MAMMA MIA!

The view out of the studio

DXStockholm - Day 2 and 3

Just over a month ago I wrote about the first day in Stockholm but in pictures. We learnt whilst in Stockholm that Twitter images receive 18% more clicks, 150% more retweets and 89% more likes than twitter statuses. So it got me wondering if blogging in pictures would reach a wider audience. It did by 30%. A PLOG (picture blog).

The first thing I learnt.

The second is that I will never be able to frown as well as the Grumpy Pumper. 

I literally cannot frown!

The third. I was surrounded by some fantastic people.

Day 2 in Stockholm started in a quirky building where we had talks from lots of different creators.

I mean how tumblr! (love love love!)

The day started with a synchronised bg test from Pippa and myself - it was some spooky diabetes voodoo magic!

Same line for 12 hours!

We had many different talks from Marie Ennis- O’Connor who spoke about her powerful journey through breast cancer and her journey as a digital health advocate to Rudy de Waele who predicts the future of technology!

The Snapchat class taught us how to engage with a different type of audience with Geeohsnap, showing us the creative content he creates to a massive following. The session on Snapchat, which I already use, was a really fun and engaging session testing out the snapchat filters and it was amazing to hear how Geeohsnaps snaps create a positive platform which inspires lots of people. 

And of course we had to try out all the filters!

But seriously Grumpy - how is it still possible to frown with a flower crown?! ;P 

We had to have a snapchat picture on snapchat! - Geeohsnap

In the technology and body hacking session we met Hannes Sjoblad, where we learnt how to make our own DNA, we wore bunny ears that moved depending on our concentration and used Visual Reality - showing just how quickly technology can move forwards.

Testing out the brainwave bunny ears with Bente! 

Making my own DNA

The result

Later on in the day using Geeohsnaps idea of transforming people doing everyday things into something different and exciting we made #DXStockholm postcards showing people that Type 1 Diabetics can do whatever they want, eat what they like and travel till their hearts content. Reinforcing the message that Type 1 Diabetes doesn't hold us back.

How much does it look like Bente is trying to hit me on the head!? haha

Day 3 started with learning about Abbotts ‘in the vault’ projects - one of which has recently been launched the ‘LibreLink’ (see my last blog post). It was fantastic to hear about how diabetes technology is moving forward and the LibreLink shows us that! 

After saying our goodbyes to the friends we’d made Adrian (a fellow friend and GBDOC blogger) and I along with Fiona,Ollie and Chris from Abbott headed to the ABBA Museum. At this point I knew Adrian was a massive fan but I dont think id prepared myself for singing on the stage with the virtual ABBA band and recording Mamma Mia in a recording studio! Later we were joined by Phillipa (another GBDOC blogger, her husband James (the creator of #DXFringe - a hashtag which caused much amusement) and Baby G. It was such a laugh and a brilliant afternoon not only getting to know my fellow bloggers a little more but also getting to know the lovely bunch who work for Abbott. 

Mamma Mia - here we go again

The new 'Abbott' 

After heading back to the airport and meeting Jen again we boarded our flight. This time Adrian and myself couldn't sit next to each other - we sat across the aisle. Only adding to the 2 hour blog war that commenced to see who could blog about our amazing trip first! 

The trip to #DXStockholm was an amazing experience! Id never met bloggers from other countries who blogged about diabetes despite being Facebook and Instagram friends with most. Learning about new blogging ideas, and the next ‘in the vault’ projects that Abbott are developing was a fantastic experience - one that I will definitely not forget anytime soon! One of the most amazing parts for me was talking to new friends - who by the end of the trip felt like old friends - learning about their diagnosis, their diabetes and of course them as a person. The friendships that last a lifetime. This week Ive been on holiday in Germany where Finn and myself found time to meet each other to catchup after meeting at #DXStockholm. Its lovely how diabetes itself can be such a negative yet it can be turned into such a positive.

Lots of love The Backpacker and the Pod xxx

Dear Dia-bestie

Dear Diabestie,

A simple Facebook message. Thats how it started. 

I was nervous. I was meeting up with a stranger who I had met on the internet - this was before I became part of the GBDOC and the only Type 1’s I had ever met were through JDRF Discovery days. 

My parents had always taught me not to talk to strangers, and this one looked pretty dodgy ;)

So the day came and we decided to go bowling. 

