Thinking About Blogging.

Hi *sheepishly waves from the safety and comfort that is behind my laptop screen*

I don't really know where to start. My time between blog posts seems to be getting longer and longer, and there are only so many times that I can make excuses for it.

So, this time, no excuses.

I somewhat lost interest in blogging.

Not because I didn't have anything to say, but because I needed to work out where I was at with regard to social media.

I love the Diabetes Online Community. I've said it time and time again: for me, it's as important as the insulin in my pump - emotionally, it keeps me grounded. Nothing beats understanding, particularly from those that are at a similar stage of life as me (twenties, wading through life not really having a clue where you're at, who you are or what you're doing, and T1D is along for the ride - if this sounds familiar, hit me up! We'll figure things out together :) ).

When I was at uni, I threw myself into the DOC. And I have no regrets over that - it's brought me some fabulous friendships that I wouldn't trade in for the world. The connections have been there through a hypo at 2am, the stories shared offering endless amounts of hope about my future with type one. But since leaving uni and entering the (exciting?!) world of employment, I've leaned towards being more of an avid reader as opposed to a contributor.

I needed to figure out what I wanted from the community, and what I wanted to contribute to it. (Because support required changes as often as insulin requirements - it's never static).

Blogs are something I love. Real life stories of living an *actual* life with diabetes are what I look for. Not only do they often resonate, but they also inspire me in terms of my future.

I loved (love) writing and blogging. It was (is) my diabetes therapy. I don't care how many or how few people read my ramblings (and this blog is most definitely a rambling!) One thing I have umm-ed and ahh-ed over, however, is privacy. How much of my life do I want online? This is what somewhat explains the blog tumbleweed. I needed to have a very long think about what I wanted online. Because we all know, once it's out there, you ain't getting that shit back.

And that's not always a bad thing. It's just a case of thinking about what I publish. You'll notice in past blog posts, real names are a no-go, particularly when it comes to my littlest friend (who's not so little these days, and will be taller than my 5ft1" self very soon, I'm sure!)

When I started this blog, I was 20. I was living in Spain (oh, tapas and sangria, how I miss you!) I was struggling and I was removed from my support network. So I blogged, blogged, blogged. Anything and everything. And, for the first time in a long time, emotionally at least, I felt better.

Now? Now, having had a long think about privacy, and discussions with a few friends, I've decided I want to get back into blogging. For real this time. Because the blogs found in this little corner of the Internet have helped and inspired me immensely. And I want to continue to put my story "out there". Providing a story that resonates with just one person makes it all worth it, in my opinion.

Dealing With Diabetes (Written By PWDs).

A little while back, I received an email from a guy named Joe. He works for a company called Voucher Codes Pro, and was writing an article about dealing with diabetes to be published on their site. I was asked to contribute something, which I did (disclosures and all that). And I'm sharing it here with you because I think it's a great piece that Joe has put together.

"I'm Joe, I'm 26, and a type 1 diabetic, and part of the content team here at Voucher Codes Pro. Not the smoothest opening line to your possible future wife, is it? I was diagnosed at the ripe old age of 18 when I was about to venture into the world of booze, university and relationships. Thanks to a pancreas that was more interested in taking a permanent holiday than producing the insulin my body so badly needed, I knew I had a battle on my hands."

To read the rest of his article, please click here.

And, thank you, Joe, for asking me to contribute! 

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 7 - Continuing Connections.

And I've caught up...finally! Diabetes Blog Week (plus a week and a day), it's been fun! The biggest of thank yous to Karen of Bitter-Sweet Diabetes for organising this once again, and bringing the community together.

*      *      *      *      *      *

The very first inspiration for Diabetes Blog Week was to help connect our blogging community, and that continues to be the most important reason it's held every year.  So let's help foster and continue those connections as we wrap up another Dblog Week.  Share a link to a new blog you've found or a new friend you've made.  Or pick a random blog off of the Participant's List, check it out and share it with us.  Let's take some time today to make new friends.

Like last year, I'm kind of gonna cop out of this one. I'm crap when it comes to picking just one blog, so here are a list of links!

