Episodes
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Please note we had a few technical difficulties with this episode! Tino had a power cut at the time of recording, so he was using his phone signal to record and as you will hear, it’s a little patchy at points. But do stick with it because this is a really powerful conversation.
‘I want to be the bridge between the knowledge and my community.’
How do you strike a balance between pushing for change and ensuring the healthcare system is equipped to handle the progress? This is the question preoccupying today’s guest Tino Dzikiti. He is working to bring the latest diabetes research, knowledge and tools to his community in Zimbabwe. ‘There is resilience in the system, but there are huge gaps in the system,’ he told me. ‘We’re trying to make progress with the basics. It’s slow, but there is hope.’
After training in finance, Tino shifted his life’s work to become a Diabetes Advocate, Educator, Podcast Host and Consultant. Aged just 26, he's using his platform and blog to break down complex diabetes topics and the latest findings in a way that the whole community can benefit from.
While sharing knowledge, raising awareness and reducing stigma, Tino is also pushing for more affordable access to diabetes medication. We chatted about the more challenging aspects of making your voice heard, the cost of diabetes care in Zimbabwe and how becoming an advocate for people with diabetes has helped Tino to rewrite his own story, after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 11.
CONNECT WITH TINO:
Say hi to Tino on Instagram.
The Global Diabetes Insights podcast.
Take a look at Tino's blog, The Diabetic Mogul.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors,
Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
Welcome back to a new season of Type 1 on 1! Series 13, come through!
I always say the parents of children with type 1 diabetes are the unsung rockstars, and today’s guest is no exception.
Angela McMahon is a busy mum living in Northern Ireland with her husband Steven and their four girls. Twins Sienna and Arianna were just 11 months old when their big sister Iszara was diagnosed with type 1 at the age of 5, in January 2015. Big sister Tamzin was 12 at the time, so there wasn’t much room for a demanding chronic condition as well, although as you can imagine, sleepless nights were something Angela was more than familiar with when type 1 diabetes descended on their family.
10 years later, Angela spoke to me about the journey she and Iszara have been on, both individually and together as part of a busy, lively household - navigating homework with hospital appointments, and supermarket shops with finger pricks. We chat about having helpful conversations with school teachers, and how Angela is learning to step back as Iszara becomes more independent.
Now 15 years old, Iszara moved onto a hybrid closed loop insulin pump earlier this year and the family have seen incredible changes. For Angela, it’s the first time she’s been able to sleep properly in a decade, while she describes her daughter as more comfortable with her condition, and more happy in herself.
CONNECT WITH ANGELA:
Say hi to Angela on Instagram.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY:
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors,
Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
Missing episodes?
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The content in this episode of Type 1 on 1 should not be construed as medical advice, nor is it intended as a replacement for professional guidance. They are a true and authentic reflection of the personal experience of the host. Please speak to a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diabetes management, or if you feel you could benefit from emotional support.
This is part two of a two part series looking at hybrid closed loop insulin pumps. The first part is a technical overview, so be sure to start there!
Ok it's time to get personal about all things hybrid closed loop! At first glance it might not seem like an obvious topic - to talk about the emotional impact of using an automated insulin delivery (AID) system to manage type 1 diabetes... it's technology, right? A gadget? A means to an end?
But that ‘means’ is a system that has, for me, taken away so much of the wight and number of diabetes decisions, and that ‘end’ is not only better health outcomes, but a brighter, happier, calmer human who is better equipped to tackle life in all of its forms - being able to focus at work, spend time with family, or head off on the next adventure.
It’s not a cure, it’s not a magic solution, but it is space between my thoughts, time between my alarms and a version of myself that I’d only ever caught glimpses of in my 28 years of living with type 1 diabetes.
In this episode we get reallllly into my journey with type 1 diabetes tools - from injections and finger pricks, to moving onto a ‘regular’ pump, and then my most recent switch to hybrid closed loop and the way it has turned down the volume on a lot of the diabetes noise, allowing me to sleep better, live more and just feel more human.
So if you’re curious about what these gadgets can do for your life, this is the episode for you.
Disclaimer: I use the Omnipod 5 insulin pump with the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor as my personal AID system. I have a professional relationship with both Insulet (Omnipod) and Dexcom, but the content of this episode is separate from those relationships. My Dexcom G6 is gifted as part of the Dexcom Warrior programme.
PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS MENTIONED:
Diabetes UK Diabetes and Emotional Health practical guide.