10am and we were the only people in the bowling alleys! Do you remember the 10 minutes of awkward chit chat?

‘How long have you been diagnosed?’

‘What subjects to you take?’

etc etc

We finished the game of bowling... after about 10 minutes.

By the end of the day after going for lunch, carb counting, eating ice-cream and walking round the town the initial awkwardness was broken when the ‘disease’ we both have in common completely broke the ice. 

Alyssa - ‘I think Im low’

And in what felt like an alter universe we both could completely understand.

Two weeks later we met again, this time at a Diabetes UK Care Event. It was so lovely to get to meet again, the awkwardness had gone and I felt like I was meeting with a friend I had known for years. You and the other 21 campers made that Care Event which I was very nervous attending one such an amazing experience.

However I'll never forget that moment on the slide when you went low. Im so grateful for that stranger who was strong enough to help pull you from that pool. I cant even put that situation into words because I thought I was going to loose my best friend and I don't want that ever to happen! You do love scaring me with these moments though! ;)

We've been through the highs and lows together (blood sugar wise and life) Always supporting each other along the way. We speak, snapchat, tweet or text lots - I hate that you live so far away. After the Care Event I stayed close with lots of people from the camp but as Skype calls got more infrequent and texts were few and far between the friendships faded, but our friendship remained strong. Our diabetes gave us common ground but now we know that we have so so much more in common.

I think you are so inspiring not just with your diabetes but your general attitude to life. If something knocks you back you come back twice as strong and you are so determined to make a difference! I think its fantastic all the work you do with Just Duk It and I hope one day we will be travelling round doing Diabetes talks together! (The Pumptastic Backpacker?! ;) aha!

Meeting again at the People With Diabetes Conference just confirmed how strong our friendship is. After 2 years apart, even though we speak all the time, you couldn't shut us up, and we tried but failed to hold back the tears as we both went our separate ways again.

Without diabetes I wouldn't have met my best friend and many other amazing friends along the way - thats a very strange thought!

“Friendship is born that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! you too? I thought I was the only one!” - C.S.Lewis

Thankyou for being my ‘Dia - bestie’!

Lyd x

Hope you enjoyed this blog post! If you write a post about your ‘Dia-bestie’ please send me a link! Id love to read it!

Lots of love The Backpacker and the Pod xxx

#DXStockholm - Day 1 (A plog!?)

This is the first day and blog DXStockholm - mostly in pictures, can I call it a plog?! (ill explain why in the next blog) If you like this style of blog please give it a favourite, like or share so I know for the future!

Waking up at 5am to get a taxi to the airport the thought of flying to Stockholm still didn't seem real. Ok so I say waking up, I hadn't really slept as I had a hypo during the night which kept me awake. 

At the airport I met Adrian, a fellow GBDoc blogger and cat enthusiast, who kept me in check with his teacher like instincts! Going through security we must have looked rather dodgy resulting in Adrians bag being checked and myself getting a full body pat down! With a pod on one arm and a libre on the other, looking part cyborg I wasn't suprised! After chatting none stop for around 5 hours we arrived at our hotel, bumping into the Grumpy Pumper on the way, before heading off for a walking tour of Stockholm with other T1D bloggers. 

My hotel room for the weekend

Haymarket Hotel

Stockholm walking tour

Meeting bloggers who Ive been friends with on social media in real life never fails to surprise me. I find it incredible how members of the #gbdoc and other #docs around Europe are exactly like they portray themselves online. It was lovely to finally meet Melanie, Jen and Sofia after following each other on Twitter, Facebook and even Instagram - without this event it would not have been possible! Walking around Stockholm with our hilarous Australian tour guide we learnt a little about Stockholm and a lot about each other! 

Stockholm is an lovely city, it reminds me of Austria with its clean streets and amazing old buildings. On our tour we saw the bank where Stockholm Syndrome first took place - something myself I was quite unfamiliar with, as well as seeing the building, which was across from the square of our hotel, where the Nobel prize award ceremony is held. 

#GBDOC on tour

On the bus to the reception at the Science and Technology Museum with Jen

Finally met Sofia (Diabetesia)

Jens pod came off on the slide! Good job there was a spare!

I will never learn to frown

A backpacker and her pod, a Diabetesia and a Grumpy Pumper walked into a bar. 