• "I can because somebody believed I could"
• "Because I believe, and my coffee mug says so".
• "I can always see, feel, live a full life beyond my chronic illness".
• "Having diabetes did not make these things possible but spark the flame that brought these things to light" - beautifully worded by George.
• "All I had running through my head was 'I can't'. Meeting John made me break through at and turn it into 'I can'". - and I couldn't be happier for Emma. 
• "Despite diabetes, I was able to have a healthy, happy baby boy" (and he is too cute for words!)
• "...diabetes is an intensely personal but also deeply relatable, and ultimately human subject. I share what will make a difference and leave the rest for me".
• "Regardless of how much or how little you share, your voice is important, and our community flourishes as a result." - a reminder from Kerri that our voices matter.
• "You will never hear/read me discuss my deepest, darkest, recurring feelings about diabetes."
• "I know this. But I feel this." - last Diabetes Blog Week, there was a post written by Kev that made me cry. This year, it was this one.
• "You see, it is time to let go." - heartbreakingly beautiful. 
• "I want my own feeling surrounding my diabetes to change" - this post definitely resonated with me. 
• "I would like to see all People With Diabetes empowered enough to take charge of their diabetes, advocating for the drugs, treatments acceptance and support they need and deserve"
• "While on some level people's perceptions play a part of things, I think in myself some changes need to be made"
• "Change starts today".
• The good, the bad, the ugly.

Happy reading!

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 2 - Keep It To Yourself.

Many of us share lots of aspects of our lives online for the world to see. What are some aspects of diabetes you choose to keep private from the internet? Or from your family and friends? Why is it important to keep it to yourself? (This is not an attempt to get you out of your comfort zone. There is no need to elaborate or tell personal stories related to these aspects. Simply let us know what kinds of stories we'll never hear from you.)

I share a lot on this blog. And there are things I'd wish I'd done differently when I started this blog. I basically wasn't expecting to still be writing this blog today, so didn't really think twice about what went on here in the early days. There's not a lot I can do about that now, though. We all know how the Internet works: once something's out there, it's very hard to take it back. What I can do, however, is make sure that I'm comfortable with what I'm disclosing on here. 

Like most other diabetes bloggers, I want this blog to be seen as a reliable account of living life with type one diabetes. Therefore, I need to share, and I need to share honestly.

So I do: stories of low and high blood sugars, going to university, moving abroad, moving home and finding a job, exercising, hanging out with friends. Sometimes I even share stories I don't remember.

What I don't share are the names of my friends and family. Because although their stories are closely linked with mine, they are their stories to share. I've chosen to share aspects of my diabetes life online, but they haven't chosen to put their lives on the Internet. And any pictures I use are always used with their permission. Particularly when it comes to my littlest friend. 

I've stopped sharing my blood results. There's a lot of context that goes alongside an hba1c result. What's not a great result for one person might be a really improved result for someone else. The context matters, and, although I knew this, when I first started blogging it wasn't really something I really thought about. Now, however, I have, and I'm choosing to keep those results private. 

I don't share all the crappy times as I'm going through them. I often write them out on this blog, to help organise my thoughts, but I never actually press publish. If I do, it will be when I'm in a better place mentally, and it will be to reflect on, not focus on. The difference is subtle, but I think it's there. 

I don't doubt that what I share and don't share will change as my life changes. For now, what I choose disclose is what I'm most comfortable with as a twenty-something still trying to figure out what comes next. 

To read more post for day two of Diabetes Blog Week, click here.

PWD Conference 2015.

This past weekend, I had the honour of attending the PWD Conference 2015, organised by the GBDOC and Team Blood Glucose. It's the first of it's kind in that it was organised by patients, for patients. There was no agenda. There were no companies present. Just us: the people living with diabetes, both type one and type two, and those caring for those living with diabetes.

So, Friday evening saw me running out of work, rushing home, getting changed, grabbing my things and leaving again to make the train to Nottingham, where the conference was held. I met Lizzie en-route, and after just under two hours on a very packed train, we'd made it. (A word of advice - never catch the first super-off-peak train out of St Pancras to Notts if you want a seat; it is highly unlikely you will get one!)

I don't think anyone was really sure what to expect when it came to the day. Like I've mentioned, there was no agenda. What this basically meant was we picked what conversations we wanted to be having. Topics ranged from diet and food to managing blood glucose when exercising, diabetes in adolescents and mental health issues. The sessions were ran by us, and the conversations kept on going. It was diverse, and if you didn't want to go to any, you could stay in the main room and catch up with friends, old and new.

A-conferencing and checking out DexDrip.

