and leading this catch up is Bastian Hauck who, just a few years earlier, brought people from the german-based diabetes community together online (in tweet chats) and for in person events. His idea here was that anyone with diabetes, or connected to the conference, from anywhere in the world, could pop in and share what they were up to that was benefitting their corner of the diabetes world. I’ll add that this was a slightly turbulent time in some parts of the DOC in Europe. Local online communities were feeling the effects of some bitter rifts. #docday° wasn’t about that, and it wasn’t about where you were from either. It was about providing a platform for people with diabetes to network and share and give and get support.
And that’s exactly what happened. Honestly, I can’t remember all that much of what was spoken about. I do remember diabetes advocate from Sweden, Josephine, unabashedly stripping down to her underwear to show off the latest AnnaPS designs – a range of clothing created especially to comfortably and conveniently house diabetes devices. It won’t come as a surprise to many people that I spoke about language and communication, and the work Diabetes Australia was doing in this space and how it was the diabetes community that was helping spread the word.
I also remember the cardamom buns speckled with sugar pearls, but this is not relevant to the story, and purely serving as a reminder to find a recipe and make some.
So there we were, far away from the actual conference (because most of the advocates who were there didn’t have registration badges to get in), and very separate from where the HCPs were talking about … well … talking about us.
Twelve months later EASD moved to Munich. This time, Bastian had managed to negotiate with the event organisers for a room at the conference centre. Most of the advocates who were there for other satellite events had secured registrations badges, and could easily access all spaces. Now, instead of needing to schlep across town to meet, we had a dedicated space for a couple of hours. It also means that HCPs could pop into the event in between sessions. And a few did!
This has been the model for #docday° at EASD and, more recently, ATTD as well. The meetups were held at the conference centre and each time the number of HCPs would grow. It worked! Until, of course COVID threw a spanner in all the diabetes conference works. And so, we moved online to virtual gatherings which turned out to be quite amazing as it opened up the floor to a lot of advocates who ordinarily might not be able to access the meetings in Europe.
And that brings us to this year. The first large international diabetes conference was back on – after a couple of reschedules and location changes. And with it would, of course, be the global #dedoc° community, but this time, rather than a satellite or adjacent session, it would be part of the scientific program. There on the website was the first ever #dedoc° symposium. This was (is!) HUGE! It marks a real change in how and where people with diabetes, our stories and our position is considered at what has in the past been the domain of health professionals and researchers.
When you live by the motto ‘Nothing about us without us’ this is a very comfortable place to be. Bastian and the #dedoc° team and supporters had moved the needle, and shown that people with diabetes can be incorporated into these conferences with ease. The program for the session was determined by what have been key discussions in the diabetes community for some time: access, stigma and DIY technologies. And guess what? Those very topics were also mentioned by HCPs in other sessions.
There have been well over a dozen #docday° events now. There has been conversation after conversation after conversation about how to better include people with diabetes in these sorts of events in a meaningful way. There has been community working together to make it happen. And here we are.
For the record, the room was full to overflowing. And the vast majority of the people there were not people with diabetes. Healthcare professionals and researchers made the conscious decision to walk into Hall 118 at 3pm on Wednesday 27 April to hear from the diabetes community; to learn from the diabetes community.
If you missed it, here it is! The other amazing thing about this Symposium was that, unlike all other sessions, it wasn’t only open to people who had registered for ATTD. It was live streamed across #dedoc° socials and is available now for anyone to watch on demand. So, watch now! It was such an honour to be asked to moderate this session and to be able to present the three incredibly speakers from the diabetes community. Right where they – where we – belong.
DISCLOSURE
My flights and accommodation have been covered by #dedoc°, where I have been an advisor for a number of years, and am now working with them as Head of Advocacy.
Thanks to ATTD for providing me with a press pass to attend the conference.
I’ve always thought that being pushed out of my comfort zone is a good thing. There’s something to be said about feeling uncomfortable and being stretched outside the boundaries of familiarity.
And so, with that in mind, I jumped on a plane and flew to Barcelona for ATTD. If you read my last post, you’ll know it was nowhere near as easy and flippant as that last sentence sounds.