Our evening reception was held in the Science and Technology museum in Stockholm which wasn't a conventional type of museum! We played on dance mats and Jen even managed to rip her pod out on the slide! (Dont worry I had a spare! Thats the best part of having a diabetic meeting - everyones prepared for every eventuality!)

Surrounded by people, some of whom Id only known a couple of hours I couldn't help but feel incredibly grateful. Id been given this amazing opportunity to meet Type 1’s from all over Europe! With fellow bloggers from Italy, France and Germany to name a few, sitting outside chatting on our first evening it felt like we had known each other for years! Chatting about our diagnosis, diabetes and life outside our disease over a glass of wine in Stockholm was a surreal experience. 

I headed to bed with a straight line on my Libre after my day in Stockholm ready and raring to for the first offical day of talks at #DXStockholm! (I swear being around other diabetics cures me!)

Tack (thank you) for reading! 

Lots of love The Backpacker and the Pod xxx


Disclosure - I have been sponsored by Abbott to attend the bloggers programme at #DXStockholm. Abbott has not asked me to tweet/post/blog about the programme. Views are my own.  

My Story

Everyones diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes is different.
This is why I started my blog - to share my story and this post was the very beginning.

This is my story…

Every person diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes may have similar symptoms but not everybody's diagnosis is the same. This story is from my account but parts within my memory are hazy. I don't know whether It is because i was so ill or that It was a sensitive time so I've blocked it out. 

It all started when I was in year 7 around the summer term. Everyone who took part in the stage production of Oliver at my high school was taken down to London to see Hairspray the musical as a reward. All I can remember was being incredibly thirsty. Within a few hours of my journey I had drunk nearly all 3 bottles of my water. So as you can imagine after drinking all that water I started to need the toilet. Realising myself that id drunk a lot on the way there, but just putting it down to the fact that it was a novelty to be allowed flavoured water, on the way back I tried not to drink any. However after falling asleep I woke up to find my mouth incredibly dry, resulting in me drinking another bottle. Its just the hot weather making you drink a lot I thought to myself. 

Later in the term I was becoming incredibly tired. By the end of the term I was exhausted. I was still drinking lots and during the end of year exams I started to annoy one or two of my teachers constantly asking to fill up my bottle and asking to go to the toilet. Standing outside my form room, I remember this like yesterday, I fiddled with my skirt and it very nearly fell to the floor. That night we had to buy a new skirt from the school shop before speech day at the end of the week. My mum and dad put it down to a growth spurt and I thought nothing of it.

The summer holidays rolled around. At the beginning of the holidays my cousins, sister and myself went to Filey for a week with my grandparents, something we did nearly ever year since being little. I continued drinking lots and going to the toilet a lot. My gran always tells me how she remembers I was drinking so much Robinsons fruit squash - looking back I agree. Constantly needing the toilet when you are at the beach leads to many difficulties - mainly the lack of toilet! Dragging my gran to the sailing club many times a day she knew something was wrong.

‘Promise me you will go to the Doctors when you get back from Spain’ - Gran the Pan (as we call my Gran haha)

I dismissed it - I didn't think anything was wrong.

Our holiday in Filey ended and we headed straight for our friends villa in Spain. This time with my parents, sister, cousins, auntie and uncle. This is where I became ill quickly. I was eating constantly  (I developed a love for ham toasties) and loosing dramatic weight. Every night I would get up around 5 times and every morning Id have drunk around 4 litres of water (Its hard to hide how much you have drunk when the water is in a bottle abroad!) Every morning when Id wake up I was as tired as I had been that night when I had gone to bed. But everybody is sleepy and lazy on holiday - thats what I thought my tiredness was down too! My dad and uncle tried to throw me in the pool, ‘don’t snap her she's like a twig!’ my dad joked (unknowingly of course!)

When we arrived home my mum took me to the doctors, I tried to persuade her not to go but it was no use. This is a TMI warning - so they wanted me to wee in a bottle and as a 12 year old girl I refused. We took the bottle home and was told to bring it back the next morning. Finally after sleeping on the idea I reluctantly did. The doctors then ran some tests and told my mum the results should be there later that day and they would ring us. But an hour later there was a phone call…

It was Doctor Brophy my godparent and GP. He told my mum and dad that I urgently needed to go to hospital because I had extremely high blood sugar and ketone readings. We rushed all the way to the hospital and I had some more tests. They weighed me and took some blood samples. My mum and dad were both really nervous but I didn't really understand. They told me that I was Type 1 Diabetic and that my bloods were 38! They explained to me that a non diabetics blood sugar is between 4 and 7. I weighed around 4.3 stone and my condition at the time was severe. They told us that I was very lucky and that if we had not gone to the doctors on that day I would have been in a coma (shortly followed by death from DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis))

5th August 2009 - The date I was diagnosed.

