The Diabetes Educator Behind This Site

Hi and welcome! My name is Bev Madrick. I'm a certified diabetes educator,insulin pump trainer and registered dietitian who also happens to have type 1 diabetes. And yes, I also pump insulin and wear a continous blood glucose sensor. I've been practicing for over 20 years and have been buddied with my diabetes for . . .wait, wait, . . . I'm still counting - almost 38 years. Must be time for anniversary cake soon. (If it's a high fat one I'll use a dual wave bolus on my pump.)

I've done a few other tidbits too...

• Helped author national nutrition guidelines in Canada.
• Sat on a steering committee for the development of the 1998 Clinical Practice Guidelines in Canada.
• Sat on the provincial board of directors, the National Nutrition Committee and the National Publications Committee for the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA).
• Given oodles of talks across Canada. (sorry, I've lost count)
• Designed diabetes self-assessment classes and innovative self-management tools.
• Survived clicker training a terrier with an attitude - twice, Cause he failed the first time. Completely irrelevant to diabetes, I know, but it is a feat in itself. Trust me.

I started this website because I wanted to offer reliable comprehensive information for pumpers and prospective pumpers to take back to their physicians and diabetes educators. Information not just from diabetes educators but also from users of pumps. The stuff not usually found in the training manuals. Pumping insulin can be rewarding, but quite honestly it can also be frustrating at times. Sometimes reading about these quirks can help pumpers feel more normal or can better prepare prospective pumpers.

Pumping has elevated my quality of life with diabetes. Not surprisingly, the most important philosophy I work from as an educator is that everyone has the right to good blood sugars AND a good quality of life. You might not get them, but dang it, you have the right to them. Sorry for the cuss. I'm pretty passionate about quality of life. That's why you and I are doing all this work in the first place, right? To avoid diabetes complications and maintain quality of life. Having said that, I don't believe that insulin pumps improve life for everyone with diabetes. You'll learn more - the good, the bad and the ugly - as you make your way through this diabetes insulin pump therapy site.

As you read the articles on this site please remember that I am not counseling you specifically. Please check with your physician and health educators before making changes to your diabetes management program and please read the disclaimer.

Good luck and good health!

Bev