When I go to events such as these I'm looking to connect with my peers, and that's exactly what I did. I hung out with old friends, connected with new ones, and hugged those that I talk with online through the DOC on a regular basis. We laughed, we learnt, we listened, we loved. We also ate cake. There was a lot of cake. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy the more structured conferences, but it's also nice to go to these things and chill. It's nice to not be running from one presentation to another, and it was empowering to know that we, the people living with diabetes, were shaping the conversations being had.

The GBDOC and Team Blood Glucose should be SO proud of what they achieved last weekend, and I would like to thank those that organised it for having me. It was a privilege to be a part of, and I hope that there are more events like it in the future. 

(On a side note, after the conference, a small group of us ended up at Wollaton Park, the home of Wayne Manor from the Batman movies. Given my love for superhero-type movies, I thought this was wicked awesome, and it nearly (nearly) topped attending the conference itself. (I really love superhero movies!) See pictures below). 

Vicki's Notebook Turns Two! (Well, Yesterday!)

Two years ago yesterday, I was sat in my little flat in Alcalá as I tapped away at my laptop writing my first blog post. I pressed publish, and wrote another. And another. And another. This one marks post 288, not a number I was ever expecting to reach (like with most things, I was kind of expecting this to be a short-lived hobby - I'm glad it isn't!)

Pressing "publish" was one of the weirdest things - I'm well aware of the fact that once something is on the internet, it's very hard to delete it. I took a risk, and, so far, it has been more than worth it. I'll always say it - this blog is my diabetes therapy. And as a result of it, friendships have formed, opportunities have arisen, and it has helped me find my voice.

I don't know where this blog will go in the future - life seems to be getting in the way of posting, and I often worry about how read-worthy my posts are (I'm not analytical and I'm not scientific, and I wonder if people really want to hear about my life. That, and there are so many other blogs I can list that talk about this whole "life with diabetes" thing with way more grace, elegance and poise than myself!) What I do know, however, is that I love having (and am proud of) this little corner of the internet, because (despite the lacking grace/elegance/poise) I feel a hundred times better when I've put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) and organised my thoughts. And that's what matters the most - if there's just one person out there that this blog helps, then that's just a massive bonus!

So, Happy (belated) Birthday, blog! Here's to another year of posting!

Source.

#WalkWithD And Donate.

Source.

It's beautifully simple: Between November 1st and November 30th, LifeScan (part of Johnson & Johnson) will donate 100 blood glucose monitoring testing strips to the International Diabetes Federation's Life for a Child for every posting connected to the social media campaign #WalkWithD. (Source).

I told you. Beautifully simple. 

If you don't know, Life for a Child works to help children with diabetes in developing countries. The programme aims to provide:

• Sufficient insulin and syringes.
• Blood glucose monitoring equipment.
• Appropriate clinical care.
• HbA1c testing.
• Diabetes education.
• Technical support for health care professionals.

I'm lucky enough to have access to all of the above, and I know that my health care professionals have access to technical support too. But there are still far too many people in this world that don't have access to insulin, let alone blood glucose monitoring equipment and clinical care.

So this November, hashtag away! #WalkWithD. And help those that aren't lucky enough to have the access we do to the tools that help us manage our diabetes.    

Putting The "World" Back into "World Diabetes Day".

This year, for World Diabetes Day, T1 International and The Pendsey Trust have joined together to form The Access Alliance and have create a new initiative: #InsulinForAll. 

Taken directly from the website: 

"Many people living with Type 1 diabetes struggle to survive because they cannot afford their insulin or keep it cool, for example. Others do not have access to blood glucose test strips or other essential diabetes management tools.

Although World Diabetes Day began in 1991 in order to 'draw attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world' we feel the spirit of the day has been somewhat lost. We believe World Diabetes Day should be used to raise awareness of the most pressing diabetes issues. We want to inspire action within the diabetes and global community to find sustainable solutions to these life and death issues for people living with diabetes worldwide."

This is my advocacy itch. My mobile is a luxury. As is the laptop I'm using to write this post. And my iPod. And my insulin pump. But the insulin that I put into my pump, that's not something I consider to be a luxury. It's something that I consider necessary. Not wanting to sound too dramatic, but put quite simply: without insulin, I die. And no one should die from a lack of insulin.