It was really hard being diagnosed with a ‘disease’ (ergh I hate that term!) that you have never heard of and there is no cure for. It hit my parents especially hard. I remember being sat in a room and my dad having to leave - I know it was because he was trying to process it and didn't want me to see him upset. My mum with soft Northern Irish heart just cried. (Ive just cried writing this). I refused to stay in hospital that night. I just wanted to go home. I was told I was allowed if I did my own injection at home and came straight back the next morning. ‘ (From what I recall - my dad may have a different version) What would you like?’ My dad asked when we were sat in the hospital. Instant laugher from the nurses and my dad when they found out it was going to cost my parents an iPhone 3. Every cloud and all that ;) haha!

The rest of the summer is just a blur to me - I remember going to Clumber Park in our caravan, we always go to Clumber when a big event happens in our life. But apart from that all I remember from the rest of the summer is my parents helping me (mostly them) carb counting my dinner, scales, carb ratios and insulin injections.I did my own injections from the start - I refused to let anyone else inject me.

September rolled around and with all my new diabetic supplies I headed off to my first day of year 8. I was lucky enough for my mum to work at school so she let all the staff know that I had Type 1 - however I was petrified of telling my friends. Our first lesson was Biology and I think all the stress got to me because I felt really strange. From what I remember id only had this feeling once before. I checked my blood sugars and they were low. I remember being really embarrassed having to tell my teacher I was low but she was lovely. Some of the symptoms of low blood sugars are lack of concentration, dizziness and shakiness. I had two plain digestive biscuits to bring me back up as my eyes were welled up with tears. My friends on my table asked what was wrong. Newly diagnosed I didn't know how everyone would react. Only knowing about Type 2 before I was diagnosed and how it was portrayed in the media I thought they'd think it was because of my weight (which to be honest) you must have been able to tell it wasn’t! 

I wrote it on my wrist - ‘I have Type 1 Diabetes’ - That took so much of my courage.

Being Diagnosed with Type 1 wasn't the be all and end all. It was the beginning and the start of a long journey but not a bad one - its a roller coaster. It was a learning process, it still is and it always will be. I hope by sharing my story it will be relatable to other Type 1’s - the unknown, the confusion and the symptoms. If you didn’t know what it was like to be diagnosed with Type 1 i hope its given you more of an understanding (and well done for reading to the end!)

Lots of love The Backpacker and the Pod xxx

#TADtalks2016

Partha I've just being paid! Do you have any spaces left for TAD?! I'd heard a lot about TAD (talking about diabetes conference) from Twitter and this was the first year it was running. I really wanted to go so as soon as I was paid (and Partha kindly found me a space) I booked my tickets to London!

I didn't really know what to expect but I knew some fantastic speakers were there, one of whom I had already met a couple of weeks before called Lis who had lived with Type 1 for over 50 years and another Ninjabetic - who somehow we always end up discussing at my clinic appointments! 

On the way down to London, like a loner I might add, I was sat on a table of four on the train, with three older women who all knew each other. With my headphones in watching Miranda on my phone, I pricked my finger and tested my sugars. Around me on the table I could hear 'that young girl has diabetes - how much sugar do you have to eat as a kid to get that so young - disgusting.’ DISGUSTING?! I was very tempted to take out my earphones and give them a full lecture (including lecture notes) on the difference between the two main types diabetes but not wanting to make the train ride awkward and being very hangry from not having time for breakfast I drowned them out with the sound of Miranda - such fun.

After arriving in London and catching the tube to South Kensington I arrived at the conference hall in Imperial College London. It was so lovely to meet everyone again from the PWDC16 a couple of weeks before, my friend Abi who I met volunteering on a Diabetes Uk camp last summer and new faces who I've seen on the #gbdoc twitter sphere. 

The day started off hearing from Justin Webb from BBC Radio 4 who introduced the event and told us about his son and how his son had type 1. It was interesting to hear diabetes from a parents perspective as many of the talks I attend are always the HCP's views or the views from the person who actually has diabetes. 

