T1D Huddle

What do you pack in your emergency "go bag" for a 5-hour flight across Canada? Or just a weekend trip to Whistler? How do you find insulin when you are traveling abroad? Whatever the trip, it’s important to stay safe and be well-prepared. 

This edition of the Huddle will be led by Kim Lishman with a panel of well-traveled Huddlers including Janet Horn, Shauna Rainville, and Marianne Musclow (a former flight attendant for Air Canada). Altogether, these four women have traveled across the Lower Mainland and across the Globe. They will share their own personal "close call" stories as well as tips and strategies to ensure you arrive safe and sound to your destination and back.

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com

In this edition of the Huddle, Nadia Bruemmer will lead a discussion with a panel of Huddlers (Allyson Blake, Logan McLean, Francie Marceau, and Caleb Pope) who will share harrowing experiences, practical tips, and effective strategies when managing T1D while downhill and cross country skiing, skating, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and playing ice hockey.

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com

In the first section, Caleb Pope will be sharing her recipe for nut-free low-calorie Asian style noodles with tahini slaw and steamed vegetables- it will not only satisfy your tastebuds, but also keep your blood sugars under control! Fellow Huddlers will also be sharing their go-to low-carb recipe which will be compiled into a Huddle recipe book.

Afterwards, Phillip Powell, a member of our healthcare team, will deliver a 10-minute intro on low-carb dieting and then answer your questions about this topic!

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com

In the first section, Phil, a member of our healthcare team, also a registered nurse at VGH and St. Paul’s Hospital who has been living with diabetes for over twenty years, will be sharing his approach to intermittent fasting and how it has helped him minimize hypoglycemic episodes.

Afterwards, we will have a Q&A session with Katie, also a member of our healthcare team and a registered dietician who has lived with T1D for over thirty years to answer your questions about the topic.

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com

• Are you struggling with managing high blood sugars?
• Are you unsure about the best way to do bolus, correcting doses etc.?
• Have you wondered about how to improve your day-to-day management of diabetes?

These questions can all be answered by our guest expert Gerri Klein. Gerri is our resident diabetes nurse, who was named the Diabetes Nurse Educator of the Year by Diabetes Canada in 2020! With over two decades of experience as a Certified Diabetes Educator, Gerri has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the daily management of diabetes—from controlling blood sugars to adapting nutrition, exercise, medications, and stress.

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com

• Have you been trying to trying to lose weight but feel like you are not making any progress?
• Are you frustrated with weight changes associated with the COVID pandemic?
• Are you looking for strategies for rotating your injection sites?

These questions can all be answered by our guest expert Dr. Jordanna Kapeluto. Dr. Kapeluto is an endocrinologist and Clinical Assistant Professor at UBC who specializes in Obesity Medicine and Bariatric Surgery. The second half will be a discussion led by two of our Huddle members, Julie Larsen and Caleb Pope who will share their personal stories about lipohypertrophy and eating distress.

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com

The first half of this session will be a Q&A facilitated by Dr. Suren Sanmugasunderam, a cataract and refractive eye surgeon who is also a clinical professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at UBC. He has also previously served as a former president of the BC Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. He will be addressing a range of question on eye care such as how blood sugar and blood pressure impact vision health, important signs of retinopathy to monitor for, laser eye surgery as a treatment and many more!

In the second half, Allyson Blake and Sheryl Straza, members of our Huddle community will lead a discussion on sharing their personal experiences living with retinopathy. It is sure to be an eye-opening conversation!

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com

Our guest experts, Katie Bartel and Callum Leong will be answering you questions about positive T1D diet and exercise habits. Katie is a registered dietitian who has had T1D for over 30 years. She loves to exercise and compete in races, and she is an avid runner, cyclist and hiker. She works with all aspects of T1D and has a passion for T1D and sport, T1D and disordered eating, and T1D and pregnancy. Callum is a certified fitness coach who has had T1D for over 8 years. After achieving better diabetes management through exercise and nutrition, he started competing as a bodybuilder and eventually became a fitness coach to help others find success with their personal fitness goals.

Some topics covered in this session: how to avoid glucose spikes and crashes, the interplay between insulin and exercise, different types of diets, good post-workout foods, and effective exercise regimens.

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com

Our guest endocrinologist, Dr. Akshay Jain, will be answering your questions about T1D technology, devices, and the latest scientific research. Dr. Jain is the first Canadian physician to be triple board-certified by the American Boards in Endocrinology, Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. He is also the past president of the Canadian Chapter of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. In 2020, he became the only non-American physician to feature on Medscape’s list of 25 Top Rising Stars of Medicine.

Dr. Jain is a renowned educator and has spoken at over 700 medical conferences/events across the world to date! His clinical interests include diabetes, obesity, thyroid disorders and osteoporosis. He is also fluent in 6 languages including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Marwari and Urdu. Join us for this Huddle to hear from Dr. Jain on topics around T1D teach such as T1D device coverage, CGM usage, and looping techniques.

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com

Last November 2020, Dexcom invited Dr. Tang to talk with employers and benefits counsellors in British Columbia about mental health and diabetes: the key to optimizing productivity in the workplace. Sixty-one Huddle members completed surveys to "equip" Dr. Tang with the data needed to lobby for better coverage. Join our March 3rd Huddle to hear how your survey responses help Dr. Tang to improve employee health care benefits!

Over 18 and interested in sharing your experiences living with type 1? Register to attend a live huddle at www.t1dhuddle.com