Living with Type 1
LaughSometimes you've just gotta LAUGHHere's some stuff to help you do that
Continuous MonitorsWhen you think of one thing that would make diabetes easier to manage – aside from a cure of course - it has to be knowing your blood glucose level in an instant, whether it’s on the way up or down, and what it is right now. So imagine our delight when the fanfare at the latest Australian Diabetes conference was about a new device which does exactly that. And not just in mice, it’s ready to go for real, live (diabetic) humans! Count us in! Click Here ... to read more Road TestsOur members test glucometers, insulin pens, finger prickers and a few others. If you're looking for which one to choose , this is a Great place to start. They've been road-tested by people that actually USE them. Click Here ... to read more Living with ComplicationsComplicationsAll the diabetes books, pamphlets and internet sites talk about “prevention” but there is a taboo on discussing what it’s like to experience complications.This article aims to expose some of the myths surrounding complications and share the insights of some of the young adults who have not only coped but have conquered and transcended complications. Click here ... to read more Fear and AnxietyKirsty Higgins, registered psychologist in Melbourne discusses with us the emotional impact of diabetes, especially fear and anxiety. Kirsty brings invaluable insight to our discussion as she is specialising in diabetes through her research and practice and has also had diabetes herself for many years. Click here ... to read more TravelWhat did Monique do when she lost her insulin on a 22km x 14km island in the Caribbean, with only 260,000 permanent residents, and not much support for diabetics? Did you know insulin pens cost several hundred dollars in Canada? The word for diabetes in Chinese "tangniaobingde ren" has to be one of the hardest to pronounce, especially when you're low and need to say it! Click here ... to read moreMoving to LondonReality Check's Founder, Kate Gilbert spent almost two years living and working in London in 2004-06, part of it working for London’s largest public hospitals. She shares what she learnt about how to negotiate the health system and getting onto the stuff you need when Type 1 diabetes has to come along on your travels. Click here ... to read moreComplementary MedicineTraditional Chinese Medicine
"My body has no insulin, therefore I am diabetic"! Or so western medicine has dictated ... and it is so. However, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a different slant on the subject. While TCM has acknowledged the presence of ‘wasting and thirsting’ disease for centuries and so treated it, it does not look upon it as a uni-type disease. TCM takes diabetes and subdivides it into different types based upon what your main signs and symptoms are. Therefore, the treatment/management is more tailor-made for the patient’s needs. Not a bad thing ... if you ask me. Taoismis an ancient Chinese philosophy, designed to prolong life by avoiding trouble. Click here ... to read more AlternativesIn 2001 Reality Check held an Alternative Diabetes Festival in Melbourne. Over a day, a number of people spoke and gave demonstrations of complimentary and alternative approaches The 2001 Alternative Diabetes Festival EatingEverybody with diabetes will have at one time or another experienced a dose of the ‘food police’ from (normally misinformed) friends, family, etc. However, for many people who developed diabetes as a child, the restrictions and scrutiny placed on their eating from a young age seem to foster an extraordinarily difficult relationship with food. Click here ... to read more What Women WantWomen's Health stuff, and then some …..When I was first diagnosed I had so many questions: what can I eat? Can I still have sex? How do I tell my friends? Is my life going to be totally different ? Click here ... to read moreTen Commandments for PartnersA take on what behaviour will make a relationship easier Click here ... to read moreLet's get PhilosophicalI've always wondered how different religions and schools of philosophy look at medicine, health, illness (and by inference Diabetes) and whether anything they say could be of use to us in living with diabetes. So I decided to take on the challenge and see what I could find and I couldn't believe how much is out there ... but the more stuff I read, the more interesting it was and the more fun I had with it. Some of the ideas I read about were absolute garbage, but others really made me think of illness and health in a new light. Click here ... to read more
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 23 July 2010 ) |
