More and more patients living well with diabetes are teaching and supporting other patients by sharing their wealth of knowledge and experiences.
Here are lists of trusted diabetes web sites, social media sites, blogs, books and information about the A1C Champions peer-mentor program I participate in.
If you are interested in a free A1C Champion program for your patients, or becoming an A1C Champion peer-mentor yourself, the contact information is below under “The A1C Champion Program.”
Recommended Diabetes Websites (in alphabetical order)
American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org)
ASweetLife.org
BehavioralDiabetesInstitute.org
ChildrenwithDiabetes.com
DiabetesDad.org
DiabetesMine.com
Diatribe.org
dLife.com
Fit4D.com
Insulindependence.org
JDRF.org
Joslin.org
MayoClinic.com
Mendosa.com
QuantiaMD.com
WebMD.com
Social Communities
#DSMA (Weekly twitter chats)
DiabetesSisters.org (female-specific)
DiabeticConnect.com
DiabetesDaily.com
EstuDiabetes (Spanish)
MyGlu.org (Type 1 diabetes-specific)
Juvenation.org (Type 1 diabetes-specific)
PatientsLikeMe.com (Various disease states)
TypeOneNation.org (Type 1 diabetes-specific)
TuDiabetes.org
A list of those in the infamous Diabetes Online Communityhttp://diabetesadvocates.org/getting-to-know-the-diabetes-online-community-doc-2/
Blogs, communities and more. The most exhaustive list I’ve seen.http://www.diabetesmine.com/blogroll
Several books written by people with diabetes
Balancing Diabetes – by Kerri Sparling
Diabetes Do’s & How-To’s, 50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life and the 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It and The ABCs of Loving Yourself With Diabetes – by Riva Greenberg
Emotional Eating with Diabetes, Your Diabetes Science Experiment, Dealing with Diabetes Burnout – by Ginger Vieira
Kids First, Diabetes Second – by Leighann Calentine
My Sweet Life: Successful Women with Diabetes and My Sweet Life: Successful Men with Diabetes – by Beverly Adler
SHOT – by Amy Ryan
The Book of Better: Life with Diabetes Can’t Be Perfect. Make it Better – by Chuck Eichten
The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed and Prediabetes: What You Need to Know to Keep Diabetes Away – by Gretchen Becker
The Sisterhood of Diabetes – by Judith Jones Ambrosini
The Smart Woman’s Guide to Diabetes – by Amy Mercer
TypeCast: Amazing people overcoming the chronic disease of type 1 diabetes – by Andrew Deutscher
Books by parents of children with diabetes
Raising Teens with Type 1 – by Moira McCarthy Stanford
Kids First, Diabetes Second – by Leighann Calentine
And now for some books written by patients who are also medical professionals:
Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution – by Richard Bernstein (Also a doctor)
Taking Control of Your Diabetes – by Steven Edelman (Also a doctor)
Any of Sherri Colberg’s books (Also an exercise physiologist)
Any of Gary Scheiner’s books (Also a CDE)
The A1C Champions Program
If you’re a medical professional and work with people who have diabetes, you can request one of these six free, hour long educational programs for your patients. Each program is presented by someone living successfully with diabetes.
Programs
• Taking Control – Basic educational program
• Managing Diabetes: The Next Step (live and webinar)
• Telling My Story – Adult with type 1 diabetes speaking to type 1 youth
• Our Diabetes Journey – Given by parent and child for parents and kids
• Me-Power – Program from a person with diabetes and CDE
• Diabetes Together – Given by a person with diabetes and his/her care partner
To request a program, please visit www.vprpop.com or call: 816-756-5999.
If you have diabetes and would like to become an A1C Champion, please contact the website or call the number above.
I’ve been an A1C Champion since 2006 and love going out and helping others with diabetes learn, grow and gain the confidence to do better.
Whether I’m speaking to a support group of patients in rural Ohio, or am part of a full day health event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, it’s the cliché in action – “you get when you give.”
Many A1C Champions say being in the program keeps them more committed to their own health. Fellow Champion, Doreen, says, “When I share my story people open up their lives to me, wanting to talk and share their challenges about diabetes. I can’t imagine doing something more rewarding.
81 years young Charles has been with the program almost since it’s beginnings in 2003. “These programs give hope and information that patients often do not receive from their healthcare provider, and, they actually see that people can manage their diabetes.”
Finally, as my new friend, new Champion, William, said, by way of Groucho Marx’ quote, I wouldn’t belong to any club that would have me, “I’m ecstatic beyond words that the A1C Champions program would have me, and allows me to be part of the team, do this work and give back.”