Friday is fast approaching, folks. Don’t forget to fetch your fresh Fiasp prescription, Australian friends! (A reminder: to continue to obtain Fiasp at the PBS cost, you need a prescription dated BEFORE 1 April ..read more

Hey, do you remember a couple of weeks ago when it was International Women’s Day and women got a cupcake (probably baked by a women) and a breakfast (probable organised by a woman) and then we all agreed that gender equality didn’t need to be spoken about for another year?  Look, I know I sound cynical. But that’s only because I am. Every year at Diabetogenic, I write a post celebrating the incredible women working in diabetes. Mostly I centre diabetes advocates who are generally donating their time – and emotional labour – to power advocacy efforts and make change. And if you look back a ..read more

I’m not alone in being fascinated by artificial intelligence and how it can be used in day-to-day life, including day-to-day life with diabetes. Every day there is more and more published about how it can be applied in healthcare and there’s a lot to be excited about. Of course, it has its limitations. When I asked ChatGPT to manage my diabetes for the day, the response I got was disappointing: I’m sorry, but as an AI language model, I’m not capable of managing your type 1 diabetes or any other medical conditions. Please note that managing diabetes requires careful monitoring of blood sugar le ..read more

Four weeks. That’s about how long ago it was that the first murmurings of Fiasp being withdrawn from the PBS were heard in the Australian diabetes community. It’s been a pretty wild ride in those four weeks, hasn’t it? I never should be surprised at the dedication and never-say-die attitude of diabetes communities, but what we saw from the Australian community was next level! And it went beyond that, with Aussie advocates rallying our friends from overseas (hello #dedoc° Voices!) to amplify our efforts here.  And today, news of a reprieve. Fiasp would be available on the PBS for another 6 ..read more

Is it really all that radical an idea to suggest that there is no one size fits all when it comes to people with diabetes and what they choose to eat? Surely any reasonably minded person would say that no one should be forced to follow a specific diet, in much the same way as no one should be told which diabetes tech they must use.  But in the last couple of weeks, and after a couple of different incidents, I’m realising that reasonable doesn’t play into the attitudes of many people when it comes to what can only be termed as diet wars. I don’t bait anyone with tweets about food. I really ..read more

I’ve just returned from Berlin, where I attended the ATTD Conference for a week of super busy meetings, information gathering, collaborations and advocacy. At every turn, people with diabetes (many attending after being awarded a #dedoc° voices scholarship) were discussing how community advocacy is key to driving change. I heard about remarkable efforts from people across the globe who are genuinely improving the lives of people with diabetes in their part of the world. And when anyone had a question, or asked for advice, people were only too happy to offer and share. Right now, if you’re in A ..read more

Like clockwork, the beginning of February heralded a sea of red in every retail store, with cutesy cupid motives and love hearts adorning shop windows. Valentine’s Day was the next big merchandising opportunity and, friends, it’s time to buy up. At the same time, the diabetes community also starts to be sprinkled with red – this time red roses. Because once again, it’s time for Spare a Rose, Save a Life. It’s the complete opposite of consumer culture. And it’s something that is very close to my heart.  This year marks ten years since Spare a Rose was first launched by a group of diabetes ..read more

Manhattan’s East 41st Street is Library Way. Patience and Fortitude, the grand lions that stand guard outside the New York Public Library gaze down the street, keeping an eye on people hurrying by, and those who stop to admire the beautiful and imposing building. Library Way is paved with bronze plaques engraved with literary quotes. I’ve walked the street between 5th and Park avenues a number of times, just to read the inscriptions. The other day, as I hurried home to our apartment, this plaque caught my eye: I stopped, made sure I wasn’t blocking any one’s way (lest I attract the wrath of F ..read more

I don’t know when it was that I decided that I wasn’t fighting diabetes anymore. Maybe it had something to do with paying more attention to language and words, or maybe it was just accepting that no matter what the strategy, no matter how much I fight, diabetes is there.  Everywhere I turn in the diabetes world, I see words that invoke battle. It is, quite frankly, exhausting. We use terms like warrior, fighter and army and challenger. We are urged to fight the good fight and battle to beat everything diabetes throws at us.  But if this is a war, I was enlisted with no option of bein ..read more

When I look back over 2022, it’s been a year of remarkable highs. From improved access to diabetes tech in Australia, extraordinary community alliances for initiatives such as spare a rose for Ukraine, and community-based activities reaching new heights, I feel that I can say goodbye to the year feeling that big things happened! And so, a little Interweb Jumble of this year’s highs. As well as some endings and new beginnings… Tech access in Australia After almost fifteen years of advocacy, Australians could celebrate with the introduction of CGM for all people with type 1 diabetes in what must ..read more