A lot of the stresses I had before I left ended up amounting to nothing. There were no endless queues at the airport, or crowds who didn’t understand keeping 1.5 metres apart. Almost everyone was wearing a mask. Security was even more of a breeze than usual (apparently laptops and other devices don’t need to be removed from carry-on luggage anymore), and, requesting a pat down rather than walking through the full body scanner was met with a nod and a smile.
Everyone wore masks boarding the plane and most seemed to leave them on throughout the flight. This isn’t something to treat lightly. The first flight alone was almost 15 hours long! My mask was removed only while drinking and eating, staying on snugly while I slept.
While there were no formal requirements for a supervised COVID test to enter Spain or return to Australia, my daily tests did cause 15 mins of countdown anxiety. One evening, someone messaged me to tell me that she had tested positive. We’d had a breakfast meeting the previous morning. I calmed my initial response (which was to freak out and burst into tears) by remembering that we’d all been masked up apart from the minutes we were eating.
When I arrived in Barcelona, I had been cautioned of convoluted arrival procedures and extra queues to check health and vaccination status. Before leaving, I’d had warnings and reminders from the airline and friends already there to make sure I’d completed my online Spain Travel Pass because the QR code would be needed. Except, it wasn’t. Passport control took under than 90 seconds. And my code wouldn’t scan for the woman checking my pass. ‘Where are you from,’ she asked me. When I said Australia, she laughed and told me just to go get my bag. (Clearly, she wasn’t up to date with our COVID numbers…)
Luckily, the people I spent most of my time with were all on the same page as me when it came to masking. We were not the norm. Most people were not masked up. I realised that when I walked into a hotel restaurant to meet someone a couple of hours after I arrived, and again as I walked into the conference centre on the Wednesday afternoon. As I stood on the stage to welcome everyone to the #dedoc° symposium, I was grateful to be greeted by a sea of masks with fewer than ten people in the packed crowd choosing to not wear one. And a couple of them searched in their bags for one after I and first speaker, Dana Lewis, thanked people for masking up.
I have to say it did surprise me to see so few healthcare professionals wearing masks, and eagerly reaching out to hug or shake hands when we met. I actually was okay with giving people I know a hug, but we always asked first. I adopted a weird kind of hopping around to avoid people I don’t know too well as they approached, instead extending my elbow.
I went into last week with a very clear idea of how I was going to, at all costs, avoid people. I’ve held tightly onto health measures (masking, distance, lots of hand washing, meeting people outdoors) since the pandemic began, and there was no way I was going to be partying like it was Feb 2020 just because I was back in Spain.
But there was a moment that I did throw a little caution to the wind. The evening I arrived, after my first meeting, I got in the elevator to the rooftop of the hotel where I was staying. It was the same place all the #dedoc° voices were, and they were having an informal meet up on the roof. I walked out, and a few of them – the ones I know well – screamed and charged at me. And instead of freezing and freaking out, I teared up and was happy to just be enveloped by them all. I was wearing a mask and, in that moment, that as enough.
Since I have returned home, I’ve been asked dozens of times what it’s like travelling and being at a conference again and how I coped. The answer isn’t straight forward.
Travelling again was terrifying. I didn’t enjoy being in transit at all. I struggled with there being so many people around me. And I was uncomfortable with the unpredictability of the whole situation. But I focused on the bits I could control and did my best to just deal with it.
Being at a face-to-face diabetes conference was in equal measure exhilarating and difficult. Being able to have in real life conversations with people about their advocacy and how they have been going is different to messaging or Zooming – it just is. Bumping into people in conference centre hallways starts conversations that absolutely wouldn’t have happened otherwise. And it’s those conversations that often lead to collaborations and new projects. I predicted in my last post that the muscle memory of a real-life conference would return without much effort, and I was right.
The equation for me is this: the good outweighed the bad. The moments of joy and delight dwarfed the moments of terror. The feeling of being part of something – that truly global diabetes community of truly incredible diabetes advocates and healthcare professionals and researchers – returned with a fierceness I wasn’t expecting. I felt at home and where I belonged, and the moments of anxiety – sometimes almost paralysing – were overcome by knowing that. And the peer support was immense. I didn’t realise just how much I needed that contact again.
I’m not going to be rushing back to the same conference and travel schedule I had built in 2019 – it’s not sustainable in so many ways. And there is a lot of risk assessment going on. I won’t be at ADA this year, but EASD is on the cards. Carefully chosen meetings with clear goals and plans are worthwhile.
