#AADE14: This Post Is All About How Amazing CDEs Are.

My apologies for last week’s lack of posts. I worked triple time before I flew to the 2014 AADE Conference in Orlando last Wednesday and I hit the ground hard when I landed - Attending sessions,working the DHF Booth and meeting with HCPs one on one and face to face. I focused on listening, learning and passing info via tweeting and facebooking. This week, the blog posts will be plentiful.

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Today's post is short and sweet and it's not about all the amazing sessions I had the opportunity to attend - That post is on it's way. This post is all about about the amazing people attending AADE. Yep, it's all Certified Diabetes Educators, A.K.A., CDEs.

First and foremost: Certified Diabetes Educators are amazing. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. 

These women and men work their glutei maximi off when it comes to their patients with diabetes - Attending #AADE14 was a continual reminder for me just how amazing in all dimensions CDEs are.  
Much like their patients, CDEs are stretched thin when it comes to time, finances and lack of coverage, both in the physical and "hands-on" sense, as well as the insurance coverage sense. But that doesn’t prevent them from helping their patients - And fighting for them. 

CDEs must continually learn and educate themselves on all the latest and greatest in diabetes management, studies and care so they can pass that info on to us. 

And the majority of CDEs are receptive to learning from us as well, both in sessions and via one-on-one. YEP, AMAZING. 

CDEs brains are impressive and their hearts are big. They worry about us because they take our diabetes to heart - And that in and of itself is pretty damn amazing. 

Personally, I'm blessed to have a wonderful CDE and Endo, who work with and talk with and too me, not at me. Who teach me and learn from me all at the same time - And who help me navigate through the Diabetes Burnout so I can get back on track to the road called, Better. 
I was surrounded by a sea of Healthcare Professionals at #AADE14 who wanted all their patients to find the road to Better. And I remember the Diabetes Dark Ages - When there was no such thing as a CDE. THANK GOD times have changed!

Still, I'm always blown away when I hear of PWDs who haven't with a CDE since their DX or even worse, who have never worked with a CDE - And that breaks my heart. 

If you haven’t met with CDE yet, PLEASE, consider making an appointment with one - Click HERE for more help in finding one. 

Having someone to help you navigate the diabetes waters with is so incredibly important. Everyone needs some help when it comes to finding what diabetes routes work best for us as an individual with diabetes. Having a CDE as your diabetes Coach and Co-Captain helps to take the pressure off doing it alone. Knowledge is power and the more sources of diabetes knowledge we have as patients  both online and off) helps in building and maintaining our health and our confidence in how we manage our lives with diabetes. 

And if you already meet with a CDE and haven't had been in for a diabetes tune-up in a while. email them and set up an appointment - You're worth it. And while you're at it, give them a big THANK YOU - I know they'll appreciate it! 

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I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to attend the 2014 AADE Conference in Orlando, Florida, provided by The Diabetes Hands Foundation and Diabetes Advocates - I'm an active member and fangirl of both groups and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunities they provide me, including the scholarship to AADE. 
The scholarship covered my flight and hotel costs, but as always, all thoughts on my blog are mine. :)