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I like to think that I am not one of those parents who is always banging on about how perfect their little precious is. My kid, love her as we do, can be a little devil. She is wonderful and gorgeous and clever and kind. But she is not perfect.
However, one of the things that I am incredibly proud of – and brag about like one of those parents – is her good manners. Aaron and I have had a no tolerance policy since before she could speak about the importance of saying please and thank you. She knows to say excuse me (as in: ‘Excuse me, can I please pat your dog?’ – the words she has possibly uttered more than any others in her ten short years) and she knows how to behave in a café, (as in: don’t speak to mummy until she is at least half way through her first coffee).
She doesn’t get it right one hundred per cent of the time, but she is pulled up every time she forgets.
The thing that amazes me is how frequently she is commended on being polite, just because she has said please or thank you. Surely this is simply something that people just do, but I am assured by many that hearing a young child using her manners is not a given.
I probably shouldn’t be surprised by this. Each day on my Facebook feed, there are articles such as ‘Things not to say to a pregnant woman’ or ‘Five questions to never ask someone in a wheelchair’. Apparently, people still need to be reminded to never ask a woman if she is pregnant. (Here’s an easy rule for that one: Do you see a baby coming out of the woman’s vagina? No? Is there a surgical team performing a C-section removing a baby from the woman’s uterus? No? Then do not ask. You’re welcome.)
There are about a trillion blog posts about the frustrating things that we get asked about living with diabetes.
We need these things to be written, because people seem to have bad manners. That is what it all comes down to.
We can say this is ignorance and that people need to be reminded that there are some issues that are a little sensitive. But I don’t think that is the case.
I think it is just bad manners.
I would never begrudge anyone for not understanding what life with diabetes is about. Unless they are living with it themselves, why would they know?
But asking inappropriate questions or saying silly things is not excused by a lack of understanding. It is explained by a lack of manners though.
Asking someone ‘should you be eating that?’ is just plain rude. And thinking that sharing the story of someone you know who has died a painful, horrific death because of diabetes is not a bonding exercise. It is scary and nasty. Just don’t do it.
Now, I don’t want to be all negative Nancy. No; I’m all about solutions! If you have a friend or loved one with diabetes and want to make conversation about their diabetes, here are some ideas to demonstrate your exceptionally good manners and show how much you understand:
Replace ‘Should you be eating that cupcake?’ with ‘Oh, there’s a Nutella cupcake over there. Can I get you one?’
Replace ‘Does giving yourself a needle hurt?’ with ‘Oh, there’s a Nutella cupcake over there. Can I get you one?’
Replace ‘I once knew someone who died because of diabetes. It was terrible. Are you scared that will happen to you?’ with ‘Oh, there’s a Nutella cupcake over there. Can I get you one?’
Replace ‘I could never give myself a needle.’ with ‘Oh, there’s a Nutella cupcake over there. Can I get you one?’
Replace ‘Did you eat too much sugar as a kid? Is that why you have diabetes?’ with ‘Oh, there’s a Nutella cupcake over there. Can I get you one?’
Replace ‘I saw on A Current Affair last week that if you drink a kale smoothie for breakfast every day, you could cure your diabetes. Have you tried that?’ with ‘Oh, there’s a Nutella cupcake over there. Can I get you one?’
Replace ‘Cinnamon. Cinnamon cures diabetes. Did you know that?’ with …. Actually, this is acceptable as long as you accompany the question with a cinnamon-infused baked good.
There you go. Not too hard at all. And that ends today’s lesson of Manners with Renza.
Cookies!
I’ve just had a wonderful long weekend where pretty much every moment we were home, the oven was on with cakes, biscuits and pies filling the house with beautiful smells.
I spent the time out of the house doing the things that build me up – playing in the park and soaking up the sun, visiting bookshops, going to galleries, drinking coffee. We added artwork to our SHAG collection and I added a couple of new bracelets to my Kate Spade arsenal. I danced to Taylor Swift in the kitchen with my girl and watched Better Call Saul with my boy. Family dropped in, cups of tea were drunk, neighbours were visited. I took a Twitter break. We chased the moon. International Women’s Day was marked.