The blog post I wrote explaining what switching to a hybrid closed loop system has meant for me.
Episode with diabetes and psychology researcher Maartje de Wit.
Episode with Jen’s Mum!
Come and say hi to me on Instagram.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
The content in this episode of Type 1 on 1 should not be construed as medical advice, nor is it intended as a replacement for professional guidance. They are a true and authentic reflection of the personal experience of the host. Please speak to a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diabetes management.
What’s a hybrid closed loop system? How does Automated Insulin Delivery actually work? Why is everyone talking about it? Is it really as good as everyone says for people with type 1 diabetes? What does artificial pancreas mean?
These are the questions I’m hoping to help you with in today’s solo episode! This is the first of a two part series digging into my experience of using an automated insulin delivery (AID) system, also known as a hybrid closed loop system, after 18 years on multiple daily injections and nine years on a ‘regular’ insulin pump.
I chat about the features and functionality of an AID system, specifically the Omnipod 5 with the Dexcom G6 as that’s the setup I use and the only setup I have experience of. We cover what the three parts of the system are, how they interact with each other, how I interact with them and how I use the tool in the best way I understand to achieve improved time in range while doing a whole lot less diabetes business.
In part two I’ll cover the more emotional and psychosocial insights I’ve been able to gather from using the system after 28 years of living with type 1 diabetes. If you want more detail on my personal experience of all of this, I wrote this article that you may find interesting (please note, it cuts right to the feels!) https://notesonamoment.substack.com/p/the-biggest-thing-to-happen-to-me
Disclaimer: I use the Omnipod 5 insulin pump with the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor as my personal AID system. I have a professional relationship with both Insulet (Omnipod) and Dexcom, but the content of this episode is separate from those relationships. My Dexcom G6 is gifted as part of the Dexcom Warrior programme.
PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS MENTIONED:
Listen to The Juicebox Podcast: Omnipod 5 overview episodes.
Come and say hi to me on Instagram.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE: Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
Taylor Efford is a comedian, actor and content creator from Toronto, Canada.
She’s also a self-proclaimed ‘rat, on a mission to normalise normal things.’ Since 2020 that has included type 1 diabetes, which she was diagnosed with in the midst of the pandemic at the age of 25.
Caught between two identities, Taylor’s humorous and poignant perspective on the many dualities of life is what makes her content so relatable, and has helped her amass over half a million followers across TikTok and Instagram.
Like many of us, she finds type 1 diabetes to be an incredibly contrary disease, and in this episode Taylor candidly opens up about how this ‘cannonball’ has hit her life - from not recognising who she was after her diagnosis, using comedy to help her cope, and reclaiming type 1 diabetes on her own terms for her wedding day by embracing the rat life.
I really love how this conversation naturally evolved from podcaster and guest, to two people with type 1 diabetes chatting about and chewing over some things they’re thinking and feeling. Taylor is a beautiful, smart and astute soul - I hope her chat fills you up as much as it did me.
CONNECT WITH TAYLOR:
Follow Taylor on Instagram.
Follow Taylor on TikTok.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom. Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors,
Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
Please speak to a healthcare professional if you feel like you would benefit from support with your mental health.
‘Most people just want to feel like they’re being heard.’
Anyone living with type 1 diabetes can tell you that it’s not easy, but how do we transfer that awareness into diabetes care?
The research that Maartje De Wit, senior researcher and principal investigator of diabetes and psychology, and her team are doing at the Amsterdam University Medical Center is providing a growing body of important and pioneering evidence that is not only increasing understanding among healthcare teams and people living with T1D, but introducing new models that are making a practical difference to people’s lives.
In this episode, Maartje discusses the latest findings from her research - including self-guided therapy, the balance between time in range and time in happiness, body image and the idea that ‘every person with type 1 diabetes has a disturbed relationship with food’.
She reveals the importance of - and the challenges around - creating space for mental health conversations in routine diabetes consultations, and takes us through what the many emotional challenges of living type 1 diabetes look like on a day-to-day level.
Although there is still progress to be made, it’s so heartening that these discussions are on the table and this work is being done. This episode is validation for anyone who’s ever felt frustrated by their type 1 diabetes, for any reason, or isolated by the emotional challenges that so many people with type 1 diabetes and their carers carry, often unbeknownst to those around them.
PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS MENTIONED:
Connect with Maartje on LinkedIn
More about Beating The Blues - Online CBT programme
The Amsterdam University Medical Center - Maartje’s research publications
The MyREMEDY Trial - MyDiaMate Self-Guided App for Type 1 Diabetes and Mental Health
More about the MyREMEDY trial (Dutch)
The Diabetes Body Project
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
Please note this episode of Type 1 on 1 contains honest discussions around addiction, mental health and diabetes complications.
‘I think type 1 diabetes is a selfish disease up until you realise that the resonant effect of diabetes just doesn't finish with you. I always used to say it's about me, it's my disease, but my wife was the driving force for me to realise my potential and it's all to honour what she saw in me when I didn't see it. I wouldn't be here without her.’
Brett Taylor was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the 80s, aged just four years old. His first experiences were incredibly traumatic, and he felt the heavy weight of shame around his condition for decades. Alongside the rollercoaster of type 1 diabetes in an age without mass information at our fingertips, online communities or diabetes technology, Brett has faced addiction, mental health challenges and diabetes-related sight loss.
Today Brett calls himself The Conscious Diabetic, focusing on taking what he describes as ‘conscious and active control’ of his life one day at a time, with the help of Crossfit and his wife Vicky by his side.
CONNECT WITH BRETT:
Follow The Conscious Diabetic on Instagram.
Follow The Conscious Diabetic pidcast on YouTube.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
Get ready for a double diabetes delight, as we spend a delightful hour with Beth McDaniel and Ellen Watson, also known as The Diabetic Duo.
Type 1 since childhood, Ellen was busy living her best university life alongside bestie Beth, when at the age of 20 Beth also joined the type 1 diabetes club. Not too long after, the girls caught the internet’s attention in 2019 when a TikTok video of them getting ready for a night out wearing their matching sensors went viral, and The Diabetic Duo was born.
The girls now have tens of thousands of followers across TikTok and Instagram, and continue using their platform to show others that life with type 1 diabetes doesn’t have to be perfect to be fabulous.
The marketing professionals from Northern Ireland chat about everything from friendship, building community, handling a night out with a cheeky Aperol Spritz or two, to reclaiming their power and being able to empower both themselves and other type 1s through their content. And if you want the secret to a perfect fake tan around your glucose sensor, the ladies have got you!
Beth and Ellen have such an amazing outlook, and their friendship is all the more beautiful for being able to share not only the tougher parts of type 1 diabetes, but the amazing experiences they've had as The Diabetic Duo. From wearing tech with confidence to always looking out for your loved ones, this episode is also a lovely reminder to have fun and enjoy the ride!
CONNECT WITH THE DIABETIC DUO
Follow The Diabetic Duo on Instagram.
Follow The Diabetic Duo on TikTok.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
'You have to care. If you don't care, it becomes a really miserable job. But that strength also means you take it home with you, and it opens you up to being spread very thin.'
Dr Mike Natter is an artist and physician who, through this episode and through his work, centres the humanness of not only the patients in his care, but the peers and the medical doctors working tirelessly alongside him to ensure the people in his care are equipped to live better lives.
Mike is an assistant professor of medicine and clinical endocrinologist, based in New York, and has himself been living with type 1 diabetes since the age of 9. An art enthusiast since childhood, Mike's illustrations are now an integral part of his work as a doctor. In this episode we chat about art's ability to break down barriers, and how this empowers Mike's patients by helping them to understand the physiology of their condition.
Mike talks openly about overcoming imposter syndrome after moving from an arts education into medical school, the gruelling and incredibly emotional experience of being a medical doctor through Covid and the contradictions of a profession that helps people get better while making those who deliver the medicines to feel worse. We discuss the importance of compassion in treatment, what we can expect next from diabetes technology, and how support systems have helped Mike to ultimately become the doctor he is today.
This is an incredible episode, and if you’re anything like me Mike's empathy and insight will stay with you for days after you’ve heard him speak.
CONNECT WITH MIKE:
Follow Mike on Instagram.
Follow Mike on TikTok.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
This week's audio offering is a solo episode from yours truly, in which I reflect on some of the mindset tools I've gathered up and honed on the long road that is living with type 1 diabetes.
These skills are things I draw on regularly to help me navigate all the weird and wild situations I find myself in thanks to this tricksy chronic illness, on top of the medicine and devices.
I chat about my perspective on and experience with getting uncomfortable, emotional wellbeing, diabetes content and information, trying new things, advocating for myself, self-compassion and shifting into a long game perspective.
