Dear Brandy,
Whew! It's Over! The Conference, that is!  While it is quite fabulous, it is also very tiring.  I got home on Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm after the Conference and was asleep by 4:30pm.  Amazingly, I did not get up until 3:30pm the following afternoon!  My goal is to actually be able to attend the Conference as a participant one day!  Hey--- I can dream, right?!?

Well, now it's on to planning for the 2013 Conference(s).  I will be traveling to Philadelphia, PA to attend the ADA Scientific Sessions.  I'll be posting updates on my blog and on Amylin's Building Blocks website.

Brandy Barnes

SISTER SPOTLIGHT:

Helen Morgan

 

My name is Helen Morgan and I live in upstate New York. I developed type 1 diabetes in my late teens and am now 61 years of age. My diabetes is managed with an insulin pump, Humalog insulin and Symlin injectionswith meals, and a continuous glucose monitor. I have worked out a routine for managing my disease but haven't really "fine-tuned" it until the last two years.

 

Fine tuning diabetes management is different for each individual although there are basic elements that are common to each of us. For the most part, I was "too busy" earning a living to pay strict attention to how my blood glucose was running throughout the day. I would have a severe glucose low and over correct for it and have readings in the 300s as a consequence.

 

My job as a visiting nurse required a great deal of knowledge about how the human body functioned and how disease processes affected a patient's health. I was very good at teaching my patients what they needed to know so they could live a healthy life. I knew what I needed to do for myself but I was out of control most of the time with A1C numbers running around 8 and above.

 

Throughout my life, I cared for everyone else. I was a single mom for quite a while and went through the many joys and problems of raising two daughters on my own.

 

I met another nurse who has type 1 diabetes at the agency where I worked and she told me about a weekend gathering she attended that was just for women with diabetes. The idea intrigued me. I had never thought of what it would have been like to reach out to another woman with diabetes when I faced the many stressful situations I had been through in my lifetime.

 

Last summer, my friend Connie Hanham-Cain and I started a Diabetes Sisters PODS in our hometown. We meet every month to share our experiences with other diabetes sisters to let them know they do not have to go through life with diabetes alone.

 

Our membership is growing and I am looking forward to attending my first Diabetes Sisters Weekend for Women in Raleigh this May.

 

QUICK UPDATE AFTER THE CONFERENCE: I was really impressed with the many stories I heard from members I met at the conference. There is strength in numbers and I'm sure Diabetes Sisters will continue to advocate for women with Diabetes and all the issues it brings.

 

Dr. Natalie Strand was the keynote speaker, was presented with the 2012 DiabetesSisters' Inspiration Award, was and also the winner of a hula hoop contest.  If you aren't familiar with Nat (yes, we can call her that now that we're all part of the Sisterhood! ha! ha!), she is an anesthesiologist from California, has lived with diabetes for over 20 years, and is the winner of the 17th season of The Amazing Race.  She immersed herself in the Conference experience and showed attendees that she truly is an "everyday woman" with diabetes (who has accomplished a lot!).

 

One attendee wrote on her Conference survey, "Being with other women with diabetes, I felt validated and learned new things and made great friends - WOW!!!" Another woman wrote,  "I really like the support and it re-lit my fire to take care of me!"

 

Even the men who attended the Partner's Perspective Program left with a better understanding of diabetes and how to support their loved one. One man said, "I was skeptical about attending this Program and my wife had to drag me here, but I'm really glad I came.  I feel much closer to my wife now and feel better equipped to handle emergency situations."

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES SHARE EXPERIENCES

Some of the women who attended the Conference posted about it on their own blogs on on others.  You can read their experiences here: http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/lifestyle/diabetes-women/diabetessisters

http://www.diabetesmine.com/2012/05/diabetes-sisters-gather-in-north-carolina.html

http://intheshortrows.blogspot.com/2011/05/diabetes-sisters-weekend-for-women.html

http://thegirlsguidetodiabetes.com/2012/05/23/diabetessisters-2012-conference-recap

2012 WALK SUCCESSFULLY UNITES COMMNUNITY IN

DIABETES AWARENESS

 

The 2012 orange:will Diabetes Awareness Walk presented by DiabetesSisters and Novo Nordisk welcomed over 300 participants and 20 vendors. Men, women, children and even dogs came out to show their support.

 

Thanks to our generous supporters, over $17, 500 was raised from our very first fund raising event.  All funds raised will go towards providing education and support programs for women with diabetes. We hope you will join us at next year's event because it is truly a wonderful sight to see the streets flooded with orange attire as everyone walk around the Capital Building while listening to Mr. Horne play the "The Saints Come Marching In" on the trumpet.

INVENTIVE PRIZES MOTIVATE FIERCE COMPETITION

After weeks of watching the top fund raisers flip-flop positions back and forth, the competition ended on May 16th with the following WINNERS.  Thank you to everyone who participated in person and online.

 

GRAND PRIZE WINNERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

STAY IN TOUCH

DiabetesSisters

2530 Meridian Parkway, Suite 2123

Durham, NC 27713

Toll Free:   855-361-2012