Through Aliena having type 1 I have also met some wonderfully inspiring people, two of whom have written some very heartfelt articles which I found invaluable reading, both for myself, but also to show friends and relatives to help them understand what we, as a family, go through on a day-to-day basis. Please click on the links to read articles by both Justin Webb and Jacque Annesley.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/14/diabetes-type-1-health1
Books I found very helpful in understanding the condition are:
Type 1 Diabetes for People Who Don’t Have It
by Lisa Powell
Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents & Young Adults
by Dr Ragnar Hanas
Think Like a Pancreas – A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin
by Gary Scheiner
Kids First, Diabetes Second
by Leighann Calentine
Websites:
JDRF UK www.jdrf.org.uk
JDRF T1 Kidsac Support and information pack for children who are newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The handy drawstring bag contains Rufus, the bear with type 1 diabetes. Rufus has special felt patches on his test and injection sites. He has been a great friend to thousands of children with type 1 diabetes over the years. This pack also includes a handy type 1 reference folder to keep all the information and bits of paper that tend to come with a new diagnosis, JDRF information leaflets about living with type 1 diabetes, a handy pocket guide to give to friends and family and a copy of Type 1 Discovery magazine.
http://www.jdrf.org.uk/shop/products/t1-kidsac
Transition & Adult Type 1 Toolkit A free support and information pack for newly diagnosed adults. Also suitable for older teenagers during transition from paediatric care. The pack contains Straight to the Point: a guide for adults living with type 1 diabetes. This is a useful reference to help you keep on track and give you ideas for how to get the most out of life with type 1 diabetes. The pack also contains a Hypo Information Pack with a free pack of Dextro tablets; Type 1 Discovery – JDRF’s quarterly magazine, and a selection of JDRF leaflets including: Finding the Cure, Type 1 Diabetes – Your new diagnosis, and Understanding type 1 – A pocket guide.
http://www.jdrf.org.uk/shop/products/adult-type-1-toolkit
Children with Diabetes
Children with Diabetes UK Advocacy Group. They have a large online community of Facebook Groups and a Yahoo email and support group. They say the following,’ Having a child diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes can be a frightening experience. Join our group on Facebook which will put you in touch with other families who are raising children with diabetes. It is open to UK parents and carers who would like to discuss all of the personal and scientific aspects of this condition and how it affects their family’s lives. We aim to support families with newly diagnosed children or any families who wish to discuss raising a child with diabetes.’
http://www.childrenwithdiabetesuk.org/
INPUT
INPUT is a UK charity run by insulin pump users and their families with a mission to help people access diabetes technology and support from the NHS – including insulin pump therapy, smart glucose meters and continuous glucose monitoring. We can help you find out what’s available in the UK, if it might help you and how to access it.
http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/
Useful sites about type 1 page
https://www.jdrf.org.uk/life-with-type-1-diabetes/useful-sites-about-type-1-diabetes
NHS Choices – you can read more about type 1 diabetes
www.nhs.uk
NHS Direct
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) – Focus on diabetes
www.FocusOnDiabetes.nihr.ac.uk
Dr Foster – Health Service Finder
www.drfoster.co.uk/public.asp
Children with Diabetes
www.childrenwithdiabetes.com
Please note that this is a US website but you can join the UK mailing list through it.
Runsweet.com – Diabetes and Sport
www.runsweet.com
BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/21704103
Diabetes Stories
www.diabetes-stories.co.uk
Supporting children with diabetes
www.scd.uk.com
Talking T1 Primary School Pack
A pack for primary schools with information on managing type 1 diabetes in school, lesson plans and links to interactive material.
http://www.jdrf.org.uk/shop/products/talking-t1-primary-schools-pack
Talking T1 Secondary School Pack
A pack for secondary schools with information on managing type 1 diabetes in school, lesson plans and other materials.
http://www.jdrf.org.uk/shop/products/talking-t1-secondary-school-pack
Guidelines for schools, colleges and early years settings
A free (PDF download) 28-page guideline for schools, colleges and early years settings. Includes sections on: Roles and responsibilities; Insulin injections and pumps; Blood Glucose Monitoring; PE, Exercise and Diabetes, and much more.
http://www.jdrf.org.uk/shop/products/guidelines-for-schools-colleges-and-early-years-settings-e-book
What Friends Need to Know (leaflet)
A 16 page booklet introducing type 1 diabetes to friends of teenagers with the condition, produced in collaboration with young people with type 1 diabetes.
http://www.jdrf.org.uk/shop/products/t1-teens-what-friends-need-to-know-a5-
T1 Youth Ambassador Programme
If you are between 4 and 18 years old, sign up today to receive your free action pack and help make a noise about type 1 diabetes. Join our campaign to raise awareness and increase research funding to cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes. You will also receive a monthly e-newsletter and get invited to Youth Ambassador Action Days.
http://www.jdrft1.org.uk/landing.asp?section=198§ionTitle=T1+Youth+Ambassadors
T1 Discovery Days
T1 Discovery Days give you the chance to hear about the latest developments in type 1 diabetes research. These family friendly days are also a great opportunity to meet others affected by type 1 and share experiences. You’ll be able to hear from some of the country’s top type 1 diabetes researchers and clinicians, many of whom are funded by JDRF. Each presentation is followed by an opportunity for you to ask questions. The events also include inspirational speeches from people living with type 1.
https://www.jdrf.org.uk/research/research-events
Tinies, Tweenies & Teens
The T1 Kids website is packed with loads of information, blogs, advice and games for Tinies, Tweens and Teens with type 1.
https://www.jdrf.org.uk/life-with-type-1-diabetes/kids-stuff#
For Parents
https://www.jdrf.org.uk/life-with-type-1-diabetes/for-parents
For Teens
https://www.jdrf.org.uk/life-with-type-1-diabetes/teenagers
Treatments for type 1
https://www.jdrf.org.uk/life-with-type-1-diabetes/managing-type-1/treatments