Doing it for Diabetes!!! Volunteers needed

I know - its fun run season and there’s a 10K organised in your area every single weekend from now until October. The sponsorship cards are being thrown at you from left, right and centre. And I know that I’m adding to that long list of charities that need & deserve your cash.

But I’m still asking and hoping that you will join me.

The Clare 10K takes place on Saturday, the 25th June in Lees Road Sports & Amenities Park. I am looking for volunteers to walk with me (or run ahead:-s) and raise money for the Clare branch of Diabetes Ireland.

Diabetes Ireland Clare branch tries to fund raise only a couple of times a year so as to not make lots of demands on your pocket.

Why does Diabetes need money?

• 440 Irish people will die every year because of Diabetes (from CSO 2006 census).

• 314 Irish legs will be amputated because of complications of Diabetes this year (from Diabetes Action podiatry campaign).

• Study after study shows that if people with diabetes are provided with structured education on how to manage their diabetes that it reduces their risks of developing the diabetes complications that lead to death.

• People with diabetes must deliver 95% of their own care, it is of paramount importance that they receive on-going, high-quality diabetes education that is tailored to their needs and delivered by skilled health professionals.

• People with diabetes need peer support because a life time is feels like an eternity to live with a chronic illness.

Where will your money go?

Diabetes Ireland Clare branch provides;

• Support groups for all people with diabetes so that the old and the newly diagnosed people with diabetes can lean on each other.

• Diabetes Information Event where a medical professional imparts their wisdom on how to make life better with diabetes.

• Support for Diabetes Ireland’s national programmes; Sweetpea kids Club, Teen Activity Day, Structured education courses for people with diabetes.

Or you can decide where you want your money to go by ticking one of these boxes on your sponsorship card;

- Diabetes Ireland Education & Support Services

- Type 1 Research

- Type 2 Research

- Sweetpea Kids Club

- National Teen Activity Day

What do we need from you?

We need people to volunteer to participate in the Clare 10K on Saturday, the 25th June 2011. All the race details are published on www.clare10k.com Sponsorship cards and t-shirts are available by contacting me on mobile 087 641 5747 or by emailing me at clarebranchdfi@gmail.com

If you are unable to volunteer you can sponsor someone who is. You can sponsor me through my fundraising page on http://www.mycharity.ie/event/grainne_flynns_clare10_2011/

Using your credit or laser card.

Every cent counts for us and we would hugely appreciate your support!

You have been diagnosed with Diabetes, so what next?

On the 2nd April 1993 I was diagnosed with diabetes. This year marks 18 years of living well with D. Coincidently, the 2nd April is my daughter’s birthday, so for the last seven years I don’t actually remember that I’ve clocked up another year until afterwards.

But I do remember most of those first days. I spent 10 days in hospital. I remember the confusion and the wonder and my complete and utter ignorance about what was happening to me and my inability to comprehend it all.

I was being told that I could live a normal healthy life so I figured I wouldn’t worry about it all.

But then I returned to the world to live my “normal healthy life” and it wasn’t as easy as it was before. I had hypos all over the place, and if it wasn’t low blood sugar it was high blood sugars. Back then I was on twice daily injections and having to eat meals and snacks at specific times during the day. It was hard and I was only just able to keep my head above water.

I didn’t think anyone out there could help me so I didn’t talk to anyone about my diabetes. People would ask “how is your diabetes?” and I would say “fine” and change the subject. I cried myself to sleep almost every night for a couple of months because I couldn’t figure out what I had done to cause this diabetes.

But I got over it and I turned it all around. I learned about my diabetes and I realised that I needed to take care of it and it would take care of me.

When I think of the many people who are being catapulted into the Diabetes Community these days I feel those early days again and I do everything I can to let them know that they are not alone.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a 12 step plan that tells newly diagnosed people with diabetes what they need to do next after diagnosis. However, I did come across something in a borrowed copy of Outsmart Diabetes, Rodale Publications. The section was titled “Taking on Diabetes”.

And here is the outline:

Get Confirmation of whether you have it or not.


Go to the doctor or healthcare professional and ask to be tested for diabetes. If the test is positive, make sure you have your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol checked also and a foot and eye examination.


Take time to fully digest what you have been told.


If you are diagnosed with diabetes, take the time to fully absorb what you are being told. Don’t make assumptions or hasty decisions. The only way you will take control of your situation is with a clear head.


Find out the facts for yourself.


Look to the internet, your local library or contact one of the many organizations for more information. In this case it’s true that knowledge really is power.


Work out how those facts apply to you.


Once you’ve gained a good all round understanding of diabetes, focus on the particular type that you have, and with this knowledge work out how you can make your life easier.


Prepare yourself for your next conversation with your doctor.


Arrived armed with information and you will know if you are being sold short or misdiagnosed. There is no reason why your doctor shouldn’t welcome your contributions. Also, if you know what you want to talk about you will probably get a much better service.


