College Diabetes Network - College Diabetes Network

CDN's goal is to improve the health, well-being, and longevity of students with Type 1 Diabetes.

We plan to accomplish our goal through our chapter support networks which:

Connect college students with Type 1 Diabetes and provide

• Peer support
• A resource on campus
• Health and nutrition education, technology information and updates
• Learning through shared experience.
• Resources for parents, school administrators, family and friends of those with Type 1 Diabetes

These support networks will enable students to fulfill their potential and limit the negative physical and psychological effects of Diabetes.

CDN's areas of focus are:

• SUPPORT:

                For Students-Information, Peer Support, Online Forum to connect with other students

                For Parents- Tips, Online Forum to connect with other parents

                For Chapters- Tips, Ideas, Personal Support, Online Forum to connect with other chapters

• TECHNOLOGY & UPDATES: Technology, Latest Research, Scholarship Opportunities, Diabetes Community Events, Insurance Healthcare Plans
• HEALTHY LIFESTYLES: Nutrition, Exercise, Alcohol, Drugs, Stress, and Sleep and how they impact blood sugars
• COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Mentorship Program, Babysitting
• CAMPUS LIFE: Step by step program which students and university administrators can use to implement changes on campus to make life safer and healthier for students with diabetes.
• RESEARCH INITIATIVE: National sample of Type 1s who can participate in research- specifically on college student population & psychological components of living with Type 1 diabetes.

SUPPORT:

• For Students-Information, Peer Support, Online Forum to connect with other students across the US and Canada
• For Parents- Tips, Online Forum to connect with other parents
• For Chapters- Tips, Ideas, Personal Support, Online Forum to connect with other chapters

STUDENTS:

               Living wtih Type 1 diabetes in college is challenging! CDN supports students by creating a community in which they can connect with other students with type 1 diabetes. These connections help to motivate students to care for themselves and provides the resources to enable them to do so.

CHAPTERS:

               CDN creates an online community in which chapters from across the US and Canada can connect with each other and share tips and stories regarding the challenges and successes  of their chapters.

PARENTS:

                Parents and family of Type 1 students are said to have “Type 3” diabetes. Although their bodies may not have the disease, they live with it every day and are greatly affected by every aspect of it, both in their lives and in their concern for “their Type 1’s” life. These Type 3s are the unsung and “behind the scenes” heroes of this disease. Without them, life as a Type 1 would be much more difficult if not impossible.

                However as was the case for college students with Type 1 diabetes, there are no resources available for these “Type 3” parents and family of students with the disease. Because of this CDN provides tips and personal stories for them on the CDN website and has created a Parent Forum where parents and family can register and talk with others encountering the same problems and experiences that they are. The community and support that this provides helps parents deal with the transition of sending their child off to college and the fear for their health and wellbeing that comes with it.

TECHNOLOGY & UPDATES: Technology, Latest Research, Scholarship Opportunities, Diabetes Community Events, Insurance Healthcare Plans

“Having diabetes is like having a major that you never signed up for, if you want to pass than there is a never ending amount of information you need to study and learn”. As in any major there are different classes which teach about many different aspects of your field of study, there is the history of the field, the newest research, what’s going on in that community, opportunities associated with your field of study, etc. With diabetes it is the same, except you didn’t have a choice in diabetes and you are the only one who can teach yourself everything that you need to know.

                CDN breaks down the different sections of knowledge, the same way universities divide areas of study into different classes. Each important topic is addressed on the CDN website in an organized and easily navigated format and provides the most up to date and relevant information for each section. If a student is going to be successful, they need to have and be able to understand all of the information required of them.

Technology: The new technologies in diabetes today are responsible for increased life expectancy and decreased likelihood of complications for those living with Type 1 diabetes, and new technologies are being created every day. CDN provides access to and information about these technologies so that students can take advantage of the best care available.

Research: The field of diabetes research is a rapidly evolving area, with new possibilities of a cure being researched every day. The hope of a cure is a strong motivation to stay healthy; however it is often difficult to find what the latest research is. By having easy access to up to date information on the latest research students have are able to strengthen their motivation to care for themselves and take comfort in knowing that there is progress in finding a cure.

Community: The diabetes community is a large community with a lot of support and events all over the world. CDN provides events and information relevant to students such as retreats, fundraising events, awareness initiatives, etc. that they can get involved with.

Scholarship Opportunities: There are many scholarship opportunities available to students with Type 1 diabetes, however few students know about them or are able to find them. CDN has an up to date and extensive list of scholarships available to students, where to find them, and who is eligible.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES: Nutrition, Exercise, Alcohol, Drugs, Stress, and Sleep and how they impact blood sugars

Diabetes is greatly affected by every aspect of life; because of this it is important for students to know how each will affect their sugars so that they can react accordingly.

Nutrition: Nutrition and food choices are a large component of managing diabetes. However understanding what foods to eat, how different foods affect blood sugars, and knowing how much insulin to take, and over what time frame to take it is rarely straightforward and few people have access to all of the information necessary to make informed choices. In college this situation is exacerbated as students often have little control over what and when they eat.

Through information easily accessible on the CDN website and information sent to chapters to discuss in meetings, CDN will provide the necessary information in an understandable and easy to access format for students to enable them to make more educated choices to better control their diabetes.

Community:

           CDN is dedicated to supporting students with Type 1 diabetes, but in order for those individuals to become college students they had to learn to manage their diabetes. Some know nothing else, others remember life before diagnosis, either way growing up with diabetes is a difficult and frustrating experience. Parents become enemies who constantly ask and complain about diabetes, friends don’t understand, nobody wants to feel different than other kids, and the value of staying healthy isn’t always apparent. The CDN community outreach initiative allows college students who have experienced those frustrations to connect with children and young adults in their community who are in the midst of that experience. Having a healthy and successful role model who takes care of their diabetes l is invaluable to children and young adults, and this experience helps college students feel that there is  a greater meaning in having diabetes and dealing with its challenges by being able to use those experiences to help others.

CAMPUS LIFE:

           Living on a college/university campus poses numerous challenges to a student living with Type 1 diabetes. Many of which have a detrimental, and even dangerous, effect on students' health. Most of these effects are easily avoidable by making a few small changes on campus, but which go far in improving the lives of students with Type 1 diabetes.

           CDN provides a step-by-step program which students and university administrators can use to implement changes on campus to make life safer and healthier for students with diabetes. When schools have made these changes and taken an active interst in the health of their students living with Type 1 diabetes they are listed as "CDN Approved" on our website!

RESEARCH INITIATIVE:

           Through CDNs national network of students those interested can participate in research which will shed light on the college student population with Type 1 diabetes & psychological components of living with T1. As there is currently very little research on this population, this infromation can be used to improve services available to them.