We’re taking the month of December to take a look back at the past year living with diabetes. Last week’s question: What has been your biggest diabetes challenge over the past year?
This week’s question: What tools helped the most in getting through your biggest diabetes challenge?
Responses: There were just a few responses this week, but everyone who did respond said variations of the same: peer support has been the biggest tool in dealing with the challenges that present with diabetes. Jen said that staying motivated has been a major challenge for her and “it was TOTALLY this [Connected in Motion] community that has kept me going!” Jaime-Lee said community was important to her too, but in the form of ‘support groups where people talk about the exact same things I’m going through… makes me know and feel I’m not alone!” While, Twitter friend @scanloe mention that her most helpful tool in dealing with challenges are “the virtual tools that connect me to a community,” specifically the diabetes online community (#doc) and the Twitter chats (under #dsma) and network coordinated by the Diabetes Social Media Advocacy group.
Virtue’s Take: I honestly thought there would be more talk of some of the actual tools people use to manage diabetes, like maybe about new meters or continuous glucose monitors helping people figure stuff out… But now that I think about it, it totally makes sense that community would be so important to people in getting through diabetes challenges. Tools can help you know where your blood glucose levels are at, or help with medications/insulin, but if you’re frustrated by those numbers or you are feeling overwhelmed… well, those tools don’t come with encouragement and helping hands. Personally, I found it hard to find a diabetes community a first. It was just by accident, online, that it happened. Have people found that peer-based social and emotional support was readily available to them? If not, do people have ideas of how this might be changed?
If you are interested in checking out some of the online chats and podcasts organized by Diabetes Social Media Advocacy, you can have a look at their website here, and follow them (@DiabetesSocMed) on twitter. Their general chat is every Wednesday night at 9pm EST.
