Advocating for Another

Posted on August 10, 2012 by janekdickinson

I just discovered that it is Advocating for Another Month, and what perfect timing. I’ve been thinking about this very topic for the past several days.

I have long been called to advocate for children, and this past Sunday I discovered I also need to advocate for older people. Both of these groups often cannot advocate for themselves. I get kind of bent out of shape when I think about people being treated unfairly, or being abused in one way or another – just because they are young or old and don’t (or can’t) stand up for themselves.

As diabetes educators we advocate for our patients and sometimes for the greater population of people with diabetes. There are many advocacy activities we take part in, from simply educating patients, to marching on capitol hills.

Earlier this week I had another interesting discovery. During a live twitter chat, I was afraid/embarrassed to ask the host to clarify a question. And yet, as an educator (both in diabetes education and in the classroom), I truly believe that there are no stupid questions. I always encourage patients and students to ask any and every question. When another participant in the chat asked my question, I was so relieved. I (we all) need to remember that this is probably true most, if not all of the time. If I just go ahead and ask the question(s), others will not only be relieved, but they’ll get their questions answered too!

How do you advocate for yourself and others?

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Have a ball

Posted on August 8, 2012 by janekdickinson

Here’s a good article with suggestions for ways to sneak in exercise without too much thought or effort. It caught my eye because I sit at my desk, in front of a computer, five days a week. It wasn’t always this way. I used to work at a camp, where I probably walked several miles a day, and then I worked in a hospital, where I did at least some walking. But now I’m at a desk, and I’m definitely feeling the effects of it.

We have a dog, so I do get up once during my day and take him for a walk, but I need to think of other ways to “fidget” or “stretch” or use more muscles. I like the suggestion of sitting on a ball. I’ve seen people sit on balls for years (not for years at a time), but I’ve never done it. This is an easy thing to try – I even own one of those big, exercise balls (and now I can actually use it). What about a treadmill desk? Maybe someday, you never know.

I recently attended a national conference, where I did a lot of walking. It felt great to move around every 90 minutes or so (although it also took a while to get a meal or find a bathroom). At any rate, I need to figure out how to continue this amount of movement now that I’m back home and working.

What are your secrets for staying active in a sedentary job?

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Demand a referral

Posted on August 1, 2012 by janekdickinson

I am at the annual meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and it’s off to a great start! This morning the current AADE president, Sandi Burke, said that she looks forward to a time when every person with diabetes will demand a referral to a diabetes educator.

This is a wonderful concept for diabetes educators – job security and all. And it’s a wonderful concept for people who live with diabetes and would benefit from education about their disease.

I had to stop and wonder, though, if those who live with diabetes out there feel the urge to “demand a referral.” One of the primary purposes of this meeting is to improve what we do and how we do it. That includes hearing from those for whom we do it.

Do you know what diabetes educators do? Have you had good experiences – or not so good experiences – with diabetes educators? How could diabetes education delivery be improved, from your perspective?

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Bad news rubs off

Posted on July 30, 2012 by janekdickinson

After reading about positive effects on sleep, health and energy for those who stopped watching the news for three weeks, I am convinced that negative, angry, bashing campaign ads cannot be good for the blood glucose.

When I was in my 20s my parents bought me a TV for my birthday. They said the gift was meant to help me get informed because I never watched the news. My excuse  for years was that I worked in health care and I had all the drama and information I needed at work. Now I have a better excuse for not getting dragged down in all that negative news…I want to be healthy!

I’ve been away from televisions for the past two weeks and I am quite sure that not watching the news has enhanced my ability to relax and enjoy some downtime. I highly recommend it!

 

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Diabetes Excuses

Posted on July 23, 2012 by janekdickinson

I don’t believe in using diabetes as an excuse – for anything. Using diabetes as an excuse is just another version of being a victim. A recent discussion reinforced this for me. A parent mentioned that it’s awkward to have to stop and ask his/her child if he/she is high before punishing him/her in public.

Does this mean that whatever the kid did that was worthy of punishment was completely ok if the blood glucose level was high? I really don’t think so. Perhaps a parent needs to take a few minutes to deal with the blood glucose – treat a low or a high – but then the kid still needs to apologize or get punished or whatever the situation called for (and in that parent’s defense, maybe this is what they meant) .