The world is definitely a different place. But within those differences is the comfort of knowing that the diabetes world – the diabetes advocacy community – has absolutely not stopped doing what it does best. As I stood in corridors speaking with people and plotting and planning, or took the stage to chair a session, or caught up with people after hours on rooftops, I realised that it’s going to take a lot more than a global pandemic to stop the passion and dedication and determination of those who have one thing in mind and one thing in common: improving lives of people with diabetes.
DISCLOSURE
My flights and accommodation have been covered by #dedoc°, where I have been an advisor for a number of years, and am no working with them as Head of Advocacy.
Thanks to ATTD for providing me with a press pass to attend the conference.
Before the world changed, I was in Qantas’ top five per cent of travellers. They told me this in an email, as though it was worth celebrating – they actually used the word ‘congratulations’ in the opening paragraph. To me, it just represented all the time I spent on aeroplanes. In 2019, I did ten long-haul flights for work and one for pleasure. I couldn’t tell you how many domestic flights I took but suspect it would be close to fifty. I had a tally at one point of the number of airbridges I’d walked but stopped counting when I got to 100 because I was feeling sad about it. 2020 was shaping up to be the same, but then that global pandemic thing happened and grounded pretty much all flights in and out of Australia. And me along with them.
But before then, I was what you would call a seasoned traveller. I could pack in ten minutes, while going through my mental checklist to make sure I had all the diabetes supplies I’d require, as well as regular-people things. I was brilliant at calculating future time zone gymnastics so I wouldn’t find myself woken at 3am with an expired sensor or empty pump reservoir.
I had my airport routines timed down to the minute. I knew I needed a cab at my house exactly 60 minutes before a domestic flight. That would give me enough time to breeze through the express security aisles, walk straight into the Qantas Business Lounge, order a takeaway coffee, walk to the gate, and get on the plane, just in time to watch the Qantas safety video that (lied) told me there was good coffee onboard.
International flights needed a little extra time. I’d arrive at the airport no more than 90 minutes before flight time. Speed through the First Class check in (no, I was not flying first class, but Platinum status – thanks to all the flying – meant I was treated as though I was. At least until I boarded the flight!), dive for the shortest e-passport queue and speed-walk through duty free and find a window seat in the First Class lounge and wait for my flight to be called.
I was that person at the airport who could tell which queues were moving quickest, understood that unpacking laptops/phones/removing jewellery PRIOR to getting to the front of the queue kept things moving, knew the best seats in the lounge, was recognised by lounge staff (the Qantas Business domestic lounge baristas knew my coffee order; I could easily get a pre-flight massage in the international lounge). Flying was tedious, tiresome, and far too frequent, but I had it worked out.
Right now, I’m at the airport, about to board an international flight for the first time since I returned home from ATTD in Madrid in February 2020. Getting to this point has been stressful.
I’m terrified of people and I’m guessing there will be some on the plane with me. I don’t like my new passport photo. I’m beyond terrified at the thought of being away from home. I’m scared about getting COVID and not being able to return home. I’m confused about COVID requirements. I’m concerned about diabetes being a shit while in transit, even though that’s really not something I’ve had to contend with in the past. I’ve been worried all week that I’ve forgotten how to travel!
It took me forever to work out what to pack. I checked, double checked and triple checked diabetes supplies, packing them, and then unpacking them over and over. I couldn’t work out which charging adaptors I needed. I finally shut my suitcase, (after spending an age deciding just the right one to use), which I know has far too many changes of clothes, but I’ve lost the knack of throwing together a ‘conference capsule’ of just the right things to wear for just the right number of days.
I couldn’t remember the layout of the airport – I walked by the elevator for the lounge and somehow found myself at a deserted part of the airport before I realised I was lost. I was worried about crazy-long airport queues but was pleasantly surprised at the efficiency of the whole check in process, so probably didn’t need the extra hour I gave myself to make sure I wasn’t running late.
I feel like one of those people at airports who holds up everyone else because they don’t know when to have their passport ready and open at the right page, or their shoes off, or to unload everything from their pockets before going through the scanner. You know, one of those people that used to drive me to despair back before the world changed.
