Advocating Long, and Hard, and Always

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Throughout November, I’ve certainly felt an increased level of energy, and activity in the diabetes community. Over the weekend, this community came together from all over the world for the occasion of World Diabetes Day. To advocate, to speak up, to raise awareness and to share.

One of the “events” to mark that occasion was the World Diabetes Day Chat over on Twitter. For 15 straight hours we shared our experiences, we tackled hard hitting issues, we bounced our advocacy efforts off of one another and we raised our voices. It was a twitterstorm of diabetes talk. It was one of the most inspiring, and empowering moments of advocacy. I feel so much more motivated and focussed towards my own advocacy efforts as a result of that chat.

When I finally put my phone down at 11am on Sunday morning, I felt kind of fizzled. I wouldn’t say that I feel burned out, but I certainly feel as though I could use a breather. And when it was time for our weekly #OzDOC chat on Tuesday night, it seemed that I wasn’t alone.

Advocacy is not easy. Advocacy is not always within our comfort zones. And advocacy does not stop. I kind of feel like Chris when it comes to advocacy.

So while I’m taking a breather here this week, advocacy, or the thought of advocacy, certainly has not stopped.

Following on from my letter to the Australian Health Minister Sussan Ley, I want to get in touch with my local Member of Parliament on Continuous Glucose Monitoring, and broader diabetes issues in general.

I’m still paying attention to the news, and to social media morning, noon and night (inbetween the occasional tweet about The Walking Dead, and my afternoon coffee and cannoli). I am truly invested in the condition that I live with, and that does not ever stop.

Diabetes Daily has offered to syndicate some of my old blog posts, which is an honour. I’m pretty excited to be able to extend the reach of my writing. Getting a professional looking profile photo, and writing a few professional sounding sentences about my purpose in this community is actually a lot harder than you might think!

This afternoon, I’m paying a visit to the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre in my local area. Hopefully more on this in the next couple of days.

I’m thinking about how I could possibly promote the wonderful Oz Diabetes Online Community a bit more in my local area.

And I’m still thinking about #insulin4all, and how we can make change happen for those who are less fortunate. I’m feeling a bit stumped on this one…

On top of all of this, I’m still living with, and managing my own diabetes (which I don’t feel like I’m doing too well at the moment, to be honest).

In the words of my friend Ally at Very Light, No Sugar, advocacy is keeping the faith. Advocacy is advocating long and hard, and always. And we advocate because #weneedacure (as difficult as that last part is for me to believe).

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