Following in the wake Black Mirror’s multiple-choice “Bandersnatch” epsisode this article, while ostensibly about cycling and diabetes, allows you to “pick” which of the article threads you would like to follow. Some people like bikes, some people like diabetes, some people like both; the choice and your destiny is in your hands! Let’s start with… Read More » The post Cycling and diabetes – “Bandersnatch” edition first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more

Back in February I became at least 10% more cyborg with the addition of a spanky, new Libre to my arm. After two weeks of using it, I wrote up my thoughts divided into the good stuff and the bad stuff. It’s now been ten months (give or take a week or so either way)… Read More » The post Living with the Libre – 10 months on first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more

Jade Byrne is a professional actor who has toured with Northern Stage Company, Company of Angels and Open Clasp Theatre Company. You’ll also know her from TV roles including those in Casualty, Inspector George Gently, The Dumping Ground and Mount Pleasant. She also has wonky-pancreas. Jade is currently starting a run at the Edinburgh Fringe… Read More » The post Interview: Jade Byrne first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more

Regular readers of your soaraway Shoot Up will know that I – Pippa the Polecat – put up a new poll asking for your views about different aspects of living with diabetes on a very regular, scheduled monthly basis. Anyone who says that Tim (sorry, Pippa!) forgets about the poll, can’t think of a new… Read More » The post Poll: what’s your favourite hypo cure? first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more

To understand why #languagematters when we #talkaboutdiabetes we only have to look at what diabetes would be like if it was managed by Disney, that all encompassing factory of magical happiness. If Disney did diabetes… My pump would wake me up in the morning with a cheery blast of Zip-a-de-doo-dah I wouldn’t be high, I’d be… Read More » The post Revisiting: If Disney did diabetes first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more

It’s not always easy to #talkaboutdiabetes. When you’re a pregnant diabetic trying to gather as much information as possible #languagematters and it can all feel like a bit of a challenge. (This harks back to Alison’s pregnancy in 2013, she isn’t pregnant again, the world isn’t ready for that!). Whatever medical condition I have I… Read More » The post Revisiting: Difficult conversations first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more

It seems Diabetes Week 2018 has hit upon the soapbox I’ve been jumping up and down on for years: #languagematters when you #talkaboutdiabetes. And while ShootUp has plenty of serious posts on the topic, we believe in being helpful too. So, when Alison was asked for the hundredth time that unanswerable question of “How’s your diabetes?”, she pondered how best to… Read More » The post Revisiting: How is your diabetes? first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more

Shoot Up is never knowingly on trend. Its not really our style. But 5 years ago Alison penned a post that is at last relevant – Diabetes Week 2018 is all about the power of language in diabetes care. And that was exactly the point she made as a pregnant diabetic back in 2013. Recycling is fashionable,… Read More » The post Five years on: Words are still dangerous things first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more

Living in Scotland, like I have done for the last twenty years, has many downsides. The weather is consistently crap, the winters are dark and the accents are, sometimes, impenetrable. However, there are also many upsides. The landscape is wonderful, the people lovely and you get to develop a healthy chip on your shoulder about… Read More » The post My diabetes story in a single graph first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more

Shoot Up’s second favourite Scottish wonky-pancreas-supporters, the Edinburgh Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes have launched a handy new “quiz” for Libre users. I’ve put “quiz” in inverted commas because, of course, there’s no such thing as correct answer where diabetes is concerned. But that said, the ECED have put together a rather neat way of… Read More » The post ECED launches Libre quiz first appeared on Shoot Up or Put Up ..read more