I had the good fortune to be interviewed by Daniel Newman. Part of that good fortune was listening to his lovely British accent, part was his genuine curiosity, generosity and incisive questions during our talk. In short, he knows how to have a refreshingly open, inquisitive conversation. Daniel, a fellow T1D, publishes these beautiful learning experiences for all on the Talking Type 1 podcast.
Daniel and I talk about my living with T1D more than 48 years, what changed when I saw a diabetes educator after 32, how to have a better conversation with your HCP, the current paradigm of healthcare and everything in-between.
I am Daniel’s 19th podcast interview. Enjoy them all; they’re perfect company on a walk, in the car or cooking dinner. Especailly if you have a penchant for a British accent.
Trial name: Behavioral Approaches to Reducing Diabetes Distress and Improving Glycemic Control (EMBARK)
This study will measure self-reported diabetes distress over a year as well as any change in A1C. You will interact with a leading diabetes psychologist and diabetes specialists. This large, NIH-funded study aims to reduce diabetes distress and improve A1C.
The study:
Is virtual
Lasts 12 months
You must have type 1 diabetes for at least one year
An A1C of 7.5% or above, and
A high level of distress assessed at screening
To learn more details and how to apply, click here.
Christel Oerum above (Check out Christel’s bio and websites at the end of this post) is a diabetes advocate and fitness trainer who’s been mulling social distancing during COVID-19. Below she shares some thoughts.
Given how people with diabetes – both type 1 and type 2 – can be at higher risk for the coronavirus and have worse outcomes if they get it, I, like Christel, am staying safe by socially distancing and not meeting many people.
Christel: Change is certainly the defining feature of 2020 and that includes how we interact with others, whether that’s family and friends, or the strangers we pass on the street, or in the supermarket.
As COVID-19 has swept the world, most of us have had to significantly change our social habits to protect ourselves, as well as those around us, from exposure to the virus.
And while keeping your distance, and limiting social gatherings and interactions is the right thing to do, it can leave you feeling lonely or deprived of human interaction. So what can you do? We can’t change the world we live in, but we can make the most of it!
My First rule…
First of all, I think it’s important that we each individually decide what our boundaries are and what we’re comfortable with. That’s what I call the First Rule.
For me, my First Rule is I don’t meet up in person with anyone who doesn’t adhere to the California (where I live) social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines.
I have one friend whom I haven’t seen in person since March, since he still goes to parties and doesn’t wear a mask. That’s his choice, but that means we won’t be interacting in person for a while.
I’m not too nervous about contracting COVID, but I’d rather not, and the thought of having to deal with such an aggressive condition, while managing my type 1 diabetes, is somewhat overwhelming. I imagine you feel the same, whether you have type 1 or type 2.
How I’ve sustained my social connections
Once you have your first rule down, you can decide how to actually see people. Because we as humans are social beings, it’s important we somehow continue our human interactions.
If your first rule is that you don’t leave your home, we’re lucky to live in a time with a lot of virtual resources. We can connect through our Phones or do video calls through Zoom, Skype, Facetime, or other media.
I am fortunate enough that I have three women in my circle of friends who are all on the same page on social distancing and mask-wearing. Trusting each other is safe, we’ve been meeting up regularly. I call them my “quarantine crew.”
They are women I know and trust, and I know they respect their own health, as well as mine. In the first month of COVID-19, none of us really left our homes. Instead we scheduled Zoom call ‘Happy Hours’ where we’d chat for an hour or two online. I liked best the calls where we all have our cameras turned on, it just adds to the social experience.
As spring came along, and we became more confident in venturing out, we started to meet at our local park. We brought our own food and drinks and sat in the grass and chatted for hours in a big circle, all sitting 6 feet apart.
We all missed hugging, but in the early days felt that wasn’t safe, so we implemented our own greeting. Instead of a handshake or hug, or even the elbow bump you’ve probably seen, we created our own greeting: we’d touch feet. Right foot to right foot. I have long legs, so in that way we could still maintain an adequate distance and get the feel of physical human contact. If you have some tall friends, you can give it a try, or create your own special greeting.
As we move into winter it might not be so comfortable to just sit outside, but moving outside with others, as in a walk, combines socializing and exercising. Dress appropriately, including a mask and walk the recommended six feet apart.
There are a lot of things I have had to let go of this year, but I’m glad there are still ways to stay close to people, even when we’re separated by a few feet or a screen.
Author Bio:
Christel is a Los Angeles based speaker, writer, diabetes coach, and diabetes advocate. She has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1997 and at an early stage decided that it wasn’t going to slow her down. Her motto is “There is Nothing You Can’t do With Diabetes”. She writes about how to be Fit With Diabeteson DiabetesStrong.com and great food on DiabeticFoodie.com. She also coaches people with diabetes from across the globe, online and in-person, and supports them in meeting their health and fitness goals.
Somehow I missed this, apparently it’s been around since March. But truly, for me, there’s never been a more needed time for one and a half minutes that has me snapping my fingers and singing out loud.
Of course the husband asks that I do it when he’s not on a business call.
I may have already written about this – restarting your sensor. But admittedly, the first two times I tried to do it, it failed. Once, completely, the second time I only got 2.5 days extra and then it went downhill.
But, I’ve just come off my first successful restart. A full second round of 10 days, with first round accuracy. I believe there are two reasons for my success, and they are also the reasons for my failure. So, if you try this following the video, note:
Take a photo of the code, don’t enter the numbers manually. That means keep the little piece of paper with the code on it when you first put on your sensor.
Actually, I was visiting my mom in Connecticut when I wanted to restart my sensor, and I had kept the paper with the code, but it was back home. My husband took a photo of it and sent me the photo. Feeling very daredevil, I held my phone up to the photo of the code, and wham, it registered it!
2. Wait an hour after your first session ends to start your second session. I don’t know if you have to wait that long, I’ve seen people say wait 15 minutes, but an hour makes me feel safer.
Good luck. I can’t guarantee it will work every time, or any time, but it’s definitely worth a shot.
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