May 2018 eNewsletter

May 2018 eNewsletter

 
 
  
  May 2018, ISSUE 115                                 Sponsored by           
 
Dear DiabetesSister, 
 
I hope April's showers are bringing everyone beautiful May flowers. In Chicago, we are finally starting to see blooms and sunnier days.
This month, our PODS meetup groups are discussing exercise, and we are offering a free webinar on May 16 at 4pm est. See the link below to register and learn more about the relationship between diabetes and exercise. We are also providing a book excerpt from Christel Oerum's book, Fit With Diabetes - check it out!
 
We connected with our friends at Dexcom to learn more about the newly launched G6 continuous glucose monitor system, and later this month, I will be trialing it and offering you my insights on how the system works. I am excited to share with you in June!
 
Read about our PODS Meetup group in New York State. This group has been meeting for years with great results. If you are interested in attending a PODS Meetup or starting one in your area, please let us know. We can help connect you.
 
Until next month!
 
In Sisterhood,
 

Anna Norton, MS, CEO
24 Triumphant (NOT Perfect!) Years THRIVING with Diabetes
 

LIFE CLASS WEBINAR: CANDID DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DIABETES AND EXERCISE
Candid Discussions About Diabetes and Exercise with Rachel Zinman and Christel Oerum, hosted by Susan Weiner, MS, RDN, CDE, CDN
Wednesday, May 16, 4pm EST

Do you find exercising with diabetes intimidating? Do you feel like you don't know how to get started with a fitness routine? Tune in for this FREE discussion on the common challenges of exercising with diabetes and learn how to manage those challenges. We will explore the ways that general fitness and yoga can help your diabetes management. You will also learn where to find the tools and support you need to be successful when exercising with diabetes.

 


DEXCOM G6 SPOTLIGHT: Q&A WITH CEO KEVIN SAYER
We recently had a chance to chat with Kevin Sayer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dexcom, about the new Dexcom G6® CGM System, including questions from our PODS Leaders throughout the country.
 
What are the main differences between the G5 (current system) and the G6? The first visible difference to patients is that the G6 requires no calibration, without sacrificing the accuracy. Another exciting difference is that the entire form-factor has changed. There is a new automated inserter which allows the needle to be withdrawn within seconds! Also, the transmitter is smaller, so it will catch less on clothing and other things, giving a much better user experience. And last, but certainly not least, the G6 is approved for up to 10-day sensor wear.
 
What does "no finger-sticks" mean? We were pleased to learn that you do not have to enter a glucose value at all during the time one is wearing the sensor. 
 
 
Disclosure: Dexcom is a 2018 National Strategic Partner of DiabetesSisters.
 


BOOK EXCERPT: FIT WITH DIABETES
CLICK IMAGE PURCHASE FROM DIABETESSTRONG
Exercising with diabetes can be tricky. Different kinds of exercise can have different effects on the blood sugar. Christel Oerum, of DiabetesStrong, shares advice from an excerpt from her book, Fit with Diabetes.

STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING BLOOD SUGAR DURING CARDIO
There are two levers you can adjust when it comes to managing your blood sugar during and after cardio: 1. What you eat 2. Your blood sugar-regulating drugs (any drug that gets impacted by exercise such as insulin and Type 2 diabetes drugs like Amaryl and Prandin).

It's not always easy to figure out how to adjust those two levers, but there are some general guidelines available.

In January 2017, the first official consensus statement on exercise and type 1 diabetes was published in The Lancet. I've highlighted the main recommendations from the statement in the figure below. It contains the general guidelines for insulin and carb consumption for exercise lasting longer than 30 minutes.

As per the guidelines, there are several options for insulin reduction regardless of whether the cardio is done fasting or non-fasting. The idea is not that you have to implement all of the recommendations, but that they are options to play around with if you'd like. Given they all address how to reduce the risk of low blood sugar, they are mainly relevant for aerobic cardio.
Source : Exercise management in type 1 diabetes: a consensus statement: The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology 2017
 
 


PODS SPOTLIGHT: DIABETESSISTERS OF ALBANY/SCHENECTADY AND CLIFTON PARK, NY
Connie Hanham-Cain, RN, CDE met DiabetesSisters Founder Brandy Barnes at the American Association of Diabetes Educators conference in 2009 and attended the first DiabetesSisters Weekend for Women conference in Raleigh, NC. In June 2010 she invited some colleagues with diabetes to join her in creating the first Part of DiabetesSisters (PODS) Meetup in the greater Albany, NY area. A small group of women with diabetes met at one of their homes. They were so excited and happy to make the connection with each other that they decided to meet two weeks later for dinner at a McDonald's. Their group activity that evening was reading and discussing the placemat menu with nutrition content listed for the various food items (carbs, calories, protein, fat, sodium) so they could make healthier selections that fit their individual plans.
 
