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Have you ever hired a health coach or diabetes coach to help you with T1D management? Share more about your experiences in the comments!
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I answered “other.” I’ve never hired a “diabetes coach” per se, but I’ve been seeing a diabetes educator for decades and started seeing a behavioral health specialist a couple years ago. Combined I think they serve roughly the same function as a coach would…
I have received suggestions relating to diabetes management, and “coaching” from many physicians I’ve consulted during the last seven decades, and yes I paid for this advice.
my blue cross insurance plan keeps trying to get me to sign up for coaching sessions. At one point, I decided to be open-minded and see what it could offer me. I found it was chaotically managed (2 different coaches phoned me the same day) and seemed to be geared for people who know absolutely nothing about diabetes or life in general. I quit.
Never heard of them. Must cost a lot of money.
I am not sure what is meant by health/diabetes coach. Does that include CDEs? If so, then, yes, I consulted a few times with a CDE at Integrated Diabetes 2 years ago.
No, but…
Almost 20 yrs ago my trainer for first pump(Medtronic) was a fount of info. She covered the pump, living with t1 , so many good thoughts about pump life and more! She had t1 and was smart and humorous!! She was one of a kind. The educator I was then assigned to had t1, same pump, but told me to have same diet every day, exercise to bring a high down. What about utilizing the pump? I was confused and quit going. I’m just an average Jo-sephine, but with so many forums, websites and YouTube, I can be my best advocate picking and choosing what fits into my life for now. Barring other things that complicate diabetes care like depression, government rules, other health problems and old age…
I hired a health coach who looked at my total health habits – eating, sleep, vitamins, and exercise. The idea was to increase my endurance and exercise performance. It was interesting but not worth the cost.
I actually went years without an endocrinologist. My PCP took care of my prescriptions
By absolute “luck of the draw” I’ve had and currently have tremendously supportive relationships with two CDEs over the past 68 years of life with T!D. They have both gone over and above their job duties to care for me and assist in any way they could. In the many years in-between these relationships the coaching services either didn’t exist, were financially unavailable or geared toward individuals with extremely little knowledge of T1D glucose management.
not a health coach, but I did see an amazing nutritionist that helped me figure out how to eat low carb vegetarian. (at my request). she also explained the timing on how protein and fats digest so I could figure out the rest from there.
No, but I worked with a nutritionist when I wanted to go vegan.
I’ve played the games (many). I’ve coached a few. I’ve even refereed and umpired.
In all 3 roles, I’ve made mistakes. And in referring and umpiring, I try to even out the good calls and the bad calls even though, strictly speaking, that’s against the rules.
Same with the diabetic condition. I hope the good calls and the bad calls all work out.
I do a lot of reading and research, listen to a variety of podcasts regarding the use of insulin, pumps, and especially a CGM. I listened to “Diabetes Connections,” “The Huddle,” and “Juicebox Podcast.” The first 2 were geared to Certified Diabetes Care and Education Care Specialists or endocrinologists. The last is towards the diabetic, initially I thought more for parents but after listening to each heard several episodes on the Juicebox including adult diabetics, educators, pump and CGM industry representatives, and insulin producers. Learned how “smart algorithms” worked and various looping technologies for each pump/CGM system, the rates of various insulin were better explained. By learning how to understand my CGM from the last, timing my insulin brought my a1C down from low 7’s to low 6’s with a decreased risk of hypoglycemia.
Dropped the pump to insulin pens, was just minor adjustments to doses because there were episodes helping there (my averages on the CGM are lower even without the ability to adjust basal doses). The guy’s daughter was diagnosed TYPE1 as a toddler, now in college. Opted to be a “stay at home” dad for her care, initially blogged than “broadcasted” his experiences, success, and problems. The guests include children (great for younger listeners), older with complications, long term explaining boiling syringes and peeing on strips.
But he had sponsors or advertisers, no cosys, and also guests from companies from each tool available, whether an advertiser or not.
Other. No I have never hired a diabetes coach or health coach to help me manage my diabetes. However, I have been in therapy to deal with psycho-emotional stress related to family and significant other relationship issues.However, in my professional life as a diabetes care and education specialist RN, I have been hired as a diabetes self-care health coach and advocate on numerous occasions.
Yes we hired Gary Shiners group for help with Loop settings
I have worked with many H & W coaches while I trained to become one. I was certified by Wellcoaches and recently gained national board certification through our international professional organization (NBHWC.org) where you can learn about wellness coaching and find Board Certified coaches in your area across the US and around the world.
I became interested in the field b/c as a T1d person, I understand the impacts of a chronic condition and the huge benefit of the kind of support, accountability, collegial problem solving a H&W coach can provide by applying lessons of behavioral psychology and goal setting to facilitate behaviors that reduce stress, increase mindfulness and promote life satisfaction along the road to setting and achieving health goals.
My insurance company provides health coaches at no cost. I worked with one for about a year.
I guess you can call a CDE a Health coach/Diabetes coach I do work with a CDE.
I attended a “Living with Chronic Conditions” series. There was one other T1D, some T2Ds, some pre-diabetics amongst the 20 people with incurable conditions. The main thing I learned was how popular melatonin was. I was curious but never tried this supplement. Recently heard that too many people are overdosing this supplement with hazardous results. Never tried chondroitin for joints either.
Yes – Dr Jodi Stanislaw who is a naturopath who also has T1D . Great experience and I learned much that is often not discussed in conventional healthcare settings.