18 Comments
How many in-person diabetes community events have you attended in the past 12 months?
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I have had Covid twice and not doing it again!
I haven’t attended any “events”, meaning gatherings of people outside my friends/family members, for years.
2 in-person diabetes community events in the past 12 mo, including my local JDRF chapter’s Type One Nation Summit (inside, masked) & One Walk (outdoors).
Haven’t attended in-person events in years. I got spoiled living in San Diego – I went to every TCOYD fair for years. Since TCOYD is located in San Diego this annual event was their flagship event and huge! All the vendors were there (great swag!). After moving to Poprtland Oregon, I did go to an ADA Expo – but there wasn’t anything for me as a person with T1D. No pump, CGM etc vendors, lots of T2D-related vendors, it was disappointing. The TCOYD events are patient-oritented, empowering and the break-out group discussions were timely, and addressed many things that we as peopl with T1D face (be it at the workplace, family dynamics, stigma on the part of health care providers). I did attend a JDRF Summit, but it was more focused on children with T1D and their parents.
I did try to (working with Steve Edelman, founder of TCOUYD) to have an in-person expo in Portland (we’re a large city!). TCOYD was up for my idea. I thought it best to get the local JDRF and ADA offices to get involved (I wasn’t asking for funding – just their support for the event). Neighter JDRF nor ADA returned any of my calls. My plan was too – after getting the go-ahead vots from JDRF and ADA, to reach out to the Endo’s in the area for spreading the word etc. I had ideas on getting funding from local big foundations as sponsors. But that required (iin my mind) a nod from JDRF and ADA. Well…I tried. ENded up driving to Spokane WA to attend an in-person event.
Trina – Kudos to you, girl!!!
I love attending the TCOYD events and go whenever I can get to one in person … including the last in person TCOYD ONE Conference gathering held at a resort in San Diego in 2019. Was informative, fun, and fabulous!!!
In 2018-2019 I initiated and served as co-director of a successful TCOYD event in Albany NY on June 22, 2019. It took a year of planning and coordinating with various vendors, area health care providers, and PWDs willing to help and volunteer their time. Steve Edelman and his team are highly organized and very supportive.
Forget about support from other diabetes organizations … neither JDRF nor the local chapter of ADA showed any interest and never up to even have a presence with an information table at the TCOYD event.
Yet nearly 1000 PWDs and their support people came from all over NYS, NJ and Massachusetts for the event. There was also a CEU component for HCPs that was well attended by nurses, dietitians, doctors, pharmacists, and various medical health science students.
What I experienced as a local organizer is the people who made it happen were the PWDs in the greater community themselves who were excited and eager for useful and meaningful information about living with diabetes whether T1D or T2D and they themselves networked and told their friends and families. Also some of the local network of CDEs and endocrinologists were onboard help and promote the event.
TCYOD came here in 2011 and then again in 2019. I hope to be a part of their return in the not too distant future … and I hope you can get them to come to Portland at some point in the near future. Work with the endos and diabetes industry partners in your area and get local successful PWDs from the community to serve on volunteer committees …. its a group effort of PWDs for PWDs and so well worth the efforts!!!
Why am I NOT surprised at TRIAS and CONNIES comments ????
No any kind of events for several years.
I have attended a JDRF lecture, ADA Camp for kids with T1DM (medical staff volunteer), an ADA Champion dinner and a lunch with our diabetes support group.
That would be “None, ever.” Possibly to my detriment. But for the first 20 years I had T1, from 1983-2003, I never even MET another T1. I was dx’d as an adult (age 28), so I didn’t grow up with the whole summer-camps thing and all that, and knowing T1 as a *community* just wasn’t a thing for two decades. When the DOC finally came on I embraced it, and that’s pretty much where I feel natural participating.
I was also diagnosed as an adult, but MUCH later. I was diagnosed in 2021 at the age of 51. When you’re older it’s more like “This is your life now. You go to Dr appointments and do insulin.” And that’s it.
Like William, and Donna, Me also, but longer ago and starting at age 20 or so..
http://Www.ride.JDRF.org.
Doing it again this year. Sponsor me or join us!
Oops. I didn’t attend any this year in person although I had many years ago. I answered 4 thinking of the virtual events.
Last live event I attended was TCOYD in San Diego August 2019 for their Annual ONE Conference. Hundreds of T1D adults for 4 jam packed days of up-to-date and cutting edge self-care information, product demos with the people who design make our devices, a smorgasbord of diabetes enlightenment and fun, with fabulous food, dancing and music, water sports, the hilarious antics and gracious talents of Dr Edelman and Dr Pettus and their team of the best T!D experts on the planet. This event isn’t a diabetes research fund raiser, it is a life line and hands-on learning event for those of us living with T1D. It was fabulous!
JDRF events, I said 2 but really was 3. One Walk annual, and a gala and precursor to the gala. I love those vents because there are so may w T1D there, and their supporters…
None, I don’t participate in anything anymore. I am responsible for coordinating care for a very elderly relative on Hospice and caregiving my husband. Thankfully, my husband has been recovering. I’m lucky if I get to go get groceries. 🙁
None! Are any still going?
Few if any invitations.