It was a good weekend – a great weekend.
Now showing on the wall in our living room.
And yet.
I start the week with a ball in the pit of my stomach and am incredibly distracted. I have an appointment tomorrow with my endo. And I am terrified.
It’s been too long since I last saw her. And if truth be told, I really don’t want to see her. I don’t want to sit there and discuss diabetes – my diabetes – and talk about how I have really dropped the ball. (Understatement.)
I don’t want to talk about the burnout that has overwhelmed me for so long and even though I feel myself emerging – there are glimpses of brightness – I don’t want to admit just how much it has affected my diabetes self-care.
I don’t want to discuss complications screenings. I don’t want to talk about them. I don’t want to know. I don’t want to face things.
I don’t want to sit in her office and cry, which I know is exactly what I will do the moment I sit down and she asks me how I have been in her incredibly non-judgemental, beautiful, concerned and caring way.
New jangly bracelets.
Throughout the last few days, in the middle of all the lovely stuff, I have paused and taken stock and thought of my upcoming appointment. I have thought about how it will play out. I have considered how, after the tears and admissions of feelings of guilt, I will leave feeling stronger and more determined – I always do after seeing my endo. But I am still scared and anxious about it all. I know that the truth of what has been going on scares me and the possibility of what has been going wrong. All of this terrifies me beyond belief.
I needed the long weekend to build me up and help with my resilience stores and I feel that it certainly did that. My support network is strong and I have people around me who are so gentle in the way the support and encourage me to live well with diabetes.
So with this in mind, I am focusing on getting through the next couple of days. And what happens after my appointment.
An expensive trip to Readings
A full biscuit tin, an armful of noisy bangles, a library of new books and a gorgeous new Josh Agle artwork on the wall are all helping and keeping me grounded. All things I need as I face a tough week.
It’s #DBlogCheck day. Read about it here and go and give some love to – and leave a comment on – some of the diabetes blogs out there that help make up this wonderful community.
You know how I’m always saying that I feel very fortunate to have an online community that is so wonderful? And how the DOC gives me so much? And that I get support, love and reassurance? And all that stuff about how I feel connected and part of a global community? I’m always banging on about how I have information about real life with diabetes available and I learn so, so much. All the time. And how lucky I’ve been to meet people from every corner of the world and hear about their experiences.
It’s all true. All of it. And then, it gets taken up a notch with this.
I get sent parcels in the post:
All the way from the other side of the world:
Inside, a handwritten note:
And scrunchy pink wrapping:
Underneath was the most wonderful surprise:
Most, most wonderful!
And then…
Dinner was served.
A huge thank you to the beautiful and wonderful Annie who I met because my effed pancreas and her gorgeous daughter’s pancreas are both good for nothing slobs. If I have to live with diabetes, knowing people like this make it a hell of a lot better.
The wonderful Annie (who will possibly want to shoot me and make me return my wonderful gift for posting this photo of her).
I’m home today with a bug. Bored out of my brain, I’ve spent too much time scrolling mindlessly through Facebook. This is never a good idea when I have time on my hands.
Usually when using Facebook, I don’t click through on things that are either stupid, or about the colour of a dress. (#TotallyTeamBlueAndBlack) I have learnt that looking at anything that is going to trigger eye rolls and anger in me is better left alone.
But today, with wasting time being about as much as I can manage, I saw something flash up on one of the pages that I follow that I ordinarily would not have clicked on. Ordinarily, I would have muttered under my breath about lunatic posts and moved on.
The post was extolling the evils of coffee. Now, caffeine is my drug of choice. I can’t live without it. Wait, that should probably read insulin. INSULIN is my drug of choice and I can’t live without it.
But coffee is my heart starter; it’s lure is what gets me out the door in the morning. The first sip of coffee each day is a jolt that kick starts me into a functioning, coherent human being. Or, at least the illusion of one.
So, I don’t take kindly to anyone telling me that it is the root of all evil.
This is where the ‘time on my hands’ thing went wrong. I clicked through to the source of this information and found myself in the middle of a site dedicated to telling the world – nay, lying to the world – about how pretty much everything is killing us.
