The T2D Podcast - Diabetes Wrap-up

This is the  final episode in the T2D Podcast.......... for now

I hope that it has been of help to you in managing your health and type two diabetes. Thank you  to everyone who helped in the study; answered questionnaires, gave interviews and sent lovely emails, I am so grateful.
In this episode, I will be sharing what I have learned  about type two diabetes, its causes and how to treat it. The most important thing that I have learned is that it is up to every one of us to arm ourselves with the most up to date information to take charge of our own health; and be our own expert.
If you know anyone who would benefit from this podcast or the information below, please do pass it on .

Resources
1.     Book a place on a free type 2 diabetes support course  www.hse.ie/diabetescourses
Video of people living with diabetes who attended a course -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9JTnUiDy7Q
Video with HSE staff, dietitian Michelle & nurse Una - what the courses are about - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQHRfl3tJg4&t=5s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoqY2OvisdY

2.     Register with Diabetic Retina Screen www.diabeticretinascreen.ie or call 185045 4550 

3.     Get the long term illness card if taking diabetes medicines to  get them free of charge   https://www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/lti/apply/ or locall 0818 224478

4.    Diabetes Ireland's free online education course - Diabetes SMART www.diabeteseducation.ie

5.   Help to prepare for your appointments – 
HSE ‘It’s Safer to Ask’ booklet.   https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/type-2-diabetes/living-with/health-problems/
NEW HSE  leaflet  https://assets.hse.ie/media/documents/FINAL_WPSD_LEAFLET_22.08.2023_Approved.pdf Short video clip -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIIpUxI3-Xc

6.     Trusted websites for more info – www.hse.ie/diabetes &  www.diabetes.ie

Mental Health Supports
Samaritans - www.samaritans.ie - anytime for a chat. Freecall 116 123 anytime. Email - jo@samaritans.org
Suicide or Survive - https://suicideorsurvive.ie/ - Wellness workshops & courses
HSE support www.yourmentalhealth.ie . Text HELLO to 50808, anytime
Turn2Me - https://turn2me.ie/. One-to-one counselling and group on-line courses.

If you have any questions about the information contained in podcast or would like a transcript of any of the episodes, please get in touch with me via the following email address: olivia.crinion2@mail.dcu.ie.

Ethics approval has been granted by DCU for this study.

If participants have concerns about this study and wish to contact an independent person, please contact:

The Chair, DCU Humanities & Social Science Faculty Research Ethics Committee, c/o Dublin City University, Dublin 9. Tel 01-7008000, e-mail hss-frec@dcu.ie

Transcript

The T2D Wrap- up

Podcast – Saturday 9th September 2023

SPEAKERS

Course attendee 2, Course attendee 1, Olivia C

Olivia C  00:00

Hello, and welcome to the last episode in the T 2 D podcast ......for now. 

Olivia C  00:06

As you know, this podcast was part of a dissertation to complete a master's degree in DCU, in science and health communication, and my deadline is upon me. You will have noticed that the patient-led has been taken out of the title of the podcast due to your feedback in relation to its use. I'd like to apologise if it caused offence, it was there to reflect your involvement in the creation of the project. 

Olivia C  00:34

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to fill out the questionnaires, which gave me the questions to ask the diabetes experts thanks to those who listened to the podcast and gave feedback and to those who sent me lovely emails. Especially thanks has to go to those who agreed to be interviewed to Sinead Powell from Diabetes Ireland, Professor Dermot Smith, consultant endocrinologist in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, and Professor Derrick O'Keefe, the clinical lead for the National Clinical programme for diabetes in Ireland. And biggest thanks has to go to Jimmy and Tatiana, who are living with type two diabetes and agreed to share their experiences with us. Also, thank you to the HSE staff who gave their time to talk to me and educate me on diabetes services in Ireland. 

Olivia C  01:25

However, this is not just a project for a college course, I really hope that it can grow to be an informational resource for everyone living with type two diabetes are working in the area. The main thing I've learned is the importance of looking after your own health for everybody, but especially people with type two diabetes. We all need to recognise that we are the most important people when it comes to taking good care of ourselves and our own health, which is now referred to as self care or self management. We need to become the experts in our own lives to begin to learn and understand some of the choices we make each day affect our health and our diabetes. The different medical professionals such as the doctor, practice nurse, dietitian diabetes nurse, their job is to guide and support and offer time and checkups of your health and diabetes during the year, to help you create the best self management plan for you. These appointments are so important. So if you do miss one, please reschedule. They also offer a chance for you to refocus on yourself and offer you help to find a new way forward if other issues have arisen, or if you're feeling overwhelmed about caring for your diabetes. Taking good care of ourselves by self management is truly powerful to treat conditions like type two diabetes. By staying in good health, we can then live our lives to full and enjoy it with others. 