I can’t help thinking about where a kid could go with this. If Mom or Dad doesn’t punish the kid for what they do when their blood glucose is high or low, they could really take that ball and run with it. Imagine the future scenarios in which they could use diabetes as an excuse? How will that help them succeed in life?

Do you think high or low blood glucose is a get-out-of-punishment-free card?

 

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Change Directions

Posted on July 18, 2012 by janekdickinson

Sometimes in life we are forced to change directions. It can happen because plans change, or something unexpected happens, or something doesn’t work out as we thought it would. Diabetes can create these situations too – perhaps we forgot a medication or some supplies and have to turn around and go home. Or a low blood glucose level may delay an activity. Regardless of the situation it’s good to be flexible, figure out our options and move on. Today my efforts were thwarted, so I’m posting a different blog than I had planned. And that’s ok.

When have you had to make a U-Turn?

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Strange Reminders

Posted on July 16, 2012 by janekdickinson

I went for a walk this morning and got a rock in my shoe. Every time I took a step the rock poked into the bottom of my foot and really hurt. And I was so thankful for that. Whenever this happens, I am reminded that I am so fortunate to be able to feel that rock. I still check my feet and do a “swipe” to remove anything that might be on them before donning socks and sneakers. But feeling a rock, despite having to deal with some discomfort and having to take the time to remove the rock, makes me very grateful.

What strange little reminders do you have of the good things in your life?

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Reverse Diabetes

Posted on July 11, 2012 by janekdickinson

Today I had a conversation about reversing vs. curing diabetes (thanks for the prompt, L.A.). This is typically referring to type 2 diabetes. I’ve posted before about cure stuff – type 1 and type 2 – and I’m cure-ious… about what others consider a reversal vs. a cure. In fact, there’s another term that’s gets thrown in the mix now and then, and that is “remission.”

I used to work in pediatric oncology, so for me it’s hard to use the term “remission” with diabetes of any type. When I think of “reversing” diabetes, I think about attaining an A1C in the normal range, and when I think about “curing” diabetes, I imagine the pancreas suddenly turning back on and producing insulin; insulin resistance disappearing. Just as insulin was not a cure back in 1921 (as they thought it was), for me an artificial pancreas is not a cure.

How do you define the following terms, as they relate to type 1 or type 2 diabetes? Remission…Reversal…Cure

 

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Doing something right

Posted on July 9, 2012 by janekdickinson

I am happy to pass on some news I just read: in a study that looked at 250,000 people with diabetes, the rate of death from cardiovascular disease was down 40% and the overall rate of death from diabetes was down 23% (1997 to 2006)! The report says that people with diabetes are less likely to smoke and more likely to be physically active than in the past. This is great news!

It’s rewarding to read that all this hard work is paying off. It may not feel like that when we see a number we don’t like on the blood glucose meter, or when we don’t want to go to the gym one more time. If you have quit smoking, or never started; if you started exercising recently or have been active for years – give yourself a pat on the back!

If you are working on quitting smoking or starting exercise, don’t give up! Every step you make in that direction is beneficial to your long-term health. People with diabetes still have an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, but at least we are moving in the right direction.

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Diabetes Quotient

Posted on July 6, 2012 by janekdickinson

I was reading an interesting article about IQ, which said that our EQ (Emotional Intelligence), MQ (Moral Intelligence) and BQ (Body Intelligence) are actually more important than our IQ. I decided to coin yet another one: DQ (Diabetes Intelligence – not to be confused with Dairy Queen).

I think DQ would be measured in multiple ways. It would include one’s knowledge about the disease and ability to use one’s resources (health care providers, publications, Internet, and so forth). It would also include one’s comfort level with diabetes gadgets/technology (insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems, blood glucose meters, apps, etc.). In addition, it would measure one’s ability to advocate for oneself (ask questions, find health care providers that are a good fit, get involved in some way or another). Finally it would include sense of humor/attitude/ability to manage stress.

How would you measure Diabetes Intelligence?

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