In addition to caffeine being the reason for our untimely deaths, here are just a few other things that are sending us to early graves:
- Vaccines (especially the HPV vaccination)
- Medications
- Antibiotics
- Red meat
- Dairy foods
- Doughnuts
- Gluten
- Caesarean births
- Doctors and other health professionals
- Hospitals
- Sugar (of course)
- Grains
When I got to a lovely poster that the site encouraged we print out and stick on our (nothing but organic kale and kumbucha tea containing) refrigerator, I knew it was time to throw my iPad across the room. The poster claimed that that ‘food is healthcare and medicine is sickcare’.
Every day, more and more of these sites crop up. Once the domain of pseudo-healthcare professionals, now anyone with a green smoothie maker and Internet access can set themself up as a ‘wellness consultant‘, create a website and convince readers of the credibility of the lunacy presented.
After losing about 30 minutes of my life clicking through the site, I put my iPad down. I thought about what I need in my life to feel well and healthy. I thought about how lucky I am to be able to access medication and devices and coffee and fresh food and doughnuts and a flu shot later this month and our healthcare system.
These are the things that are well-making. All these things. The choices I make, the decisions I make, the things I do. Nothing is killing me, there is no conspiracy by anyone to make me sick. It’s just common sense. Something that is sadly lacking from any of these so-called wellness sites.
Last Friday evening, I checked my BGL. As the result flashed on the screen, I stopped for a minute, thinking.
I scrolled back through the results for the last two days. And found there were not many at all: I had four results from Thursday morning; nothing after that on Thursday; one on Friday morning (just before driving my daughter to school); and the one I had just done.
It had been a difficult couple of days. I was distracted, which had resulted in diabetes falling to the wayside.
I took a deep breath. This wasn’t something to worry about. It had been a relatively simple day, diabetes-wise. I hadn’t had any nasty hypos or felt myself going high. I’d barely eaten, which actually would have helped keep my BGLs steady. Nothing terrible had happened.
All in all, I wasn’t worried about the 36 hours of minimal self-care.
But I was worried at how easily I had slipped back into it.
I’ve been working really hard at getting my diabetes management back to a level that makes me feel content. I THINK about my diabetes more; I’ve given it more focus.
And because I truly believe that numbers are nothing more than a snapshot of what is going on at that exact moment in time, the actual results are not the aim of the game for me. The aim is to increase the number of checks and then to respond accordingly.
Out-of-target numbers don’t get me upset or angry. I just deal with them, pleased that I actually know what is going on!
This is progress. And it’s good.
What is not good is the ease in which I just stopped. Or at least, cut back and stopped thinking about diabetes. My mind was overly occupied with other things. Amongst all the background noise, diabetes slipped.
I have come to understand that the continuum of diabetes burnout does not start and end at the point where self-care slips or stops and then starts again. There is a slide towards burnout and coming out of it takes time. And if the burnout has been going on for a while – as in my case – habits need to be broken, or new ones need to be made.
The habits I had formed of minimal self-care come back very easily if I am distracted. Losing focus of diabetes happens effortlessly.
Managing diabetes is about so much more than the numbers and the checking and the self-care. It is about perspective and focus. The positive in this is that I quickly realised I’d started to lose focus. And even more positive is that I wanted to rein it back in.
It’s Healthy Weight Week here in Australia.
Discussions about weight – mine or others – make me nervous. Last week I did a health check at work and before heading downstairs to take the five minute check, I removed all my jewellery. And my insulin pump. And I thought about ducking into the loo and removing my bra beforehand to take a few grams off my body before I weighed it. (For the record, my bra stayed on.)
I also timed it so that I had not eaten lunch yet, and had just done a pee. And I took my shoes off before stepping on the scales.
Oh, did I mention that the only person who would be seeing the results from this health check would be me? That’s right. It was a fully animated check, done by a machine. No human interaction was involved. No personal details were provided. There was no way that I could be identified. Only I would see the number of kilos my body holds and my BMI.
I can’t remember the last time I was weighed. I guess it was when I had my cataract surgery and the anaesthetist needed to know my weight. But I am pretty sure that I didn’t see the number.