None of this is medical advice, but it was fun to reflect on how far I've come, and the tools that have helped me in my 28 years navigating the spicy road of type 1 diabetes. Thank you as always for walking this road with me!
Let me know what you think! You can find me on instagram @missjengrieves, or follow the podcast account below:
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
34-year-old Jonty Brown is a humble Yorkshire man who went out for a little jog in lockdown… and ended up changing his entire life.
He quickly hit marathon distances, and then Ultra Marathon distances - becoming the first person with type 1 diabetes to run across the UK. Jonty’s now an Adidas running coach and co-founder of of Runlimited, a London running community on a mission to create the most collaborative and inclusive running collective on the planet.
Jonty has used his talent to raise awareness for type 1 diabetes, as a way to give back to the healthcare team that looked after him so well after his diagnosis aged 12. Along with his family, they were a huge support when he was diagnosed with diabetes-related depression and anxiety as a teenager. In 2023 Jonty ran 102km around his beloved Victoria Park in Hackney to raise money for JDRF, celebrating the 102nd anniversary of the discovery of insulin.
Jonty chats about his whirlwind journey since 2020, how he credits diabetes technology for taking his running to the next level, his advice for both shorter and longer runs with diabetes, and asking his mates to inject him at school.
Jonty is such a likeable guy doing incredible things; even if you’re not a runner, this is definitely an episode to dive into.
CONNECT WITH JONTY:
Follow Jonty on Instagram.
Follow Runlimited on Instagram.
Find out more about Runlimited.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
Did someone say Season 12?!
My first guest is the lovely Divya Joshi, a university student living in Cardiff, two years into life with type 1 diabetes after being diagnosed in 2022 at the age of 20.
Since her diagnosis type 1 diabetes has not only changed the course of her studies, but she has also had to reclaim her sense of worth after unsolicited comments about her type 1 diabetes diagnosis left her questioning who she was, and even whether her boyfriend should stay with her.
Full of wisdom and insight, Divya speaks from the heart about being rocked by her diagnosis, which led to taking a year off from her studies to focus on getting to grips with the condition - a decision I completely admire and has helped her to move past the self doubt and into a new chapter, becoming a Diabetes UK Young Leader and speaking on the Welsh Parliament Stage.
Now studying a different degree and reclaiming her university experience with a renewed understanding of both her health and herself, we discuss the ways in which diabetes has affected Divya’s life, the resilience it’s built and the purpose she’s found in articulating her struggles through the beautiful spoken word poems she shares on her Instagram page, @creativebydivya.
Divya also offers some practical tips around life at university, and reveals what it was like to appear in the Netflix series Sex Education.
CONNECT WITH DIVYA
Follow Divya on Instagram.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
‘Stop looking for yes and no answers, and start trying to see the nuance. Pay attention to you and knowing yourself.’
Tony Coffey, also known as @trainbloom to his 1 million instagram and TikTok followers, is a personal trainer and co-host of the Fitness Stuff (For Normal People) podcast living in San Diego, California. When he’s not at Chipotle, Tony dedicates his time to combatting the mountain of fitness and nutrition misinformation out there with his no nonsense, informative and very funny evidence-based videos online.
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes through primary care as a college freshman, it was very much suggested that diabetes would be a defining part of his identity. Already a fitness enthusiast, Tony’s diagnosis cemented his professional path, and he has used himself as his own science experiment ever since to defy the definition of diabetes he was given at the age of 19.
‘You’re going to go through some crappy, crappy days,’ he says of taking responsibility for your own condition. ‘But once you get a handle on it, I don’t know that anything else could build your confidence as much as type 1 diabetes does. All of the other problems in your life start to seem quite small, and it’s stuff no-one else in my life has had to deal with.’
In this episode we chat about diet, nutrition, taking on and standing out in the fitness industry, and stepping back from the frustrating moments of life with type 1 diabetes. As data driven and research focused as they come, Tony reveals the single easiest thing you can do to help your blood sugar management (and it’s NOT running marathons or becoming a bodybuilder), as well as what Tony thinks of the rising popularity of glucose sensors for those who aren’t living with diabetes. Hint: He’s not a fan.
Please do yourself a favour and take a look at Tony's Instagram account. In a sea of fitness noise and nonsense, his data-driven, research-led content and very clear, very funny delivery really cuts through.