So, to kick off Diabetes Awareness Month (a few days late, I know!) I'm joining the campaign. 

Because insulin isn't a luxury, it's necessary to live. 

Oh, Hi There Glowing Screen!

So life's kind of got in the way this past week. An update, in bullet point fashion:

 

Source.

• I registered with a new GP. I was told that during the "registration appointment" I would be able to discuss the things I wanted to discuss. Well, I couldn't. The appointment was with a nurse. She had to refer me to a DSN to discuss diabetes and another nurse to discuss the pill. Brilliant. Two extra appointments. I did get the flu jab though. So that's one less thing I need to do. 
• I'M EMPLOYED!! Last Friday, I was offered a job and I accepted. I started on Monday, and have just finished my first week there. So far, so good.
• Our Diabetes celebrated a year of tweet chats and support this week. A huge well done to founders David Cragg and Laura Cleverly! It's something I'm honoured to be a part of.
• I was reminded of how much ketones suck. Not that I really needed reminding. Sitting at my desk with ketones, but a blood sugar of 5.1mmol, left me baffled. Until I remembered starvation ketones. Note to self: eat breakfast, no matter how early I have to start work.
• I attended the JDRF Discovery Evening in London, which was such a great night. I met those behind T1 International, caught up with Gavin Griffiths, aka Diathlete (who has just finished his American tour) and got to give the very lovely Jen Grieves the hug I've been wanting to give her since she wrote That Post. (Capital 'T', capital 'P'). I also had the chance to put a few faces to twitter-handles, which was awesome. A huge thank you to all those at JDRF for organising the night!
• Thursday saw the Quality in Care Award Ceremony for Diabetes, with Roddy Riddle winning the People's Choice Award. A full list of results can be found here.
• Diabetes Awareness Month is fast approaching (how are we more than halfway through October?!) Already, advocacy campaigns are popping up on social media, such as the Smash Diabetes initiative from Glu and JDRF UK's Type Onesie is also making a comeback. I'm looking forward to hearing more as November gets closer.

 

Happy Saturday!  

Resonates.

I read a lot of diabetes blogs. I don't often comment, unless I feel I have something to say, but I read. I usually find myself nodding along thinking "Yeah! Me too! I get it!". Other times, I'm learning of new advocacy efforts, or reading a commentary on an article/research piece/other subject. And sometimes, just sometimes, I'm hit with a post that goes that little bit further. It resonates. It sticks with me for days. It becomes bookmarked in my browser so that I can go back to it. I want to comment, but I can't string a sentence together. Well, one that makes any sense, anyway! Because, more often than not, those posts - those ones that resonate - I'm reading them and thinking this is (or was) me.

When such blog posts come along, I sit in front of my computer screen, brain working fast to put words together to leave a comment, fingers itching to tap letters on the keyboard. But nothing happens. My brain doesn't formulate any words and my fingers don't eagerly tap away. I just sit there, often wishing I could jump through my laptop screen to give the writer a big hug. Because when words fail me, that's what I do.

Image credit to Dallas Clayton.

It saddens me when I read these types of post, knowing that there are others who are (were) struggling in the same way I am (or was), but at the same time, as a reader, it also brings great comfort and reassurance that I'm not alone. It's the reason I am SO grateful for each and every person who has made the decision to write about their diabetes-life online, no matter the perspective (type one, type two, type 1.5 or parent) or how difficult the subject.

Finally, to the writer of the blog post that's stuck with me recently (resulting in this pretty pointless blog post): a BIG HUG and a whole load of thanks for sharing.

 

Show Me Your Pump!

It's been all over the diabetes online community, and other media outlets for the last few days. #ShowMeYourPump is the initiative of Sierra Sandison, the very recently crowned Miss Idaho, who realised her goal with an insulin pump clipped to her hip. 

Since then, she's encouraged people with diabetes to wear their devices (if they use them) proudly, and to post photos on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram with the hashtag #ShowMeYourPump. The hashtag has not only gone (still going) viral, but it's also putting type one diabetes in the spotlight, raising awareness and inspiring others.

I'm not going to lie...since getting my insulin pump, I've always hidden it somewhere on my person, whether it be in a pocket, in my bra or clipped around my leg with the help of an insulin pump garter.

Diabetes is a huge insecurity of mine - it's the one thing about me that I can't change, no matter how hard I try. So the thought of wearing my insulin pump for the world to see...it's daunting for me, and I'm sure there are others that feel the same.

