Empowering People with Diabetes Through Education

Thanks to the generosity of a Canadian donor, Myriad Canada is working with the diaTribe Foundation to expand its online reach into the diabetes community and help those living with diabetes live better lives.

Diabetes is a serious and life-altering disease, and one of the greatest public health challenges our world is facing. Estimates are that upwards of 650 million adults globally will have diabetes by 2040.

The diaTribe Foundation is committed to helping people with diabetes live happier, healthier, and more hopeful lives through the diaTribe Learn publication, where education leads to empowerment. The diaTribe Foundation writes and shares articles on a wide variety of topics – from the latest on diabetes technology and medicines, to navigating complications, to tips on food and exercise and even information on clinical trials that people can enroll in.

From Frustration to Encouragement

Christy McKnight: “I now have the energy to live my life and face the day-to-day challenges of having diabetes. I have the knowledge to control my blood sugar – instead of my blood sugar controlling my life.”

Living with diabetes can leave people feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. “After 27 years with adult-onset type 1 diabetes, I was burned out and frustrated with getting negative feedback, despite my efforts to manage my blood sugar. Even with wearing an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor, following my endocrinologist’s instructions, monitoring my diet, and exercising several times a week, I was not making progress. I was tired, exhausted, and frankly mad,” said Christy McKnight, a diaTribe reader.

This year, Christy decided it was time to take a more proactive approach. She started to seek reliable information to answer what felt like a ‘mountain of unknowns’. diaTribe and its online diabetes community helped her set a concrete course of action to work towards her goals. “These were eye-opening,” Christy said, “and expanded my ability to take care of myself.” 

Rising to the Challenge

Kristyn Bogli: “There is no one-size-fits-all. It is ok for our needs to evolve”.

“Living with diabetes was feeling like a tremendous burden,” Kristyn Bogli explained. “It was unrelenting and impacting seemingly every aspect of my life. Feelings of frustration, aggravation, and resentment grew with every alarm from my continuous glucose monitor, insulin pump site change and low treatment.”

Recognizing the signs of early diabetes burn out, Kristyn turned to diaTribe and the online diabetes community for encouragement. Reading and hearing the real-life stories of others inspired her to change her treatment options. “I gained the courage to try something new! This benefitted my mental health with no negative impact to my diabetes management.” 

Research shows that one-on-one conversations and education are among the most effective strategies to help shift people’s thinking and keep them from making assumptions that lead to stigma. diaTribe encourages its members to share their stories to create a tapestry of experiences that paints a more accurate picture of what living with diabetes is – and can be.

For more information on the diaTribe Foundation, visit their website at http://diatribe.org