Accentuate the Positives.


If might not, at first, seem that there are too many. But if having diabetes means you can no longer carry on making excuses for not eating healthily or doing exercise, then that has to be a bonus.

Start making lifestyle changes


Go forward with whatever adjustments you have t make to your life with gusto and as if they were your idea. Think they are only being made to improve your quality of life.

Don’t Worry.


Stress can only make your condition worse, as it can trigger surges in blood sugar. And besides, worrying never changed anything!

And that goes from me too. It's not a perfect step by step list but it's something.

And remeber it is what it is and all you can do is your best.

Can we change our way of thinking about our diabetes?

Many parents say that the hardest thing about having a child with diabetes is banning the sweets. And many adults with diabetes (myself included) feel hard done by because they can’t have as many cakes as they would like. **

We (people with diabetes –PWD) feel jealous of every person who can eat sweets and cake with reckless abandon! We think a child being able to have so many sweets that they make themselves sick is all part of growing up!

We let others love us and rewards with cakes, biscuits and sweets!

What if we changed this way of thinking?

What if instead of thinking “my child can’t have sweets” we thought “other children eat too many sweets”? Why can’t we find it acceptable to act all smug and pious with all the people around us who complain about not have any self-control and moan about their weight issues? Why can’t we say “I eat healthy and I’m proud of it”? Why don’t we tell our children (with or without diabetes) that we love them too much to let them have loads of sweets and that we want to make sure that they grow up to be healthy people?

Why don’t we encourage friends and family to love our children with their time instead of a packet of sweets? What young child wouldn’t love to cuddle up with Granny or Granddad and read a book or have loved ones take them to the cinema or the park?

I have diabetes and I have one sweet thing every day after my dinner (except on special occasions), I don’t see it as depriving myself, I see it as living well. I’m going to try not to feel guilty about it. My children live by the same “rule of sweets” and I seriously hope that the anti-glutinous moral is sticking.

Would this way of thinking change the world – probably not, but it might make the everyday struggle with diabetes a bit easier. Maybe?

** I have made some generalizations in this item but I would like to acknowledge that I do know not all people with diabetes feel the way I describe in the early paragraphs.

Diabetes in Ireland-Happy St. Patrick’s Day

- It’s estimated that 200,000 people in Ireland have Diabetes.

- 20,000 people in Ireland have Type 1 Diabetes.

- 2,500 Children & Teens under the age of 19 have Type 1 Diabetes.

- On average 314 Irish legs will be amputated because of complications of Diabetes this year. (From Diabetes Action).

- 440 Irish people die because of Diabetes every year (from CSO 2006 census).

- There are 8 structured education programmes in Ireland for people with diabetes with limited access.

                  Type 1 Courses: CODE T1, DAFNE and BRUCIE

                  Type 2 Courses: X-PERT, DESMOND, CODE and ORLA

- There is one organisation which advocates for the Diabetes patient: The Diabetes Federation of Ireland (membership approx. 4,000)

- There is one organisation which is encouraging Diabetes research in Ireland: Diabetes Ireland Research Alliance.

- Thanks to the internet there are hundreds of blogs about diabetes that Irish people have access to and also a number of facebook groups and pages founded by Irish people.

        Diabetes In Ireland Facebook Page
        Cork Diabetes Parents Support Group
        Mayo Diabetes Parents Group
        http://www.mydiabetes.ie/?page_id=27

I know the above statistics do not paint a pretty picture for people with diabetes in Ireland but it’s important to remember that there are no statistics for the number of people who are living well with diabetes but there are lots of us :-)

Happy St. Patricks Day!

What if my children get diabetes?

When I was looking for research on what was in store for me when I got pregnant with my first child I came across discussions about where or not people with diabetes should have children.

It’s a genuine question, after all, there is a 2% risk (if you’re female and 6% if you are male) of passing Diabetes on to your children. The people asking it were people with diabetes and they were considering all the negatives and positives.

Some decided they didn’t want to take the risk and others never even considered not taking it.

So now I have my two wonderfully, healthy children but I still live with the concern that either one of them or both might someday be diagnosed with diabetes.

What would I do if this happened? I’ve thought about this a lot so I think I have a good idea of what I would do and feel.

First and foremost I would always feel the guilt that it was my fault they got diabetes and nothing would ever change that. It would always be there but that’s no way to live and I don’t need to have extra guilt loaded on me by my children so I would keep it hidden.

Then I would apologise to my child for the world being unfair.

Next, I would start teaching diabetes and build team “me & my child” and that’s the way it would be until my child decided that she wants to be more independent. But he or she will always be reminded that I am there and my experience is to be used for his/her advantage and vice versa.

Initially, (s)he would learn how to handle diabetes but eventually it would evolve into a learning from each other experience. So if the worst ever does happen – it won’t be the worst.