After that, the women decided to have monthly PODS Meetups. Connie and Helen Morgan began as PODS leaders for the first several months, after which Katie Goot joined them as a third leader. The group doubled from the first 5 members to 6, and then 9 or 10 regular members. Gail Nurnberg joined them as a co-leader in 2015. And after giving birth to her son Alex, Katie recently began leading a second PODS Meetup in Clifton Park, NY.
As a CDE, Connie gives DiabetesSisters brochures and PODS Meetup info to each woman that she sees for diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) so they know DiabetesSisters is here for them, in person and/or online because "connecting with d-Sisters is energizing and awesome!"
 
PODS members say they like learning new things about diabetes and hearing tips from members about what has worked well for them, such as new food choices or a trick to solve a common insulin pump issue. The Albany-area PODS members love the camaraderie and support they feel from women who really "get it" about life with diabetes and its frustrations. They support each other through thick and thin. One member was on a waitlist for kidney donation for two years. When she received a kidney donation and had transplant surgery in February 2018 her d-Sisters celebrated with her - and continue to support her throughout her recovery.
 
In addition to official PODS Meetups, members sometimes get together for lunch or to attend a play or a movie. Several have attended the DiabetesSisters Weekend for Women conferences in past years. Katie says that she likes the DiabetesSisters conferences and the Partner Perspective track so her husband could attend and have his own focused education.

 


HELP SCIENTISTS FIND NEW WAYS TO STUDY DIABETES
You may qualify, and receive compensation, if you: 

* Have Type 2 diabetes

*Live in CA, FL, IL, NJ, NY, NC or TX

*Identify as African-American, Latino, or Asian

* Are 18+

 

 


RESOURCE: DIABETES AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Source: AADE
 

DiabetesSisters helps to connect women living with diabetes through peer support, education, and advocacy that improves their health and quality of life. Since 2008, your dollars have allowed us to grow our programs and services, serving thousands of women each year.
 


Visit Our Educational Library
Now with resources in Spanish!
 
Click HERE to visit our growing library where you can download, print, and share this information.
 
The creation of many of these educational pieces was a result of the generous support of our Advisory Council and industry partners.
 


DownTown 
Chattanooga, TN
May 1, 6:00pm
 
Apex/Cary, NC
May 2, 6:00pm
 
Chattanooga, TN
May 3, 6:30pm
 
Arlington, VA
May 7, 6:00pm
 
Rochester (Westside), NY
May 7, 6:00pm
 
Ventura County/San Fernando Valley, CA
May 7, 6:30pm
 
Greater Philadelphia, PA
May 8, 7:00pm
 
Princeton, NJ
May 9, 7:00pm
 
Durham, NC
May 10, 5:30pm
 
Clifton Park, NY
May 12, 10:00am
 
Williamsburg, VA
May 15, 5:30pm
 
Perinton/Fairport, NY
May 15, 6:00pm
 
Reno, NV
May 15, 6:30pm
 
Boston (South Shore/Braintree), MA
May 15, 7:00pm
 
Minneapolis/St. Paul MN
May 16,7:00pm
 
Columbus, OH
May 17, 6:00pm
 
Chesapeake, VA
May 17, 6:30pm
 
Richmond
(Chesterfield), VA
May 17, 7:00pm
 
Richmond (West End), VA
May 20, 1:00pm
 
Albany/Schenectady, NY
May 22, 6:00pm
 
Bridgewater, NJ
May 23, 7:00pm
 
Columbia, MD
May 23, 7:00pm
 
Virtual/Online
May 24, 8:00pm EST
Rochester (CollegeTown/ U of R), NY
May 29, 6:30pm
 


sisterTALK blogs

Explore tips from our experts and stories from women like you. Get connected, then join the discussion.
 
ask our CDE
 
nutrition
 
type 1
 
type 2
 
 
emotional well-being
 
perspectives
 


Connect with a Diabetes Educator

As a member of your healthcare team, a diabetes educator makes managing your diabetes easier. They work with you to develop a plan to stay healthy and give you the tools and ongoing support to make that plan a regular part of your life.

Click HERE to find a diabetes education program in your area.
 


Connected In
 Motion Slipstream
Connected in Motion and Beyond Type 1 will be holding their next Slipstream Event on June 8-10 at Camp Caribou in Winslow, Maine.
 
Click HERE to learn more about Slipstream events.
 


FREETOGO PRODUCTS
 
Designed by a woman living with diabetes, FreeToGo offers clothing, jewelry, and accessories for people living with diabetes. 

FreeToGo has committed a portion of their sales to DiabetesSisters. Visit them at www.freetogostyle.com

 


Please consider using this link for a portion of your sales to impact DiabetesSisters.
 


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DiabetesSisters, #180, 1112 W Boughton Road, Bolingbrook, IL 60440