Olivia C  02:58

The podcast was all about questions, your questions, and I hope that some of them were answered by diabetes experts. But of course you want more answers. A really good place to start getting those answers is by attending one of the free diabetes support courses that the HSE and Diabetes Ireland offer. You can do group courses. They're now in person or online, and they are free for everyone with type two diabetes with or without a medical card. The courses are for people who have been newly diagnosed and also for those who have been living with type two diabetes for some time, as the information is constantly updated. You're also welcome to bring a family member or carer or friend if you would find that helpful. The courses are delivered by dietitians and nurses in the local community, in community venues or online, you get to meet other people living with type two diabetes and have a safe space to learn all about how to treat and manage it, what to eat, moving more, sitting less, minding your mental health, trying to stop smoking and being aware of how alcohol affects health and diabetes. You can get all your questions answered and also learn about other services that you're now entitled to, like the long term iillness card to help cover the costs of diabetes medicines, how to get your free diabetes, eye check called diabetic retina screen and much more. Here are the reactions of some of the people who attended one of the HSE courses

Course attendee 1  04:38

before now I didn't know anything at all about I was like a rabbit in a headlight. So when she put me forward for the course then you sent me a pack has become my Bible. I find it very, very good.

Olivia C  04:53

And of course the people on the courses are the ones who are living with diabetes and they are the ones who can help each other,

Course attendee 1  05:00

listening to other people on the course, and asking questions, you get all the tips. And you know the different suggestions and it's very, very good that way, and to realise that you're not on your own.

Olivia C  05:12

So if you want to do something to help yourself, become the expert at caring for your diabetes and help you gain confidence, dealing with different health professionals, sign up for a course near you by asking your doctor to refer you or you can book your own place by going to the website www.hse.ie. forward slash diabetes courses and fill out a form there. If you are uncertain if group courses are for you, the diabetes team say "give it a go". You can always ask for a dietitian appointment if you need it. The interesting thing is, most people who go to a group tend to stay, and  people who have participated in them have described courses as supportive, encouraging, eye opening, informative, and most importantly, enjoyable. 

Olivia C  06:04

You raised a lot of questions about diet and nutrition. You know, there's a link between diabetes and obesity. And many of you want to address this but are confused about what to eat and what not to eat. Sinead Powell from Diabetes Ireland said, it's about healthy eating, there is no one specific diet that will suit everyone. It's about building healthy habits. And there is a lot of help available from the HSE and Diabetes Ireland in relation to nutrition. The diabetes support courses can also help with diet and nutrition.

Course attendee 2  06:40

I was in total shock when my doctor said that I was on borderline diabetes, I was delighted to be invited onto the course. It shows you what you should eat, what you should do, the exercise you should do. They're very helpful at the meetings. Since I've joined. I've also lost weight, I've lost four kilos. I was wiith my doctor recently. And he was very pleased with that. And I was too.

Olivia C  07:06

There's a lot of interest in low carbohydrate diets at the moment, which is starting to show promise as an option for some people in the treatment of type two diabetes. And it's something you can explore for yourself or with your health care professional. It really helps to learn more about the carbohydrate foods that affect blood glucose, and how to eat them in amounts that keep blood glucose at healthier levels. The HSE website has a section on what to eat when you have type two diabetes and also have a booklet that you can download. The booklet has been translated into 11 other languages to support people for whom English is not their first language. So the website is www.hse.ie forward slash diabetes, then go to living with type two diabetes and then to eating healthy. If you would like your own paper copy, you can order a copy from www dot health promotion dot ie and you can find it under the topic diabetes. If you have not seen a dietitian and you would like to, you can ask your GP if you can be referred to one HSE dieticians are free. I have been talking to the HSE diabetes team and have been told that it is a very exciting time that there currently is so much investment in diabetes services, and dietitians and nurses all around the country that should really make a difference in the lives of people with type two diabetes. 

Olivia C  08:42

There is no one plan fits all here. We're all different with different lives, needs and resources. In terms of type two diabetes, it will benefit you to arm yourself with the most up to date information on diabetes so you can take charge of it. What is clear is the way we live our lives in Ireland over the past 30 to 40 years has changed. This has contributed to more people developing type two diabetes. The same is happening in other countries, our activity levels have changed greatly. We are not as active as we were. Many of us sit for long periods, commuting or in our work. The food available to us has changed. Some of us cook less at home, eat a lot more processed food and it can be hard to truly know what we are taking in. All of this can affect our health and contribute to gaining unhealthy levels of body fat. The extra body fat, especially if it is around the middle can go to the organs, the pancreas and the liver and upset how they operate. And this can cause and contribute to type two diabetes for many people. Many of us had not realised the effects of these changes to our health until we develop type two diabetes. 

Olivia C  09:59

Having a family history can increase our personal risk of developing type two diabetes. So it is important to know our family history and try to live as healthily as possible. If we realise our lives have become less active, or our food intake is not as healthy as we might like, and we have gained weight in recent years, it can be helpful to discuss things with our doctor and have a weight check and blood tests for type two diabetes. Diabetes is a serious condition if it's not looked after, but it is treatable and for some preventable and can be put into remission with changes to our food, movement and waste and creating our own self management plan. If diabetes is not adequately treated, or goes undetected for some time before diagnosis, unfortunately, some people may develop other health problems due to diabetes for example, problems with eyes the nerves, kidneys, and liver. The questionnaire that you completed for this study shows that a lot of you are aware of these possible health problems already, especially possible damage to eyes and feet. The most important way to catch and fix a health problem is to detect it and then treat it and that is why your diabetes appointments are so important, never to miss. Always follow your doctor or nurse advice about when to return for an appointment. The good news in Ireland is that there is a dedicated service available for all people with diabetes, to monitor and check the eyes for any possible problems caused by diabetes. The service is called diabetic retina screen. Make sure if you have diabetes, that you are registered to attend the service, discuss with your doctor or call 1800 4545 55 or visit www dot diabetic retina. screen.ie. Also make sure to have your feet checked at least once a year with your nurse or doctor. And if you have any concerns about your feet, always discuss them with your doctor. 

