LADA

Insulindependence

Peter Nerothin of Insulindependence
Type 1 Diabetes, April 2001

“Insulindependence is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that inspires people with Diabetes to set personal fitness goals, educates them on adaptive management strategies through hands-on experience, and equips them to explore their individual capacities.”

Insulindependence

Estimated annual expenditures for Diabetes-related care are as high as $92 billion dollars in direct medical costs alone (CDC, 2008). This means that one in ten healthcare dollars spent in the U.S. can be attributed to Diabetes. With the rate of diagnosis increasing, this amount is expected to grow by more than $8 billion a year (ADA, 2008).

Insulindependence is addressing these issues and the quality of life of thousands of individuals by improving the health of the Diabetes community through its various recreation programs. Unlike any other organization of its kind, iD empowers people with Diabetes by surrounding them with peers and role models who share their condition, while teaching them the value of communication through positive and challenging experiences, and encouraging them to embrace self-management through active living.

Insulindependence changes lives by offering real-world experiences to help individuals with Diabetes overcome challenges and fears. Program participants gain enhanced self-images, fresh life-perspectives, enduring friendships, and deeper self-understandings that lead to improved self-management of their disease. Ultimately, this affords a higher quality of life to individuals and society as a whole.

Filed Under: LADA, Members, Parents of D-Kids, Sports, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes Tagged With: CA, community, fitness, nonprofit, USA

Simon from the 70s

Simon Boots of Simon from the 70s
Type 1.5 Diabetes (LADA), 1997

“I am an Australian living with T1.5 Diabetes (LADA) and blog about the emotional issues attached to living with Diabetes.”

Simon from the 70s

I am a latecomer to Type 1.5 Diabetes. Initially misdiagnosed as Type 2 (in my early 20s) I spent a long period in denial until diminishing beta cells and failure to follow up lead to a raft of complications.

I began my blog as a way of sharing my story and my emotional battles with Diabetes both for personal benefit and in the hope that it might resonate and help others.

I have no formal medical training just a load of personal experience that comes from living every day with a chronic illness.

Filed Under: LADA, Members, Type 1 Diabetes Tagged With: Australia, blog

Team WILD

Mari Ruddy of Team WILD: Women Inspiring Life with Diabetes
Mari; Type 1 Diabetes, 1981

“WILD empowers women with Diabetes through athletics & cutting edge Diabetes education. We are national, virtual and open to women of all abilities.”

Team WILD

Mari Ruddy has successfully lived with Type 1 Diabetes for thirty years. However, since her father was diagnosed with Type 1 when she was 1 year old, technically, she has lived with Diabetes her entire life. Mari was diagnosed with Diabetes when she was sixteen. Her brother was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was twenty. When she was thirty nine, she found out she had breast cancer, for the first time. She then founded the Red Rider Recognition Program for cyclists with Diabetes now used at over eighty Tour de Cure events put on by the American Diabetes Association. When she realized most of the cyclists were men, she founded Team WILD: Women Inspiring Life with Diabetes, a fitness and wellness organization for women who want to take charge of their health. Mari has been a high school principal, a high school Spanish and Leadership teacher, a strategy consultant for small education and family wellness non-profits and is currently coaching education leaders at colleges, high schools and non-profits throughout the United States. She plans to do her first Ironman event in 2012.

Filed Under: LADA, Members, Sports, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Women with Diabetes Tagged With: community, education, fitness, USA

The Diabetes Resource

Gina Capone of The Diabetes Resource
Type 1 Diabetes, November 2000

“The Diabetes Resource is to be the largest and most in-depth global online directory for people with Diabetes and those who want to learn more about it.”

The Diabetes Resource

The Diabetes Resource is a comprehensive Diabetes directory covering every aspect of Diabetes, such as: medical professionals, Diabetes support groups, endocrinologists, blogs, camps, insurance resources, accessories as well as national Diabetes events, online monthly chats with experts and more.

Filed Under: LADA, Members, News & Analysis, Parents of D-Kids, Sports, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Women with Diabetes Tagged With: directory, events, news, USA

The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes

Sysy Morales of The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes, November 1994

“The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes seeks to empower women to live their best life with diabetes.”

The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes

The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes is written by Type 1 Diabetic, Sysy Morales with contributions from her Type 1 Diabetic sister, Ana Morales. Sysy is a wife, mother of twin toddlers, and a Diabetes Advocate and freelance writer. Ana is currently keeping busy as a second year studio art major at James Madison University. Their main goal is to help inspire and motivate others to take a proactive and empowered role in their Diabetes. They share their personal Diabetes journey, interview other diabetics, ask a lot of questions, and advocate on behalf of all people with Diabetes, especially women. They believe a positive attitude and a healthy emotional state are crucial to Diabetes management and they strive to speak openly about their experiences and highlight all of the wonderful things that can come out of a life lived with Diabetes.

Filed Under: LADA, Members, News & Analysis, Parents of D-Kids, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Women with Diabetes Tagged With: blog, USA, VA

The Odd Duck Out ._c-

Natalie Sera
Type 1.5 Diabetes, August 1992

“I’m a square peg in a round hole, so I’m always looking to learn as much as I can about all types of diabetes, and passing on tidbits of information, experiences, and relationships that it has brought into my life.”

The Odd Duck Out

When it was first suspected that I had diabetes in the fall of 1992, I was assigned to the Type 2 category because of my age (44) and the fact that I was a little overweight. But it soon became apparent that I did not fit the classic description. My cholesterol levels and blood pressure only became elevated when I started running high BGs, and I derived no benefit from losing 10% of my weight and exercising as I had been advised. By fall of 1993, I was uncomfortably symptomatic, and in December, was sent to an endo who put me on Glucotrol, a sulfonylurea, which did exactly nothing for my BGs. So I begged for insulin and started it in May 1994, and have not looked back since then. At this point, I’m using a pump, and it has given me my quality of life back. I’m also eating a reduced-carb diet, and getting wonderful results from it.

I have been involved in the Diabetes Online Community since before it started, beginning with the Usenet group, misc.health.diabetes in 1993, and the Lehigh list at the same time. A group led by Dr. Arturo Rolla of Harvard University broke away from that group, and is still going, and I’m still a member. In 2010, I found TuDiabetes, and have been active there ever since, and several people encouraged me to start a blog. I will admit that I’m a reactive rather than proactive writer, and so that tends to be the nature of my posting. On occasion, I will react to things that are not diabetes related, but the D will be the central theme of my blog. I’m always interested in new topics, and reader input is greatly welcomed!