Winter 2014 Newsletter
Children’ Diabetes
Service Newsletter
Contact Us:
The diabetes team: 01563 826010
Or email: Clinical_Specialty_PaediatricDiabetesTeam_A&[email protected]
Christmas is coming!!!
Your Newsletter
Hopefully you found our previous issues useful and informative.
We will endeavor to send one out every 3 months. If you have any
comments to make ,would like an event publicized or have an
inspiring story or an achievement to tell us about then please
contact us (pictures gratefully received)
– see above for e-mail address
Carbohydrate Counting at Christmas
There is no reason why children and young people with
diabetes cannot enjoy festive food and treats, just like
everyone else. If your diet is healthy most of the time treats are
fine.
Carbohydrate counting at Christmas can be tricky as foods
may be unfamiliar. Eating out at friends, relatives or restaurants
may be challenging. Ask friends or relatives to keep labels or
write down the recipes and ask restaurants for nutritional
information. You may need to estimate the carbohydrate
content using your experience or resources such as “carbs
and cals” app or book. Just make sure to check your blood
glucose regularly and take corrections if needed.
With all the excitement of
Christmas please remember
that your GP surgery will be
closed for 4 days over
Christmas and 4 days over
New Year. Make sure you
order your prescriptions
early and have enough
supplies to see you over the
festive period.
There are no carbohydrates in turkey and very little in brussel sprouts and other vegetables
so there is no need to count these foods. Check the labels of sausages, gravy or stuffing as
some may contain carbohydrate. Check out the following examples of the carbohydrate
values of some popular Christmas foods.
Roast Potato (90g portion) = 24g
carbohydrate
Roast Parsnip (60g portion) = 12g
carbohydrate
Yorkshire Pudding (1x ready made
portion) = 7g carbohydrate
Cranberry Sauce (1tbsp or 15g portion)
= 6g carbohydrate
Mince Pie (1x ready made deep
filled) = 40g
Christmas Pudding (1 individual pudding,
approximately 100g) = 60g
Scottish Health Awards 2014
Thank you very much to the McCann family from Ayr for nominating our Diabetes Team for
this prestigious award. It was a lovely surprise and honor for us all to learn we had been
shortlisted to the final 3 in the Care of Long Term illness category from applicants from all
over Scotland. Fiona Clark, Elaine Poole, Rhona O Neil, and Laura McIntyre represented the
team at the lavish ceremony on Nov 6th at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh. Although we
did not win, being nominated and knowing that our lovely families appreciate our team
made us feel like winners. We love our job supporting our great families in managing their
diabetes but it is really all of you who do all the hard work!
JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes
Many of our families took part in this great event at the Falkirk Wheel and
raised money for JDRF here are a few photos
Left: Aimee Ronald aged
16yrs from Stewarton and
her family with their
“Healthy Selfie”
Below: Hayden Thomson
aged 8yrs from Beith and
“Team Thomson”
Achievements
Becky Neilson aged 12 yrs from Kilmarnock and her friend Natalie Sharp took part in this year’s
Great Scottish Run in Glasgow. Natalie is a member of the Kilmarnock Harriers but this was the first
time Becky had ever taken part in a race and has never done any running before. The girls
completed the 2.5 km run and raised money for Diabetes Scotland and JDRF. Well Done Girls!
Well Done and Thank you very much to
Sophie McLauchlan aged 9 yrs from
Crosshouse who donated £3.50 to the
Ayrshire & Arran Paediatric Diabetes Fund .
Sophie made loom bracelets and sold them
to friends.
Congratulations to Katelyn Roberts 14 yrs from Kilwinning who was
recently awarded her Black belt in Karate. Well Done Katelynn what an achievement!
Lilli Fenwick aged 12yrs from Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire England was diagnosed with Type 1
diabetes while on holiday in Ayrshire in the summer of this year. Adapting to the diagnosis of Type 1
Diabetes is hard for everyone but being miles from home in a strange place can only add to the
stress. Lilli was unwell at diagnosis and had to stay in hospital for 3 days but managed to still attend
her grandparents golden wedding dinner. Unfortunately due to being in hospital she missed going
to the Commonwealth games which they had tickets for but Dr Williamson worked some magic and
managed to swap her tickets for another day, this meant the family got to go and were lucky
enough to see Usain Bolt compete.
Lilli is now 13 weeks from diagnosis and is determined to live life to the full and has not stopped
doing anything she did before. Lilli dances 7.5 hrs a week and recently took part in the Coventry
Dance Festival and managed to gain 3 first places on her first day back competing which was
fantastic and a massive confidence boost. Lilli and her family have learned not to let diabetes rule
their life and Lilli has embraced our motto “Still free to be me”
Lilli and her brother at Commonwealth games
3 days after diagnosis
Lilli performing at her dance competition
13 weeks later
.