As it turns out, the whole process of getting through security and passport control was effortless. My pump, CGM and OrangeLink were barely noted during the security pat-down. The only difference with 2022 travel as compared with 2020 travel is that I’m sporting a pink mask and had to show my vaccination certificate. I walked into the Qantas Lounge and was greeted with a ‘Welcome back’, and I nearly burst into tears.
I can see my plane out the window from the lounge (I still remembered where the best seats are!) and have had my last Melbourne coffee for a week. I managed to deal with a little hypo (thanks to all the extra steps from getting lost!) without too much drama. It all feels oddly familiar and completely alien at the same time.
In just over 25 hours, I’ll be in Barcelona. A real life conference seems so strange still, but I have a feeling that muscle memory is going to be strong there, and being around an incredible network of diabetes advocates (follow the #dedoc° voices!) is going to be an endless source of support and inspiration. Through it all – the anxiety and the stress of getting to this point – I’m so excited! Let’s see what ATTD 2022 has in store!
DISCLOSURE
My flights and accommodation have been covered by #dedoc, where I have been an advisor for a number of years, and am no working with them as Head of Advocacy.
Thanks to ATTD for providing me with a press pass to attend the conference.
Sometimes it takes me a couple of days after a big diabetes meeting or event to work out my main takeaways. I think about it and throw things around, reliving certain aspects, considering what was discussed, carefully thinking about all possible interpretations to make sure that I am clear about what people were saying
I didn’t need time after last week’s World Health Organisation Focus Group on Advancing the Lived Experience of People Living with Diabetes because the takeaways were there straight away, loud and clear.
There were three things for me:
- The acknowledgement about the importance of language and communication. I wrote about that the other day.
- Barriers to access include far more than affordability. Affordability is absolutely a cornerstone of being able to get the best care, take the right meds and use the right technology, but there are a lot of other obstacles and blocks that impact on outcomes. More on this another time.
- But, for me, THE biggest take away was the support that was overflowing from most people in attendance, and they way they were looking out for each other, looking to each other, and looking for ways to remain connected to support the astonishing work being done in the community – from grassroots initiatives, right through to involvement in political campaigns at the highest organisation level.
I have been so lucky to be the recipient of that sort of support from other people with diabetes over the years. Whether it’s invitations to be involved in their projects, or having an EOI flyer flicked my way, or being recommended for something, the love and generosity of others with diabetes has certainly opened up a lot of advocacy opportunities. I have tried to pay it back, and, (to use a #dedoc° voices motto), #PayItForward as well. A benefit of working for a diabetes organisation has meant that I have been able to co-design and develop programs to involve others. Initiatives like the #DAPeopleVoice and countless speaking occasions, and nominating people for initiatives such as the IDF YLD have opened the door for others with diabetes to step through and find a platform for their own advocacy.
One of the things that I learnt early on is that there is a lot of stuff to go around. If people want to get involved, there are always ways in. Chelcie Rice’s ‘If they don’t have a chair for you, bring your own’ words ring in my ears a lot when I think about making sure PWD have a seat at the table, and I’ve extended that to ‘And make sure you bring a chair for someone else, or give yours up for them’. Increasingly, I’ve done more of the latter.
Also early on I learnt to ignore the people who did nothing more than complain about who gets invited where, instead understanding my own value and reason for being involved, while also making sure to find a way to bring along those who genuinely were interested in being included and were willing to work to make it happen. (The incredible responses to this tweet show how people got a break in diabetes advocacy and what it’s taken to keep going.)
Supporting others is as easy as sharing someone’s blog or social media posts, linking to them here in my own writing or to their Twitter handle when I mention them, celebrating their work to others and applauding their wins.
Attitudes of support were demonstrated in spades last week. I had direct messages from dozens of attendees, some reaching out for the first time, that were just so damn encouraging and kind.
At the same time, I was frantically messaging others to ask about their work and if there was anything I could do to promote it. I sent the #dedoc° voices application link to a number of people who were at their first advocacy meet, and hoped to do more.
One of the nicest messages I received was from someone I’ve known for years on Twitter, but never actually been at the same event or involved in the same project. We exchanged some lovely messages, acknowledging how terrific it was to finally find ourselves in the same Zoom room, and a hope that it would continue.
The overwhelming openness, kindness and consideration of others was disarming. There wasn’t a sense of competition or resentment for anyone doing other things. There was appreciation and respect of others’ efforts. And that led to meetings being set up, collaborations taking shape, and a list of exciting new things to check out and share.