That's why the #ShowMeYourPump hashtag is so awesome: it shows people from all over the world wearing their pumps with pride. It's been a better pick-me-up than my coffee this Monday morning!

So, adding to the Monday-morning-happy, my contribution to the #ShowMeYourPump feed. 

And a huge well done to Sierra for having the courage to strut her stuff with her insulin pump on show, and for winning Miss Idaho. I wish you all the luck in the world in the Miss America pageant. 

   

100 Happy Days: Challenge Completed!

Image taken from Google Images.

So, about fifty days ago, I wrote about the 100 Happy Days Challenge I was taking part it. Yesterday marked the 100th day for me, and looking back over all the photos has taught me a lot.

First, I drink too much coffee. And tea. Like, way too much!

I need more friends. Because browsing through my photos, it definitely looks like I only hangout with about four people and their faces just keep on reappearing. I'm kidding - they're the best, and they're in my "happy-days" for a reason.

My littlest friend makes a number of appearances (he is very cute, and melts my heart when he calls me "Auntie Vicki").

My siblings also appear a few times. Not that I'd ever openly admit it to them, I do actually quite like seeing them. 

I seem to have a love  of (obsession with?) the sun/sunny days/summer. 

And a lot of food appears amongst the photos. A lot. 

And finally there's the diabetes-related stuff. Which actually features more than I thought it would, and I'm okay with that. From ace-ing my blood sugars after a session at the gym, receiving my copy of Kerri Sparling's Balancing Diabetes (great read, by the way - I'm not sure if I've mentioned it on here yet?!) and having a blog post published on the JDRF website to receiving a letter telling me my pump had been ordered to it actually arriving at my house (I was like a kid at Christmas!). 

Diabetes can suck sometimes. Really suck. So I'm somewhat grateful that it actually featured in my "happy-days" - I'd rather it make me happy some of the time than make me miserable all the time. 

Wouldn't you?

DUK: Thank You!

In case you missed it, Tuesday's Our Diabetes chat was hosted by Diabetes UK and they were looking for Feedback on a campaign they called "Choccy Barred". The concept was that people gave up chocolate to fundraise for DUK. 

Image taken from Google Images.

The community's views were strong, and I can understand why. I actually had a blog post written myself about it and went to publish when I saw the Diabetes UK had withdrawn the idea (under picture, part "from Diabetes UK")

I was against it. I'm all for fundraising, and I understood the concept of the "Choccy Barred" campaign - it was the name that grated on me. Given that people with diabetes are often faced with comments regarding their diabetes and diet, a campaign name such as that wasn't exactly going to help!

However, like I've said, the idea has been withdrawn. So instead, I'd like to say this:

People at Diabetes UK, thank you! Not only did you take to the community to ask for our thoughts via a tweetchat, but you also listened to what "we" had to say, and, I can't speak for the community as a whole, but that means a lot to me.

So, again, thank you!

A Blog About Blogging.

Image taken from Google Images.

Last night, I hosted the weekly Our Diabetes chat and the subject was blogging. With Diabetes Blog Week coming up, the timing of the chat was pretty perfect. The questions asked were:

1. Do you blog? Where?

2. Why do you blog? (Or why not?)

3. Do you like reading other blogs? Why?

4. D-blog week is coming up - will you be writing and/or reading?

So many "new" blogs (new to me, anyway) were brought to my attention, and it was great to hear what people got out of blogs and the reasons behind deciding to blog. I had a lot of fun hosting the chat, and was excited when blogs I hadn't discovered were being brought to my attention.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: blogging is my diabetes therapy. I can come here and write out my frustrations, my victories, my good days and my bad ones. For me, it's not about page views and followers - I blog first and foremost for me. The fact that someone might read or comment is just a huge bonus.

As for reading other diabetes blogs? Yes, yes I do. Not just by people with diabetes, but their caregivers and health care professionals too. They all provide different stories, different perspectives and act as a constant reminder that I'm not the only one in this.

And, finally, diabetes blog week: yes, I will be taking part. I participated last year, and had a lot of fun in doing it, and discovered a ton of other blogs, some of which I now read regularly. If you don't write a blog, but are considering it (as many who were involved in the chat last night were), diabetes blog week is great time to start, sign ups for which start on Monday (May 5th). 