My endo doesn’t weigh me as a matter of course. She always asks if I want to be weighed and I say no.
The last time I went to see a GP for something and they wanted me to step on the scales I refused. ‘It’s not relevant to what I’m here for. Why do you need to know my weight?’ I asked. The doctor couldn’t give me a good enough answer to change my mind, so I stayed seated.
The aim of healthy weight week seems noble. Here is what it says on the website:
The aim of the 2015 campaign is straight-forward: to encourage more Australians to cook at home as a way to help achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
I am all over the idea of supporting people to prepare more meals at home. Educating people about how easy it can be to prepare healthy, tasty meals that everyone is going to love is a terrific idea.
Most of the focus of the Healthy Weight Week website is great – really constructive and encouraging and non-judgemental. There’s a downloadable cookbook with some really interesting and easy recipes (the poached chicken salad looks particularly delicious and perfect for the warmer weather we’ve been enjoying).
The pledge page has some really terrific goals that focus on health and ditching fad foods and diets and thinking about food positively.
The pledges can be scaled to be manageable – they’re not too difficult to incorporate into most people’s busy lives. And, of course, if followed, it is possible that one of the results may be weight loss. But I would suggest it would be so much more.
The results might include improved body image, feeling healthier, sitting around the table eating with others, trying new foods, getting better at planning meals and shopping smarter. All of these are really positive things to aim for.
So with that in mind, why is it called Healthy Weight Week? Why not Healthy Food Week or Healthy Living Week?
For me, the problem with Healthy Weight Week is that the focus is on the wrong thing. If I pledged to do all the things listed on the pledge page and then carried them out, surely at the end of the week the fact that I had adopted some really healthy habits should be enough – regardless of what the number on the scales say. There is far more to being healthy than what we weigh. It’s a shame that fact might get missed because of the name of this week.
Last night, my husband and I went to see Sting and Paul Simon in concert together. It was three hours of fantastic music, two phenomenal bands on stage and trips down memory lane as they played classics dating from …okay, let’s not think about when they dated from.
There were many highlights – how could there not be – but one of them was during the encore when the two of them sang ‘Every Step You Take’.
I’ve always loved this song, despite its connotations of stalking.
But as I danced and sang along at the top of my voice (unpleasant for those within listening range), I heard the lyrics in a different context.
This song is about diabetes. (Well, maybe Sting didn’t intend it to be when he wrote it, but in my warped mind where diabetes constantly appears even when I’m not looking for it, I say the song is about diabetes.)
At times, diabetes intrudes on every part of my life. And it watches and it responds to everything. Every step, every move, every breath – it reacts.
And every vow I break? Every time I miss a diabetes task, deliberately or because I just simply can’t do face it, results in a correlating response from diabetes – going low, going high and everything that then brings.
At those times, it does seem like I belong to it; that diabetes dictates and makes all the rules.
It is actually pretty dire when I think about it.
Unless I turn it around. What about if it is me watching diabetes? What about if I am the one who is watching and responding and reacting and making confident decisions?
I see just how much better I am mentally since feeling that I am back in the driver’s seat. Having the emotional capacity to be in this position was the first step, and once firmly seated, my confidence has started to return. And with that, my ability to simply deal with the tasks at hand.
It is not that I am seeing perfect numbers on my meter (that would be a cure). But I am seeing numbers on my meter. And that is a huge step.
Plus when the numbers are out of target – oh-so-freaking-frequently – I shrug, fix it and move on.
I’m watching. And with every breath, every move, every step, I am making progress.
Last year, I wrote a piece for Mamamia’s health and beauty site The Glow about diabetes-related eating disorders, specifically insulin omission, manipulation or restriction for the purpose of weight loss. This is sometimes known as ‘diabulimia’.
This morning, when I checked my Facebook feed, I was really pleased to see that Mamamia had reposted an edited version of the piece on their website. Raising awareness of this issue is, in my opinion, really important, so to see it in mainstream media is a very positive step.
I am dismayed, although not really surprised, at some of the comments following the reposting of this piece. Today’s comments echo those that followed the original post in November last year.
Some commenters have called both me as the author and Mamamia irresponsible for writing about, and then publishing, the post.
