Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells (beta cells) in the pancreas. As a result, the body can no longer produce insulin—a hormone essential for regulating blood glucose levels. Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age but is most commonly diagnosed in children, adolescents, and young adults. It requires lifelong management, as there is currently no cure.
People living with Type 1 diabetes need to monitor their blood glucose levels regularly and administer insulin through injections or an insulin pump. Advances in diabetes technology, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and automated insulin delivery systems, have greatly improved daily management and quality of life. With the right tools, education, and support, individuals with Type 1 diabetes can lead healthy, active lives
How I Can Help
Whether you've been recently diagnosed or have had type 1 diabetes for many years, I can help you with:
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A new diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes or if you require review of your current treatment with easy to understand information
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How to simplify working out your insulin doses with the use of an app called a bolus calculator- no more winging it or guessing
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Insulin pumps
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Continuous glucose monitoring
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Pregnancy planning and how to effectively prepare for a baby
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Exercising with Type 1 diabetes
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Carbohydrate counting
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How to avoid and manage low blood sugars
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Sick day planning and how to look after your diabetes if you’re unwell
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Diabetes distress/burnout. Research shows people with Type 1 diabetes make 180 extra decisions in their day. My aim is to help lessen how much mental space diabetes takes up for you
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Service Fees
Initial Appointment
Your 45-60 minute appointment includes:
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A comprehensive assessment
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Educational resources
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A longer-term plan
With a care plan: $90 out of pocket
Without a care plan: $150 out of pocket
*If you are not using continuous glucose monitoring or would like to try a different brand a free sensor may be included.
Subsequent Appointments
Your 30-minute appointment includes:
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A review of your progress
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Questions and answers
With a care plan: $40 out of pocket
Without a care plan: $100 out of pocket
Insulin Pumps
If you have Type 1 diabetes, the decision to switch from multiple daily injections to using an insulin pump can feel scary and overwhelming. As someone who has been providing education on insulin pumps since 2017- I can say it's an exciting time in the technology space for people living with Type 1 diabetes.
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Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, also known as hybrid closed-loop systems, combine an insulin pump, continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and an algorithm that automatically adjusts basal insulin delivery based on real-time glucose readings. These systems significantly reduce the burden of diabetes self-management by helping to maintain glucose levels within a target range more consistently and with less manual input. Benefits of AID systems include improved HbA1c levels, fewer hypoglycemic episodes, and enhanced quality of life for users.
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The best way to see if insulin pump therapy is right for you is to book an appointment to discuss the benefits and drawbacks. ​
How much is an insulin pump start package?
Obtaining an insulin pump privately does require a financial investment as well as an investment of time. Taking this into consideration, using an insulin pump can be life changing- both for diabetes management and also quality of life/reduced mental burden. You may also be able to avoid wait times in the public system.
Currently, in Australia, most insulin pumps are covered by Private Health Insurance. The Omnipod Dash and Omnipod 5 can be purchased with no lock-in subscription on a month-to-month basis without private health insurance. If you don't have private health insurance, but are planning to obtain it to cover an insulin pump- you may be able to get a loan pump for 12 months while your health insurance matures.
You will need two appointments prior to the day of commencing on an insulin pump. These appointments are one hour in length. You can claim a medicare rebate for each of these sessions if you have a care plan/team care arrangement.
An insulin pump start package includes:
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All paperwork administration and communication between myself and your Endocrinologist
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3-4 hours of face-to-face education
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Two to three weeks of phone/email follow-up to view reports and change settings as required. I will log in remotely to view pump reports and advise whether settings adjustments are required.
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Cost: $500. No medicare rebate available.
Pump upgrades. If upgrading to the same brand of pump these sessions may be done remotely and take around two hours. The cost of a pump upgrade will vary depending on which one you currently use and which one you want to upgrade to. In order to do pump upgrades, a letter of clinical need is required from your endocrinologist. Please book an appointment to discuss the process for upgrades in further detail.
Insulin pumps I can assist with:
I am a certified pump trainer for four different insulin pumps