CONNECT WITH TONY:
Follow Bloom Training on Instagram.
Take a look at his TikTok.
Listen to Fitness Stuff (For Normal People) on Spotify.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
'You’re more than a blood sugar, and that’s your excellence.’
Today we meet certified diabetes royalty! Maryann Croft Maloney has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1978 - the same year she also got married and became pregnant with her first child. Maryann went through a large part of that pregnancy without a glucose meter, but has always moved through life handling whatever it - and diabetes - has thrown at her without an ounce of self-pity.
Through the incredible lens of living with type 1 diabetes for almost 50 years, we discuss the advances in diabetes management Maryann has witnessed after starting out with only long-acting insulin, but conversely the anxiety that has been prompted by having so much data at her fingertips.
It was 20 years before Maryann met anyone else with type 1, and we really dig into the perspective that living with the condition has given her. From not worrying about the small stuff, to life as a test of resilience, to her quest for perfection and the importance of asking questions in the pursuit of a better quality of life, Maryann's honesty and insight makes for an extraordinary listen.
We also talk about her life-changing experience at Diabetes Training Camp, and the wisdom and relief it has offered her.
CONNECT WITH MARYANN:
Follow Maryann on Instagram.
Find out more about Diabetes Training Camp.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
My dear friend and fellow type 1 Ami Bennett is back to say hello. So obviously this episode is full of mischief, escapades, hypo gremlins, and guess what? We've STILL both got type 1 diabetes...
We sweep through so much fun (and not so fun) stuff this week, having a good old catch up about everything from turning into hermits of routine by choice, being confronted by security staff about diabetes, dating, shoving Haribo into your face in a public toilet to fix a hypo... it's a glamorous life.
We shoutout some awesome people doing awesome things in the community, and of course The Diaries wouldn't be complete without an appearance from Ami's lovely dog Milou.
CONNECT WITH AMI:
Follow Ami on Instagram.
OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED:
Type One Community's Instagram.
Temi Olonisakin's Instagram.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
When it comes to diabetes advocates, few are held in such regard as Renza Scibilia. And rightly so, as for more than two decades she has travelled the world to ensure the voices of people with diabetes are not only acknowledged, but listened to and understood by everyone from world-renowned healthcare professionals to pharmaceutical bosses.
Diagnosed in 1998, Renza’s activism started out through the Diabetonic blog, published from her desk at home in Melbourne, Australia. But such is her determination and motivation to create meaningful change, she is now Director of Community Building & Communications at Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), Head of Advocacy at #dedoc°, and in her spare time (when she’s not baking or on a plane), she runs a health consultancy.
As much as Renza works hard to makes sure she has a seat at the table, she works even harder to ensure that there are seats for the rest of us too, shaping outcomes for everyone who has been forced through lived experience to cruelly understand what it really means to live with type 1 diabetes.
'When insulin has been around for 100 years, lack of access should not be happening,' she told me. 'It’s perfectly ok to feel overwhelmed by the personal burden of type 1 diabetes and what we are living with, but I do also feel the weight of what type 1 diabetes is on a bigger scale. Sometimes I think it’s ok to feel hopeless because of that, because in many ways it’s what drives me.'
This generous and heartfelt conversation is such a treat, and a reminder of the power we collectively have for change when the right people are shaping the conversation.
CONNECT WITH RENZA:
Take a look at Renza’s blog, Diabetogenic.
Follow Renza on X.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
Everybody’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis is memorable, but Alex Durussel-Baker’s was particularly far removed from her routine as a 30-year-old business owner living in Edinburgh. Alex was on an aeroplane runway, about to take off for a work trip to the States, when her doctor called with the results of a blood test.
Alex subsequently spent three days in hospital in New York, before attending the work conference anyway. This isn’t a movie, this is Alex’s life, and it was once she returned to Scotland that the reality of both the permanence and the inconsistency of living with this complicated condition took hold.
Since that diagnosis in 2018, Alex’s path to acceptance has taken many turns. During a period of burnout and depression, she started to process events in the way that she knows best - through creativity, specifically graphic design. A 100-day project to make diabetes more visible by subverting famous posters led to the birth of Diabetes By Design.
Six years later, today sees the launch of DByD Fest - a 10 day programme of events, a design exhibition and panel talks all led by Alex. It’s all entirely free for you to visit at Custom Lane in Leith, Edinburgh, from June 13th-22nd 2024. This episode is a celebration of the ways in which this event will address the multitudes of misunderstanding that are unfortunately part of life with type 1 diabetes, but also an honouring of Alex’s lived experience.