I refute that and have done so ever since I started doing work in the area of diabetes and eating disorders more than seven years ago. This wasn’t some self-serving project that I started. I started this work – which including seeking funding to conduct research and developing a consumer resource – because it was clear that it was an issue of concern for many people living with type 1 diabetes. More so, many people who were in fact manipulating insulin to lose weight
The first time I presented our research and the resource we developed (in close consultation with people living with diabetes) at a healthcare professional conference, I was met with some resistance. One HCP stood up and told me that we had just written a ‘how to’ guide – that is, we were showing people with type 1 diabetes just how they could use insulin manipulation to lose weight. She said that she would not be promoting the resource.
And this is the gist of some of the comments on the Mamamia Facebook page today.
I maintain that this thinking is seriously flawed in many ways. It is assuming that only a small number of people are engaging in this practice and that not many people know about it. It suggests that the resource – which focuses on how to begin to discuss the issues and where to find help – is the first time that people reading it will have heard about insulin manipulation for weight loss.
However, this is just not true. The research conducted by Diabetes Australia – Vic in 2008 showed that 60 per cent of respondents (women with type 1 diabetes aged between 18 and 35 years) had omitted or restricted insulin at some point to control weight. And of those, one third did so on a daily basis. This finding was consistent with international research.
That’s not a tiny number.
So why do I think we should be openly talking about this issue? There are so many reasons.
When we don’t talk about things in an open and safe way they go underground. People start to feel that they are the only ones doing it and subsequently don’t talk about it. They feel isolated, shamed, stigmatised and unsure where to go for help.
We need to be talking about it so that HCPs understand that this is a serious and common issue – and to develop strategies to regularly screen for these behaviours and assist people who are engaged in this practice.
The research showed that health professionals working with people with diabetes are ill-equipped to deal with diabetes-related eating disorders. In fact, the same research showed that 85 per cent of those surveyed had never even been approached by a healthcare professional about insulin manipulation, and of those almost 60 per cent reported manipulating insulin for weight loss
We are wasting precious time and energy debating whether or not we should be talking about ‘diabulimia’. Instead, our focus should be on how we talk about it and what we do to treat it. We should be removing shame and stigma so that people with diabetes don’t feel embarrassed or fear judgement if they tell their HCP that they are manipulating insulin to lose weight. We should be removing barriers that prevent people seeking help.
I would argue that in this case being irresponsible has nothing to do with trying to shed light on diabetes-related eating disorders. I believe it is irresponsible to think that not speaking about it – not highlighting it as a serious issue – is that same as actually doing something about it.
So today, I urge you to share the article with your networks and start and contribute to discussions. Don’t sweep this under the carpet. Talk about it. Get it out there.
Sting is in Melbourne at the moment, getting ready to do a couple of concerts. Last night, he just happened to pop into Bennett’s Lane in Melbourne and sang a song with Adelaide musician Jo Lawry who is in his band. Here they are together singing one of my favourite Sting songs ‘Whenever I Say Your Name’.
I discovered my love of Kate Spade New York on one of our trips to the Big Apple. Wandering around Soho, we came across the whimsical corner store and in I went. I was hooked by the quirky, fun, stylish clothes and the beautiful accessories.
Since then, I’ve bought a couple of bags and some other accessories. My favourites of all the Kate Spade things I own are the gorgeous jingly-jangly bangles. I have at least one on most days, coordinating – or violently clashing – with whatever else I am wearing, frequently livening up my ‘Melbourne-Girl-Black’.
But the thing I love most about them is the secret message imprinted on the inside of each bangle. I actually didn’t know about these inscriptions until quite recently when it was pointed out to me by one of their sales staff.
For years, I’d been wearing them without knowing that there was a cute or inspirational or just plain silly little message concealed away. The inscriptions says thing like ‘It’s written in the stars’ or ‘Life’s a breeze’ or ‘Here comes the sun’. But they are hidden away. No one would ever know.
People are often surprised to learn that I have diabetes. (There was one time that a certain former Health Minister who may or may not now be PM – for a few more days anyway – looked surprised when told that I have diabetes and responded with ‘Really? You don’t look diabetic’.)
