not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened - Episode 24 with Karyn Maughan

Welcome to Episode 24 of 'not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened'!

With listeners in 23 countries, this Episode is brought to you in support of diabetes and awareness by the CDE Online Pharmacy (https://cdeonline.co.za/), the online store of choice for people living with diabetes.

If you're living with diabetes or a health professional that facilitates diabetes care, you're in the right place!

Join us on our journey, as we grow together in understanding, insight, and self-awareness to change lives for the better. Our deliberations will always be honest, challenging and thought provoking. Nothing is off the table as we discuss real people, their real issues and stories, and together discover real answers to many vexing practical issues in diabetes and its care.

This week, Stan and Michael reflect on the growing public health challenge of meeting the needs of older people with diabetes globally. Possible deintensification of treatment and the risks of hypoglycaemia may be two important things to remember. We also touch on the relationship between impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia and ‘diabetes distress’.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” John 1:5 NIV Bible

We were blessed to be joined in studio this week by another significant South African, ‘superhero’ Karyn Maughan, specialist legal journalist and analyst at News24, well-known for her analysis of high-profile and far-reaching legal matters. Karyn is also a documentary producer, broadcaster, author of three books including, "Nuclear: Inside South Africa's Secret Deal", and she lives with type 1 diabetes. Karyn shares

• Details of her diagnosis of diabetes 40 years ago
• Her supportive home, school and work environments
• A personal ‘wilderness’ period at university where she tried to ‘cure’ her diabetes through excessive exercise
• How losing ‘control’ of diabetes made her feel like she was a ‘failure’ and not in control of her life, and reluctant to ask for help
• Her eventual realization that diabetes is a difficult, complex chronic condition that does not define her as an individual, and that people are available to help her with empathy and without judgement
• Aspects of her career investigating and exposing the dark underworld of society and the war for the soul of South Africa
• How her faith in God helps her to use her talents to pursue truth without fear despite intimidation and harassment
• The toll of her work on her diabetes and her family
• Her thoughts on inequality and social justice in diabetes care and the tremendous burden of self-management in people who live in poverty and less able to articulate and access their needs in life and death situations
• Her anxieties around the implementation of the moral and ethical imperative of NHI
• Overcoming physical and developmental challenges following a birth-related brain injury with the immense support of her parents
• Her light…

In our next Community Advocacy Message, Kirsten de Klerk from SA Diabetes Advocacy reminds listeners of one of their projects addressing some of the biggest issues faced by people living with diabetes - food insecurity

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For health professionals working in diabetes

The CDE Academy Foundation Course in Diabetes Care for Health Professionals is a real-world-applicable online learning experience at one’s own pace. Access it 24/7/365 & earn 30 CPD points: https://academy.cdeonline.co.za/

Learna/University of South Wales offer a one-year, online, part-time, distance learning Postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes Care. Sign up for a second year to earn an MSc in Diabetes. Gain a competitive edge and enhance your client care! Register for the annual September intake: ⁠https://www.diploma-msc.com/p/diploma-in-diabetes⁠