I think I've managed to find all the blogs that were mentioned during last night's chat and will update my list of diabetes blogs in due course. If your blog isn't on there and you'd like it to be, either leave me a comment or send me an email vickisnotebookblog[at]gmail[dot]com.

Day Of Diabetes: Take Two.

It started with a tweet from Kerri (blogs at Six Until Me) about doing another day of diabetes, and that was it: members of the diabetes online community started to come together saying they would do one too. The date was set (last Thursday (April 10th)), and since it had been a while since the first one I did, I decided to also participate. Here's a look at my second day of diabetes (well, not my second day of diabetes, because that was over four years ago now, but my second #dayofdiabetes).

6.9mmol on waking - great! And I'm a huge fan of the pre-bolus. It's not always convenient (like when I'm grabbing lunch between classes) but where possible, I like to pre-bolus. Usually, I find less of a spike after my meals. However, recently, I've had trouble just getting my blood sugar levels down into single digits. The change in routine that comes with being back at my parents' is having a huge affect on my blood sugars. 

13.9 after breakfast - not a reading I was happy with. But went for a walk in the hope that it would bring me down a bit, which it did. I was at 11.1mmol before lunch. For lunch, I played it safe with a salad and some mango and added my correction bolus to the bolus for the meal. Frustrated doesn't even begin to cover how I felt when my blood sugar clocked in after at 14.3! 

I've played with the settings on my meter so that when I get a reading of anything above 14mmol, an hour later it will alarm to remind me to re-test my blood sugar. The 2u correction dose I took for the 14.3 was taking effect, as an hour later I was at 11.3. 

I was at 8.6mmol before dinner. Seeing single figures made me so happy! I carb counted my dinner and the bolus wizard on my meter suggested 12 units of NovoRapid. I tend to find that split doses work so much better for me in the evenings, so I took 8u before dinner and the remaining 4u after. 

9.30pm rolls round, and it means it's time for me to take my levemir. I take 10u once per day, and usually inject it in my leg. Following this, I also did my post-dinner blood sugar check. Once again, I was high, and that feeling of frustration settled back in. I took another correction dose hoping that it would bring me down some before bed. For me, the problem with correction doses close to bed time is that I then need to set my alarm for 3am. Well...I say I need...it's kind of my own ruling - if I have to eat something to bring my blood sugar up a bit or correct a blood sugar, I also check my blood around 3am to make sure I'm still within range - I'd much rather deal with broken sleep than I would the hangover-like feeling after a hypo or the lethargic feeling that come with a high. 

I was down to 12.4mmol before bed. I set my alarm, feeling (you guessed it) frustrated at the highs, reminding myself that tomorrow is a new day and I can try again. And again. And again, if I have to. 

And that's exactly what I'm doing, trying to get these highs under control for the next 7 to 10 days, after which I'll be back in Norwich, and hopefully more stable blood sugars will feel more within reach too!

You can check out all the tweets from me, and many other people by searching for #dayofdiabetes on twitter.  

 

100 Happy Days.

You may have seen on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram that people are taking part in the #100happydays photo challenge. The premise is simple: you take a photo a day for 100 days of something that makes you happy. I have been taking part in this challenge on Instagram and I have loved it, and it's surprised me how many diabetes-related things have cropped up in my photos. Today marks day 50 for me, so here's a look at what diabetes things I've photographed so far!

My blood sugars post-gym: 8.5 pre gym, 6.9 after and 5.6 before lunch - never have they been so good!

A new bag for my diabetes supplies.

Batman and blogging - a relaxing evening!

It's so rare for me to get a 5.5mmol on my meter that I took a picture of this one!

Retinal screening appeared fine - always good to hear!

Happy Wednesday!

Slowing Down.

The aim of the game this Easter break? 

Slowing down!

Like, wayyyy down!

After a very busy semester at university, it's time to get back to me once more.

After main-lining coffee (the caffeinated stuff) for the last two weeks, it's time to slowly work my way back to decaf.

My nails have been bitten to buggery as a result of stress, so it's time to give them some TLC.

Better food choices need to happen now I have no deadlines: sitting at my desk writing essays means copious amounts of coffee and biscuits. It's time to eat real meals again. 

Sleep like a normal human being! Again, main-lining coffee and being up until stupid times writing essays means my body-clock is so out of whack right now. Time to rectify that!