I’m not sure what people with diabetes are meant to look like. I have dozens and dozens of friends with diabetes and I’m yet to find the common characteristic or style that we all have in common. You can’t ‘tell a person with diabetes’ just by looking at them. Despite what Sarah Wilson says.
I was reminded of this the other day when I caught up with a friend I’d not seen for some time. Facebook updates have kept me across what she has been up to, but I was surprised when she told me that she had been having a really tough time, ‘diabetically-speaking’.
She didn’t tell me what had been going on until we’d been speaking for some time, talking about the great things she has been doing at work, a recent trip to Queensland and plans for a further family holiday to the U.S. We spoke about my family holiday and we chatted about our kids heading back to school.
And then she told me the rest of what she had been managing and it was huge. I looked at her and then said four stupid words ‘But you look fine.‘
I immediately apologised. Of course she looks fine. Diabetes is invisible, even at its nastiest. I think of the most horrid diabetes things I’ve had to deal with and they are relatively minor. Yet even at the most difficult of times, most people don’t know. Unless I tell them.
If I had a secret message inside of me which explained my ‘diabetes state of mind’, it would change every day. Most of the time it would be probably say something like ‘Yep, it’s still there!’ And nothing more. But other times it would say ‘today is tough’ or ‘I want off this BGL roller coaster’ or ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’. Because that is how I feel inside some days.
Today, the secret message in my bracelet says ‘Like Hotcakes’. I’m pretty sure it is referring to the saying ‘Selling like hotcakes’, however I’m going to interpret it as a command. Lunch is sorted!
Today’s arm candy.
Things I know to be true:
- It’s February already.
- Melbourne seems to have misplaced its Summer.
- As much as I loved being in New York and had the best holiday ever, it’s always swell to come home.
- And having Melbourne coffee running through my veins is making me a happy chicken.
- Being at work is not the worst thing, especially when there is a year of really exciting things on the horizon.
- I am confused that my computer does not recognise the word Nutella and wants to correct it to Nigella. Which is equally awesome and sexy.
Also – the internet never disappoints.
Frocking brilliant
Sometimes it’s tough for a dame to find a place for her insulin pump. Bra? Good in theory, but what if you’re not wearing a bra? Or your bra is being uncooperative? Thigh strap? Again, great idea, but not great if the thigh strap comes loose and starts rolling down your leg and you end up in the Ministry of Silly Walks. Also, it can look like you are packing heat. Or you end up using ugly (although effective) Tubigrip. Pocket? Usually produces an unsightly bulge that may have people searching for a matching Adam’s apple.
What’s the solution?
Read here about some clever folk who have come up with a rather dashing frock with a secret little place to hide a pump.
And who doesn’t love a LBD? Can’t wait to get my hands on – and body into – one of them! Available soon – keep an eye out here.
Two spreads in one
There are many tough decisions in life. Lennon or McCartney? Coffee or tea? Jaffas or Malteasers? (Both, obviously.)
And the most difficult: peanut butter or Nutella? Can’t decide? Then have both! In domestic goddess mode on Sunday (full skirt, frilly apron, high heels and tiara) I made these.
And they are were good. And totally bolus worthy!
Here’s the recipe. (And here’s a tip. When freezing the Nutella before making the biscuits, do half on one baking sheet and half on another. Take out one baking sheet, make half the biscuits. THEN take our the second baking sheet and make the second half. Otherwise the Nutella starts to melt and ends up all messy and all over your fingers and you have to lick it off your fingers and then freeze more.)
Oh, and while we’re talking Nutella, let me introduce you to my happy place:
Support DA-Vic and enjoy the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (WIN WIN!!)
This year, Diabetes Australia – Vic (disclaimer: my place of employment, but I am writing about this because I want to, not because I was asked. Also it is about food. And wine. So there’s that too.) is the charity partner for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Some people may think that this is an odd partnership, but actually, the messages of both DA-Vic and MFWF are strongly aligned. It’s all about people taking an active role in managing their health – regardless of if they are living with diabetes or not. And having a good understanding of the food we choose to eat is part of this.
It’s also a great opportunity to raise awareness of diabetes, reaching people we may otherwise not reach.
