By Ryan Hooey
This is part four in a series of blog posts written by Patient Partners about the Diabetes Action Canada Workshop.
About Ryan: Ryan Hooey: A person living with Type I Diabetes for 30 years. An advocate for the affordability, availability, and accessibility of diabetes management technology for all. Located in Windsor, Ryan has been a Patient Partner for approximately 3 years. Fun fact: I wish that items created to treat low blood sugar tasted terrible so I would not want to eat them.
This was a conference like no other. It was unique in several different ways. For starters, no one had any identifying credentials on their name tags, so the conversation flowed naturally without any intimidation of titles. This was a breath of fresh air, as whether it be a group setting or one-on-one with a scientist, researcher, or endocrinologist, patient partners did not have to feel overwhelmed to speak the truth or share how they might not be the “perfect” person with diabetes. It was evident that real conversations were taking place all over the conference between people from all over Canada, speaking about their journey with diabetes.
Another thing that differed from other conferences I have attended was the notion that patient partners were the focal point, and all the breakout sessions, group discussions, and events were geared towards patient partners with lived experience. This extended right down to the menu and timing of the agenda to allow attendees to bolus without worrying about lag time and a rollercoaster of blood sugars.
I absolutely loved the connection to Indigenous culture and their representation within the diabetes community. There were so many group discussions and even a culturally respectful gathering the evening before the conference started regarding racism. Hearing the thoughts from those who attended this was so thought-provoking. A few times during this, I heard that this was the first time someone felt comfortable speaking in this forum.
Another experience that was a first for me was the session about homelessness and diabetes. I never knew this was such a critical issue so many are experiencing. There was a film shown to the entire conference, and I felt like this was a very real portrayal of the difficulties facing people who are homeless and live with diabetes. I would urge you to check it out if you have not seen it. The cost of food for those seeking shelter was a real concern in this film, yet something I would have never considered.
On the final day of the conference, myself and two others were awarded the DAC Catalyst For Change award. I want to congratulate the others who won this award because you are doing fantastic things in the world of diabetes. For me, this was humbling, and it gave us the chance to speak about how important having patient partners be a part of your research or project is. Living with diabetes is different for each and everyone out there who manages this daily. We never get a day off, whether it is a Wednesday or your birthday, we have to make a million little decisions that ultimately will affect our blood sugar levels, maybe even several hours into the day. Being able to express this alongside the two award winners who have had very different journeys than myself was an honor.
As a person living with diabetes, you can come to the table with so many questions, concerns, and essentially problems. But you become a patient partner when you come with those concerns but also a solution.