Olivia C  12:09

So what's important is early diagnosis and then when a person has a confirmed diagnosis to make sure to participate in regular checkups to reduce the risk of developing potential health problems. So the good news for type two diabetes is that it's not a progressive long term condition that it once was thought to be. With lifestyle changes, it is possible to put it into remission for some, especially the sooner it is diagnosed. Studies have shown for people carrying excess body weight, the more weight loss the better, and the better chance of putting diabetes into remission. With the best results seen. with weight loss of 15 kg that's about two stone five pounds, but any weight loss is known to be helpful to diabetes and your overall health. So if you are carrying excess body weight, starting with a weight loss goal of 5% is recommended if you are interested in addressing weight for your health as part of your treatment. A common theme running through interviews and conversations with healthcare professionals is that while remission is possible, it can be difficult to sustain if lifestyle changes are not maintained. 

Olivia C  13:23

The main messages that I hope you will take away from this podcast are the importance of looking after yourself and two, the importance of booking onto a free diabetes support course remember, you're not alone on this journey. Three, the importance of talking to your healthcare professional. Be that your nurse, doctor or dietitian about your own specific condition. With any concerns or worries you may have. Keep your diabetes appointments with your doctor or nurse. Remember, diabetes is a serious condition if not treated or looked after. So always reschedule if you miss an appointment that is recommended for if you need to see a dietitian for an individual appointment, ask your doctor to refer you access to services are improving throughout the country. Five, we now know for many type two diabetes can be prerented and some people can put it into remission or out of type two diabetes stage. So if you are not yet diagnosed, but think you could be at risk. For example, if you have a family history, or you're experiencing any of the following symptoms, excessive thirst, paying more than usual, especially at night, or feeling very tired. Please go to your GP and ask to be tested. Diabetes very often has no symptoms. So if you are at all concerned, just ask for test. 

Olivia C  14:49

This podcast was created to try to answer your questions but also to give you the knowledge and hopefully the encouragement to engage with the services that are out there to take charge of your own health But you need to first recognise that you are the one in the driving seat. You are the one with the knowledge of yourself and the questions about your specific condition. Remember, this is your life, your health. If you need something, just ask whether it's the HSE, or diabetes Ireland to find out about a diabetes support course, the Samaritans, just have a chat about anything that's worrying you or your healthcare professional to ask about something specific to your treatment, help is there. There will be a list of contacts at the end of the introduction to this podcast, and I hope it will help. But the main websites are HSE dot, ie forward slash diabetes, and for diabetes Ireland is www dot diabetes, dot ie. Use the services that are available to you. And please give yourself the permission to look after yourself. I wish each and every one of you every good wish on your journey, be it with or without type two diabetes. 

Olivia C  15:58

And if you know someone else that will benefit from this podcast or the information and links shared here. Please share with them so we can all help each other stay well and in good health and if we have diabetes, to live healthier and happier lives with it. Thank you for listening

Information: 

Resources
1.     Book a place on your free type 2 diabetes support course www.hse.ie/diabetescourses

Dietitian Michelle and nurse Una share what the courses are about  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQHRfl3tJg4&t=5s

People living with diabetes and HSE diabetes staff also share their experience:

People living with diabetes who attended the diabetes support courses -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9JTnUiDy7Q
HSE staff offer help and support   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoqY2OvisdY

2.     Register with Diabetic Retina Screen www.diabeticretinascreen.ie or call 185045 4550

3.     Apply for the long term illness card if  you are taking diabetes medicine to  get them free of charge   www.hse.it/lti or call locall 0818 22 44 78

4.     Complete the Diabetes Ireland free interactive online education course called Diabetes SMART www.diabeteseducation.ie

5.    Get help to prepare for your appointments –  the HSE ‘It’s Safer to Ask’ booklet.   https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/type-2-diabetes/living-with/health-problems/

The HSE recommends when you are using health services , to get all the information you need and  get your questions answered so that your experience can be as safe and understandable as possible. 
They invite you to ask: 
1. What do I need to know now? 
2. What do I need to do next? 
3. What can I expect and how will this help me?
They have new leaflet to help  - download here - https://assets.hse.ie/media/documents/FINAL_WPSD_LEAFLET_22.08.2023_Approved.pdf and look at the  short video clip (1 minute 24 seconds)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIIpUxI3-Xc

6.     Go to trusted websites to learn more – www.hse.ie/diabetes and  www.diabetes.ie