Now, everyone knows that I am not really an exercise fan. However, I can definitely get on board this. It’s literally a moveable – well moving – feast where participants take a walk around the Tan, stopping at stations for a delicious five course brekkie. And better yet, 5 per cent of ticket/registration fees will be donated to DA-Vic.
Noteworthy connections
Many of you may not know that in a former life I was a classically-trained musician. That ship sailed a long time ago and I no longer play music. However, my husband is a musician and music is a huge part of my family’s life.
I have always been interested in the link between music and health. The Greek God, Apollo, was God of both healing and music, so the connection has been around for a long time!
Music has been used as therapy in a variety of medical conditions from Parkinson’s Disease to recovery from stroke. I am not going to say the healing powers of music can cure diabetes (although I’m pretty sure some fool will tell you that). But, music can be a stress reliever. And for me, reduced stress means less erratic BGLs.
There are also strong links between music having positive effects on mental health as discussed in this information sheet from ReachOut.
I love this so much
I’ve shared this blog before here, but this post from Annabel over at The Understudy Pancreas is one of the most beautiful pieces of writing. Full stop.
I can’t begin to imagine what parenting a child with diabetes would be like, but Annie does such a wonderful job of explaining how her family do it.
The thing that I probably admire most is how Annie never, ever makes her daughter’s (Pumplette) diabetes about herself. She supports her daughter in the best ways possible, encouraging her independence, and being there for her – with what Pumplette needs. Great parenting advice all ‘round, really.
I wish I could reach into my computer and give you a huge hug, Annie. Your darling girl is so great.
Radio Deluxe
When we were in New York, we spent a very pleasant evening at Birdland listening to John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey perform. It was a gorgeous gig, made even more wonderful when they dedicated a song to the ‘family from Australia’.
Each week, John and Jessica have a syndicated radio show (they claim it is ‘live from high above Lexington Avenue in the Deluxe Living Room’, and while I suspect it is actually recorded in a studio, I like to think of them in their living room at home, gazing out over the New York skyline, casually chatting into a couple of vintage microphones) and it is an absolute treat to listen to.
Check it out here. It makes a great soundtrack to the workday!
What do ‘patients’ really think? (Maybe stop using the word ‘patient’ to begin with…..)
British medical journal The BMJ has started a fascinating new series called Do you know what your patient is thinking? This is part of their patient partnership strategy and will hopefully help HCPs better understand all aspects of life with a chronic health condition – not just what …..
The first in the series, Why there’s no point telling me to lose weight, can be read here. New submissions will be published monthly.
Living Vertical
Steve Richert has lived with diabetes for 17 years. A couple of years ago, Steve wanted to show that diabetes hasn’t stopped him from doing what he wants, so he and his wife, Stefanie, travelled across North America and climbed for 365 consecutive days. Just like with diabetes, there were no days off.
I absolutely love the catalyst for this project. This is what Steve writes on the Glu website:
‘In 2011, I had lived for almost 13 years with type 1 diabetes, and despite the normal ups and downs, seasoned with occasional close calls, it had never stopped me from being me. In fact, it made me who I was. When I was on a trip to visit friends, Stefanie and I drove past a billboard aimed at fundraising for diabetes research. It made my blood boil.
It was a smattering of grim statistics and stock imagery geared to promote the idea that life with diabetes was no life at all—that we are weak and helpless victims of this condition. Before this point it hadn’t ever occurred to me that the message of being empowered had any place in diabetes. I didn’t know anyone else with type 1 diabetes and I assumed everyone just came to terms with it as I did. Seeing this billboard made me aware for the first time of how we are portrayed—and how that can impact someone.’
A film has been made of Steve and Stefanie’s adventure. You can read about and watch Living Vertical: Project 365 here.
Save a child…..
Thinking about Valentine’s Day? Don’t forget to Spare a Rose, Save a Child.
No four words sum up this campaign better than this ‘Flowers die. Children shouldn’t’.
Please donate. Remember the equation: One rose = insulin for one month. Multiply as many times as you can.
That’s all for now, folks. Happy Tuesday.
Diabetogenic 