Self manage your continued welfare with Diabetes My Way

Diabetes My Way is a new free online platform that is available for anyone living with diabetes in the Greater Manchester.

It provides users access to their diabetes health records, along with tailored advice to help with self-management of the condition.

The Diabetes My Way website also provides many open-access resources for diabetes, including multi-language content, plus access to eight eLearning courses for anyone with type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.

Dave Garrell is the Partnership Director at MyWay Digital Health and he has been living with diabetes for seven years.

He said: "I have used MyWay Diabetes since 2014 and thought it might be useful to share some of my own experiences using the platform and how it has helped me (and others) during the last 12 months of COVID restricted life.

"I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in February 2014 following a feeling of lethargy and thirstiness.

"My initial treatment was metformin plus gliclazide.

"I was referred for a structured course although I was not certain I could do 10 Monday mornings!

"I also registered with MyWay Diabetes and was immediately able to see a chart of my own readings which gave me a visual representation about how far away my blood glucose levels were from being within the healthy range.

"Sadly there was never space on the initial training so I had to just get on with it (I did have quite a few appointments in my practice).

"Looking back, I also think it was just too much at the start and getting my head around it took a while – so if you are newly diagnosed give your self a bit of time but come back to this – it is amazingly helpful.

"I had a conversation with a neighbour recently who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes but had no extra information or education to help her manage taking insulin.

"If you have a smart phone, iPad/tablet or any kind of computer you can now access information and structured courses in your own time.

"Start with the ‘know more’ links – short five-minute videos about various aspects of diabetes.

"Then get registered for the course you would like – they are designed to be easy to work through and the feedback from users is really amazing.

"I know learning more was the start of looking after myself (still not perfect but I doubt it can be).

"Sometimes I am better than others, but I always come back to the basics when I start to struggle."

If you are also interested in accessing information and doing a course so you can choose how to look after yourself (and can access your diabetes health records with support from your practice), you can sign up for free at: diabetesmyway.nhs.uk

If you need any assistance or have any questions, then please get in touch with the MyWay Diabetes team directly at: support@mwdh.co.uk

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