There were many fantastic speakers throughout the day who are truly inspiring to the world of diabetes. We heard heartbreaking and inspirational stories, one of which has stuck in my head from Weston (#wearenotwaiting) who lead an moving talk on Nightscout and his reason behind it. We also heard from many other amazing speakers such as Anne Coops who spoke about resilience and how diabetes treatments have changed over the years. In true diabetic style when Annes pump started alarming she whipped it out from her bra - something that every diabetic has done but hilarious to see first hand during a talk - good job we were all diabetics who understood! :P ahaha!

The first speaker of the day was Joe Eldridge. It was amazing to here his story about cycling with Novo Nordisk and how competition didn't just bring out the best in him, but also the best in his diabetes. The competitive streak helped Joe to get to the next level and this came about when he had only £8 left in his bank account, after constantly having to buy burritos for his team mate, after loosing the bet of having the best blood sugars - so he knew he had to win the bet. On the way to the burrito place he checked his blood sugars 4 times to make sure they were in range and after that day the burrito bet was off. I absolutely loved this as I find that competition is something that motivates me with my diabetes and therefore I could relate to Joes story a lot. It is also inspiring how the cyclists from Novo Nordisk can control their diabetes even with the factors of adrenaline and how that raises blood sugars along with everything else that diabetes may throw at them during an 100 mile race. I've found my diabetes inspiration - I struggle a lot with my diabetes and sport but Joe has proved to me that nothing can stop you if you’re really passionate. 

All this talk about diabetes and the burrito bet made me want to check my sugars to see if they were in range. Again I pricked my finger and a whole fountain of blood poured over the table leaving it looking like a crime scene - lucky I was in a room full of people who I'm sure this has happened too as well! 

Ooh 5.6 #wheresmyburrito

Next up was Lis and I was very excited to hear about her life with Type 1 as she has never given speeches about it before. Firstly Lis talked about the Palmer injection which looked awful! A massive metal contraption to inject the insulin. Lis said it hurt no more than a cannula but the look of it was like something out a horror movie! When Lis was first diagnosed she had to over eat to be able to accurately count for carbohydrates! Now we know, years later that this can lead to dangerous thought processes and as we learnt from the DPC16 that 40% of diabetics actually develop an eating disorder. 

Lis also spoke about her experience with her diabetes over the years ‘Volunteer, go change it, do something about it’ and the diabetes community as ‘One thing that transformed my life was talking to others’ this just shows as a community how powerful we are! Lis also spoke about sugar surfing and taking her diabetes management into her own hands through the use of technology. ‘Getting a CGM was like turning a light on and id realised id been waling around in the dark’. 

Laura (ninjabetic) spoke about her misdiagnosis, something that many people in the room could relate too, and how the first 10 years of her diabetes was challenging due to not having the proper help and teaching at her diagnosis due to being diagnosed in Disneyland Paris and having all of her basic training in French. Lauras story inspired me. As a teenager with Type 1 I could relate to the feelings of frustration and wanting to not be diabetic from time to time - people who don't have diabetes done quiet understand the strain. After 10 years Laura met Partha and found blogging and social media to be such a massive positive influence towards her diabetes and is now (i would say) THE most successful diabetes advocate out there. 

‘It was nice not to be high all the time - its nice to be able to say that in a room full of people that understand’

One of the most poignant moments of the day was a little girls response to Richards Lane, a past president for Diabetes UK and their first Ambassador, who gave a fantastic speech about his Islet Cell transplant. ‘What was it like being off insulin?’ she asked and I don't think there was a dry eye in the lecture theatre. Heartbreaking.

It was also lovely to have a member of Parliament Jamie Reed speak about the experience of his sons Type 1 and of course his own. Jamie Reed is also hosting Type 1 Parliament this upcoming month and I look forward to meeting him again to try and raise more awareness for the condition.

Overall #TADtalk2016 was an amazing idea from Partha Kar Diabetes Consultant at Portsmouth Hospital, Catherine Peters from GOSH and there was Peter Hindmarsh from UCL. Id like to say a big thank you to all of the amazing speakers as well as it was a fantastic day and I can wait for next year! … and possibility #TADpoles ;)

Lots of love The Backpacker and the Pod xxx