Catch up with my family and friends. Although I went back to Mum and Dad's only a couple of weeks ago, still having deadlines meant that my head wasn't 100% there. Now, I can devote time to them, as well as catch up with my friends abroad, whose emails have been responded to with something along the lines of "Hi, I'm hyped up on caffeine finishing off my dissertation and don't even resemble an actual human being right now. I will reply properly as soon as I feel human once more."

Reconnect online. I feel like I've been out of the DOC for a while now, even though I know it's only been a couple of weeks. But it's become so incredibly useful when it comes to my diabetes management that I need to get reacquainted once more. (So, hi there!)

I'm looking forward to a slow couple of weeks.

Five For Friday: HCPs Write Blogs Too!

Following on from a post I wrote last week about HCPs communicating with patients online, this Friday, I've decided I want to tell you a bit about some blogs written by health care professionals. I love reading blogs by HCPs: they offer a completely different perspective on things. Here are the ones I read. If you have any other favourites, please let me know!

1. Sugar and spice...wish all things were nice - Partha Kar.
NHS consultant in diabetes.

2. NHS Norwich CCG - Jonathon Fagge.
Chief Executive Officer for the Norwich Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

3. AnnieCoops - Annie Cooper.
Nurse and fellow person with diabetes.

4. We Nurses Blog.
A blog brought to you by the #wenurses online community.

5. Diabetic Doc - Shara Bialo.
A paediatric endocrinologist in the States who also has type one diabetes. 

Mix It Up.

Image taken from Google Images.

This week's Our Diabetes chat was incredibly busy, and I struggled to keep up and answer all the questions, but there were some great things being said! The chat was hosted by the We Nurses community and the topic was "working in partnership in online spaces". Here are my thoughts on what was discussed. 

Can we talk in this space?

I think we can. I hope we can! I personally like connecting with healthcare professionals (HCPs): I like to read about the problems they face in treating patients and how the NHS as a whole works. I like understanding why services are the way they are and why treatments are available in some areas of the country and not others.

What about HCP/patient confidentiality?

I understand that HCPs must have to be a lot more careful with what they say, where as patients can pretty much say what they like. But if patients are willing to openly share online, why shouldn't HCPs listen to what they're saying and learn from it?!

What is the future of social media and patient/nurse interaction?

I would love it if patients and nurses/HCPs in general could use social media to learn from each other. I think it's important to recognise that patients use social media for support: sharing experiences, connecting with people who understand, collaborating on ideas. Personally, I don't want social media becoming the place where I get healthcare advice: for that, I go to my endocrinologist, my DSN, my GP, but for emotional support I turn to the diabetes online community.

Should HCPs recommend groups like #ourd?

I think there's more to it than just recommending such communities. I think it's also important to promote "safe" online discussions, but, in short, YES! The way I see it, if HCPs are happy to reccommend offline support networks, why not online ones? At the end of the day, if people don't want to use them, they won't, but what's the harm in recommending them? For me, finding the diabetes online community has been integral to my emotional wellbeing, and when I meet people with diabetes, I tell them about it and what I've gained from it. 

I truly believe that HCPs and patients can learn from each other, and I think online communities provide a great space for us to do that. So let's keep the connections going and educating one another!

What It Means To Me (Happy Birthday, Vicki's Notebook!)

Image taken from Google Images.

Today marks one year of blogging. 

On February 11th, 2013, I wrote my first blog post, giving the link to a very select few of my closest friends. 

For some reason or another, I started getting readers that weren't just those I'd given the link to. To this day, I am incredibly humbled to have readers, and I want to say thank you for taking the time to visit this blog, whether you're a long-time lurker or a regular reader. 

I've learnt a lot over the last 365 days thanks to this little bubble of the interweb, a.k.a The DOC.

There are stories written by a bunch of people that always leave me thinking "me too", like those of Lizzie, Daisy, Louise, Jen, Heather, Mike, Emma and Mark of The D Team.

There are incredibly raw accounts of being a parent of a child or children with type one diabetes, from Kev, Meri, Scott and The Understudy Pancreas, whose name I don't know, but blog I love to read.

There are the heartfelt accounts written by children and teens living with type one, such as Max's blog, and Brea's.

And I've barley even scraped the surface - there are so many more!

It's a constant reminder that we're in this together.

That's what it means to me.