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