We discuss so much in this episode, including motherhood, the effect that diabetes has had on her relationship, and how absolutely messy this all is, no matter how far into the journey you are. You can get involved in Alex’s work by giving your feedback on her soon to be launched Companion Card toolkit, co-designed by healthcare professionals and people living with type 1 diabetes to open up conversations about this undoubtedly messy condition.
Thank you so much to Alex for speaking to me with such candour and humility.
CONNECT WITH ALEX
Find out more about DByD Fest.
Find out more about the Companion Cards.
Sign up to the Diabetes By Design newsletter.
Follow Diabetes By Design on Instagram.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
Business owner, fitness enthusiast and adventurer Tara Humphrey is a woman of action. As the CEO of a primary care management consultancy, wife and mum of three adolescent girls, life is already a juggling act, but the family have also been forced to adapt to not one but two demanding chronic illnesses in the household. And despite the inevitable challenges, adapt they have - with the help of a whole load of pragmatic organisation, communication, teamwork and a generous dose of fun too.
Tara's youngest daughter Tahlia was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on Christmas Day in 2017 at the age of five. Now 12, Tara is balancing steadily letting Tahlia live a little more independently from Mum and Dad, while ensuring she remains safe from the riskier sides of life with type 1 diabetes.
In this insightful episode, Tara speaks candidly about the family's experiences - from herself being given a diabetes textbook as her daughter was diagnosed (and tested before Tahlia was allowed home!), feeling like a failure when diabetes technology wasn't working for them, to delegating diabetes appointments to her husband Mark after some frustrating interactions with Tahlia's care team.
We also speak about the interesting dichotomy between the experience Tara has as a Mum with multiple personal touch-points with the health system, and someone who also lives and breathes primary care in her professional life.
CONNECT WITH TARA:
Follow Tara on Instagram.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
When you speak to 27-year-old Avani Ved, you encounter an intelligent, focused, determined and thoughtful woman whose mission in life is to help people. She demonstrates this both in her professional career as a nurse and via her Instagram page, which spreads encouraging messages about life in general, as well as life with type 1 diabetes.
But her motivations come from some altogether more challenging and upsetting personal experiences as a child living with type 1 diabetes. Despite facing stigma and feelings of not being good enough since her diagnosis in 2005, Avani has somehow found the resolve to turn her pain into her power.
‘When I was nine there wasn’t a lot of people in my culture that understood what type 1 diabetes was. That was a huge challenge and a huge barrier to overcome. I heard a lot of comments at nine… but at that age you’re not going to sit there and explain to a 40-year-old woman what type 1 diabetes is.’
Running parallel to those difficult experiences, Avani has thankfully always also had an incredible support network around her, and it’s thanks to positive interactions with medical staff in the hospital she was sent to as a little girl that Avani knew from the day of her diagnosis she was going to be a nurse - despite not knowing what being a nurse actually meant.
There is so much to learn from this uplifting and honest episode, and I’m grateful to Avani for sharing her story as part of her mission to, in her words, ‘become the person that I needed when I was nine years old.’
CONNECT WITH AVANI:
Follow Avani on Instagram.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ -
It is apparent from the minute you meet James Ridgeway that he is one of life’s good guys. A Diabetes Specialist Nurse and Education Research Associate living in Leicestershire with his partner Stacey and son Alfie, it was his own type 1 diabetes diagnosis in 2012 while on shift as a student nurse that set him on his professional path.
James is incredibly passionate about diabetes education, and as well as supporting diabetes patients in clinic through his role as a DSN, part of his job is delivering diabetes education to other healthcare professionals through the renowned EDEN network. He also runs an innovative Podding peer support group to help people connect with others living with type 1 diabetes.
Through both living and working with type 1 diabetes, James is well aware that on average people with diabetes have just one hour of healthcare professional support each year. With his blend of lived experience, healthcare knowledge and belief in the importance of peer support, this episode offers a unique and encouraging perspective on living a better, less isolated life with type 1 diabetes.
CONNECT WITH JAMES:
Follow James on X.
Find out more about the Eden Network.
Check out James’s Podding peer support group for Omnipod Users.
Take a look at the Language Matters framework.
JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY
We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.
SPONSOR MESSAGE:
Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.
Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors, Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.
They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/ - Show more
