Description

Welcome to Episode 26 of 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened'!

With listeners in 24 countries, this Episode is brought to you in support of diabetes awareness and care by the CDE Online Pharmacy (https://cdeonline.co.za/), the online store of choice for people living with diabetes.

If you're living with diabetes or a health professional that facilitates diabetes care, you're in the right place!

Join our journey, as we grow together in understanding, insight, and self-awareness to change lives for the better. Our deliberations are always honest, challenging and thought provoking. Nothing is off the table as we discuss real people, their real issues and stories, and together discover real answers to many vexing practical issues in diabetes and its care.

This week, Stan and Michael remind listeners that we often see a rise in new cases of type 1 diabetes in spring – don’t ignore or mistake those classic osmotic symptoms to prevent a possible slide to diabetic ketoacidosis! We discuss the high prevalence of retinopathy in diabetes and encourage annual retinal screening in all people with diabetes, both to avoid future vision loss and a paired risk of cognitive decline/dementia seen with any visual impairment. We also look at the outcomes of gastric bypass surgery vs. best medical care for type 2 diabetes management and possible remission.

Our studio guest this week reinforces the fact that diabetes should not stop anyone from achieving their life ambitions – we welcome an ambassador for diabetes and South Africa, Carol-Ann Lowe. While ‘paying her dues’ and living with type 1 diabetes in Dubai, Carol-Ann is already a seasoned traveler, and is building a future as a ‘Content creator’ / ‘Luxury advisor’.

With wisdom beyond her years, Carol-Ann shares

• How, with her school community service skills, she ended up with a post-Matric job offer at Atlantis, The Palm Resort in Dubai.
• Her medical preparations to move to Dubai
• Struggles with home sickness, anxiety and emotional eating
• Learning to manage diabetes working outside in intense heat
• Her career path to date, skills gained and the successes and challenges of each position
• Her studies in tourism and future career plans
• Her challenging experiences of transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care, finding a new diabetes care team, taking over her self-care, and ‘finding herself’ in the process
• The fear of out-of-range blood glucose readings and the ‘lifesaving’ benefits of continuous glucose monitoring
• Her thoughts on mental health and diabetes, and the need for family and friend support
• Concerns of many women with diabetes - ‘finding your happiness’
• Her passion for and investment in travel and life experiences and lessons learned
• Her journey to developing her incredible Instagram presence (travelwithcarolann)
• The story of that giraffe…
• Being a light to inspire parents of children with type 1 diabetes

In our next Community Advocacy Message, Kirsten de Klerk from SA Diabetes Advocacy reminds listeners of one of their projects addressing some of the biggest issues faced by people living with diabetes – short-term use of continuous glucose monitoring in people with type 2 diabetes.

Please participate in our listener polls and questions below!

We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, suggestions, comments or contributions for future episodes, or if you'd like to advertise on this podcast, email us @ Podcast@CDEDiabetes.co.za

For health professionals working in diabetes

The CDE Academy Foundation Course in Diabetes Care for Health Professionals is a real-world-applicable online learning experience at one’s own pace. Access it 24/7/365 & earn 30 CPD points: https://academy.cdeonline.co.za/

Learna/University of South Wales offer a one-year, online, part-time, distance learning Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes Care. Sign up for a second year to earn an MSc in Diabetes. Gain a competitive edge and enhance your client care! Register @ ⁠https://www.diploma-msc.com/p/diploma-in-diabetes⁠