Thanks to this fabulous diabetes blogger, I heard about the first ever conference specifically for women with diabetes. It was subsidized by many companies, so the cost was only $100 for two full days of workshops, a night at the Marriott in Raleigh, NC, and three meals. I e-mailed the only other type 1 diabetic woman I know, and she agreed to come with me. We drove to Raleigh with her husband, also a Nathan, just before finals week at school and had such a great time.
It was so cool during that first meal to hear all of the sounds that I'm only used to hearing coming from me - the lancets poking, the meters testing, the pumps pumping. For the first few hours, every stray beep made me look down at my pump to see what was wrong. After a while I was able to distinguish between different brands and models of equipment ("I think that was a Minimed/Omnipod/Animas/Ultralink meter/CGM/pump" etc.). The best part of the whole weekend for me was just sitting around talking to the women around me and hearing their stories. I felt so blessed to be able to have been there for the landmark event.
Here is Jamie, me, and Tanya, who we met at the conference.
Okay, I have to admit that a highlight of the conference for me was getting to wear Nicole Johnson's Miss America crown. She reigned in 1999 and also has type 1 diabetes.
You may be wondering what will happen with my diabetes care when we move to England. Well, I hope to continue doing what I've been doing, but we'll have to wait and see. I definitely won't get my choice as far as doctors are concerned, but I plan on self-advocating heavily to make sure I can keep my current routine (same supplies, pump, etc.) Today I found and joined two internet groups for people with diabetes in the UK. One is very official and the other is a little more irreverent. Feel free to click on the links to check them out.
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