News
Our 2010 events programme has got off to a great start. In March we held a support evening for adults with diabetes and their partners called 'Sharing Diabetes'. We had a really good turn out for this event and those that attended got the chance, not only to talk about having diabetes or living with somebody with diabetes, but also to listen to others in the 'same boat'. With a combination of people with both Type 1 and Type 2, some who have had the condition for many years and some who have recently been diagnosed, lots of different issues were raised and the feedback session was very positive. We hope that if you attended you found the evening worthwhile.
Our first Family Support Group meeting of the year took place on Monday 26 April and it was lovely to see some new faces. We really hope you find these evenings helpful and informative and with such a lot happening at Russells Hall children's clinic and some of the children starting insulin pump therapy it would be great to hear some of your views on the latest developments.
In May we had our quiz night; professional quizmaster Russ Johnson delivered the questions and everyone had a great night! The evening, held at the Kingswinford School, saw winning team Team Bee pick up a £50.00 cash prize- well done to them!
At our AGM in October last year, the Group were pleased to be able to make a substantial donation to three, West Midlands based, Diabetes UK research projects. Audience members were asked to vote for the project that they would most like to see the money go to on a first, second and third place basis and the money was split between the following projects:
1) Characterisation and function of ectopic proinsulin expression- University of Birmingham- £3,000
2) Mechanism of increased renal clearance of thiamine in hyperglycaemia- Warwick Medical School- £2,000
3) Fear of hypoglycaemia in childhood diabetes- University Hospital- Walsgrave Campus- £1,000
A total of £6,000 was donated and the cheque was presented to Peter Shorrick, Regional Manager of Diabetes UK for the Midlands, who has passed the relevant amounts on to the projects. If you would like any further information about our 'adopted' projects please click on our link to Diabetes UK and go to the research section.
Thank you to everyone who has helped with our fundraising this year as this has allowed us to make this donation and thanks to all those who voted at the AGM.
Also at the AGM, we were delighted to welcome four new members who will be representing adults with diabetes on the committee; Adrian Raine, Andy Miles, Andy Perks and Simon Hanson. We are still looking for type 2 adults to join the committee so if you, or anyone you know would like to join, please let one of our committee members know by calling our Group mobile on 07985 788123 or email us on info@diabetes-stourbridgeanddudley.com
With research high on the Group's agenda we were fortunate to have Katherine Woods, Research Communications Officer for Diabetes UK, join us on 24 September to talk about research developments in type 1 and 2 diabetes. Katherine spoke about the types of research funded by Diabetes UK and gave us an insight into how research projects are assessed and how decisions are made on which ones to fund. Katherine advised that in 2009 Diabetes UK aim to spend £6M on research and currently have over 130 ongoing projects; some recently funded ones include Charcot Foot, Gums and Glucose and Testing for Type 1 in Children, as well as recent research results in Skin Wound Healing in Type 2 and the Artificial Pancreas- Closing the Loop. Altogether it was a very interesting evening and hopefully gave our audience some insight into current developments in diabetes research. If you weren't able to make it to the meeting or if you would like further advice on research go to www.diabetes.org.uk/research.
We are also on the hunt for volunteers to assist with the Structured Education Events for newly diagnosed Type 2 adults. These events are run by the Diabetes Specialist Team from Netherton Health Centre and the volunteers would just be there to meet and greet and show people where to go for refreshments. If you feel that you could help out on any of the following dates at any of the following places, please contact Pat Curchill on 0121 422 6334:
9 Oct 2009- Sainsburys, Withymoor
13 Nov 2009- Sainsburys, Withymoor
10 Feb 2010- Asda, Halesowen
12 Mar 2010- Tesco, Dudley
12 May 2010- Asda, Halesowen
11 Aug 2010- Asda, Halesowen
10 Nov 2010- Asda, Halesowen
In Family Support Group News, you may remember we recently told you about the new HbA1c test being introduced in the children's clinic. Well, despite a short delay, the new testing system is now ready to launch, so expect to receive explanatory guidelines at your next clinic visit.
The insulin pumps, which were expected to be introduced during the summer, have also been unexpectedly delayed due to some funding issues, much to the disappointment of the medical team. However, they have done their best to ensure that the 'purse holders' have all the information they need to finally rubber stamp everything, so we expect to have the first 'pumpers' in the New Year, if not before.
Also, please be aware that the Adolescent Clinic has very limited spaces, so if you are unable to attend please give as much notice as possible so that your appointment may be offered to someone else. If you fail to attend, then it is likely that your next appointment will be allocated back at the Children's clinic. The Adolescent Clinic is still relatively new, and it needs your continued support in order to run successfully.