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.”