Sessions for adults at CWD's summer conference

[Jeff]

I'm looking for input on sessions for young adults with type 1 diabetes for CWD's summer Friends for Life conference. We have a lot of science related sessions already, and some psychosocial, but I'm wondering if there are particular topics that young adults want that we're not already covering.

Conference start:
http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/activities/Orlando2008/

Programming for parents and adults:
http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/activities/Orlando2008/ParentsSchedule.htm

While it's unlikely that we can squeeze in anything else this year, planning for the 2009 conference is already underway, so any input will be helpful.

[Ellen]

Perhaps a session on how to get the most out of an appointment with your endocrinologist and your endocrine team as a young adult. The care and attention is so different from pediatrics. There's a need to empower young adults not to feel judged based on blood test results and to insist on empowering assistance when they are struggling etc. Perhaps some discussion on motivation for self-care, evaluating your own level of motivation, how to enlist the help of loved ones around you even though you think you should be able to manage it on your own, how to cheer yourself on etc., Internet resources for young adults for connecting with others, how to tell a potential intimate partner (or even the college roommate) about the diabetes, how to deal with diabetes in an intimate setting etc. How to handle the diagnosis of another immune disorder on top of the diabetes - thyroid, celiac, etc. (role playing can be helpful too)

[OSUMom]

Dean's endocrinologist talked at length with Dean about drinking and diabetes. Could be more of a round table discussion type of thing than a lecture where I see it is offered maybe - ways to handle it, discussion among participants. Unfortunately our son won't be going I don't think -so just was a thought.

[hypercarmona]

How about tips on dealing with burnout or depression? Or on managing the transition from receiving all or most of your diabetes care from a parent to having all of the responsibility on yourself. Or perhaps a discussion on handling parenthood with diabetes-not necessarily just the pregnancy part, but dealing with life as a type 1 parent? (I know, not really a "young" adult issue, but I was a new mother at 19 years old. It happens and there is an entirely different way you have to manage your life and diabetes when it does.)

[Brensdad]

As someone with type 1 that also has a child with type 1, I would be interested to hear tips on maintaining tight BG control while you are caring for a young child with diabetes. I know that I run my BG much higher if I am home alone with the kids because I am terrified at what could happen if I became unconscious with no one around but Emma.

[yeswe'rebothD]

I agree with Brensdad-- I am also terrified of something happening while my dh works at night and the girls and I are asleep..

Not that I'm able to go to the CWD conference, that's a dream in itself! ;)