T1D looks like me

Tandem t:slim trial part 1

Diabetes, Diabetes Dietitian, Exercise and diabetes

Tandem t:slim X2 with Control IQ has recently become a well known name in the Katie T1D household – and a bit of a tongue twister 😉 Hi friends! Remember about two months ago when my old-school Omnipod kicked the bucket? I was in a bit of a pickle, and it forced me to start figuring out alternate insulin pump options. Because I work in diabetes care, both Tandem and Medtronic offered me a trial of their automated insulin delivery (AID) systems. I was thrilled! And yes, I very much acknowledge my privilege. Tandem was first up. Tandem Trial – the preamble Honestly, I was impressed by some of Tandem’s outcomes. Ever since the AID pumps came onto the market, I had been somewhat dubious on how they would respond to my diabetes. This is an important component to consider. I’ve done extensive research into these systems over the years, […]

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Diabetes Awareness Month – let’s advocate

Diabetes, Diabetes Dietitian, Pregnancy in Diabetes, Registered Dietitian

Today is December 1st, which means we’ve just left the month of November – Diabetes Awareness Month. This post is a reflection on this year’s Diabetes Awareness Month, and the role that I – as a person with T1D, and as a person working in T1D – played in it. Diabetes Awareness Month: the preamble Two days before our diabetes month began, I shared a short story to a large group of T1D researchers and influencers on a day in the life of T1D – my T1D. I am a member of the Breakthrough T1D Lived Experience Advisory Group. And this presentation was part of the Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence annual meeting. For my part, I talked about how diabetes tech is amazing, super amazing … until it isn’t. This was the story of the day both my insulin pumps spontaneously combusted (okay, maybe it wasn’t quite that extreme,

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T1D community breaks down the discomforts of eating

Diabetes, Diabetes Dietitian, Registered Dietitian

Fact: T1D community is such an important thing for our overall T1D health. Hi friends! This post is long overdue. Way back in July, I presented at Connected in Motion’s Western Slipstream – an adult camp for us T1Ds that is all about community. The topic I explored with my fellow T1Ds was discomforts of eating in uncertain environments. This was my fourth year presenting at Slipstream. The first was virtual during Covid times; all others have been in person. Every year I go, I leave with my heart feeling so full. I am inspired, energized, reassured, and invigorated. I always leave with a mindset motivated to create more positive change for our community. And I always leave with a notebook full of new workshop topic ideas to further explore. You – my T1D peeps – do this 🙂 Slipstream: all about T1D community I love camp; seriously, I love

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Counselling in T1D care – why is this not more valued?

Diabetes Dietitian, Registered Dietitian

Did you know that diabetes is associated with increased mental health disorders? And yet, in Canada, many of our diabetes and endocrinology clinics do not have counselling services attached. Why is counselling in T1D care NOT more valued? This post explores: The very real mental health condition of diabetes distress and burnout, and the struggles that people with T1D navigate with diabetes distress And why I, as a healthcare professional and person with T1D, want to see counselling added to our diabetes clinics Diabetes mental health – the stats The American Diabetes Association defines diabetes distress as emotional distress that results from living with diabetes, and the burden of relentless daily self management. It includes feelings of stress, guilt, denial – all related to diabetes.  We have clear research that shows: 30% of young adults with type-1 diabetes have diabetes distress. (Friends, that does not go away with age) One

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T1D workshops: be the best T1D you can be

Diabetes Dietitian, Exercise and diabetes, Pregnancy in Diabetes, Registered Dietitian

Be the best T1D you can be! Over the next several months I will be hosting a series of T1D workshops to help you do just that 🙂 Hi friends! This is a short post just to inform you all of a unique opportunity for my T1D peeps. Why T1D Workshops As mentioned above, I have developed multiple workshops to explore all things T1D. When I went back to school, and switched careers from being a journalist to a registered dietitian, the impetus for it all was to create an abundance of resources for the T1D population. As a person with type-1 diabetes, I struggled to find adequate information to help me manage my own T1D.  There were tons of resources for people with type-2, and quite a bit for the pediatric T1D population, which is great, they deserve good information too, but there wasn’t a lot out there for

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