Look, if this seems all a little utopian, maybe it is, and maybe I sound annoyingly Pollyanna-ish. I’m sure that there were some folks there who walked away with a very different vibe. And that’s fine. Not everything floats everyone’s boat. Perhaps not everyone connected with others the same way I did. Perhaps they weren’t as comfortable reaching out to others to offer their support, or maybe they didn’t see or hear anything they thought worth supporting. As always, diabetes experiences – whether in a clinic appointment or an advocacy event – will be different for different people.
For me, I started from a place of wanting to be there and wanting to connect with others. When I think about it, there is an element of selfishness in my advocacy work, as it’s allowed me to always find a way to connect with others with diabetes, to learn from them, to work together, to jointly elevate our place in the diabetes healthcare space. It’s served me well. And it’s given me the change to receive and give support to others, too. It’s a good place to start. And it’s a good thing to keep doing.
DISCLOSURE
I was invited by the WHO Global Diabetes Compact team to be part of the facilitators at the Focus Group on Advancing the Lived Experience of People Living with Diabetes. I happily volunteered my time.
When I talk about the highs and lows of diabetes it’s not just the rollercoaster of numbers. I wrote yesterday about feeling a little low and overwhelmed after a particularly gruelling day. Today, however, I’m on an absolute high after a busy night, or rather, early morning, giving two talks at the ISPAD conference.
docday° was a little different this time, in a truly brilliant way. It was the first time that the event was on the scientific program of a conference, meaning that it was easier for conference registrants to attend. Having a program session that is truly led and designed and features PWD, elevates the standing of lived experience.
The docday° program highlighted some of the topics very close to the hearts of many people with diabetes. Emma Doble from BMJ spoke about working closely with the docday°voices team to publish stories written by individual and groups of people with diabetes. How fantastic to see the words and lived experience feature in such a prominent medical journal!
I touched on language and diabetes – the first talk on the topic for the conference for me. Steffi Haack gave a beautiful talk about peer support and touched on what we get from being in a community of others with diabetes can offer. Steffi managed to perfectly capture the essence of what the community can offer, while also discussing why it’s not necessarily perfect. And we finished with Tino – Tinotenda Dzikiti – from Zimbabwe talking about access and affordability of diabetes medications and treatments. Tino has been a standout advocate in the dedoc voices program, and I make sure to take any chance I get to listen to him.
After docday°, I was an invited speaking in the Psychosocial Issues in Diabetes Symposium which involved an incredible panel of speakers including Rose Stewart from the UK and Korey Hood from the US. Rose spoke eloquently about the importance of integrating psychologists into diabetes care teams, and Korey provided some terrific tips about dealing with diabetes burnout. I followed the two of them (not daunting at all…!) to talk about the language matters movement in diabetes, starting with a reminder that we are talking about more than language – and it’s certainly more than just specific words. It’s about communication, attitudes, images used, and behaviours.
The way that I speak about language these days is different. I think that at first, I spent the majority of the time explaining what it was all about. These days, there seems to be enough ‘brand awareness’ in the community about language matters and that means being able to home in on some of the more nuanced aspects of it.
And so, while I still talk about words that I (and from research we’ve done, others) consider problematic (‘compliant’ is the one that I like to highlight), I spend more time talking about the image problem diabetes has, and about the trickle-down effect language has had on shaping that image.
I point out that there are people who think that language is not all that important in the grand scheme of things, and that there are more important things to worry about in the diabetes world and I very much understand that. I also understand that people have different focuses. But when I ask people what those important things are, they include issues such as research for a cure and better treatments, better access, more education. And then I can’t help but see and think about how research is less because of the image problem about diabetes. That treatments and a cure need governments to prioritise diabetes when it comes to their research dollars and individuals need to give generously when there are funding drives.
But because diabetes is seen as something not serious, and that people are to blame for their own health condition, we are not seeing those dollars coming our way.
It never is and it never was about picking on certain words; it has always been about changing attitudes. Because that is what will change diabetes’ image problem.
I am an advisor to the #dedoc° voices program. I do not receive any payment for this role.
As an invited speaker at the #ISPAD2021 annual meeting, I was given complimentary registration for the conference.
I am helping organise the Diabetes Australia Global Language Summit, and will be hosting the panel discussion.
Diabetogenic 