New issue of Balance - Pregnancy special

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Northerner

Northerner

Admin (Retired)
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Just got the new issue of Balance. Haven't read all the articles too closely, but it is concentrating on Pregnancy and diabetes issues, so hopefully some of our mums or pregnant ladies who get it can tell us what they think 🙂

Doesn't seem like too contentious an issue - nothing springs out at me and makes my blood boil!. Arthur Smith's column is, as usual, the best thing in the magazine, with an appeal to let us all be miserable once in a while! :D

One thing that did strike me was the 'Chat Room' page (54), where people are invited to 'get connected to others with diabetes'. They suggest you reply to an advert or submit your own (fine for those with no web access, but you might wait a long time for a reply, given they only print about 5 every two months!), or visit their Facebook page where 'you can talk to people'.

WHAT! No mention of our forum!!!😱 Isn't this by far the better place to talk to people about diabetes of all ages, backgrounds and experience? I suspect part of the reason is that we are independent of DUK, and thus not directly promoting them, whereas they have their logo plastered all over their FB page and people may feel more closely connected to DUK there.

I intend writing an email to Balance, requesting that we are included on their Chat Room page as another resource for people looking for contact. Over my time on this forum I have seen many, many people's lives transformed by the fantastic support, advice and encouragement they have found here. And a lot of genuine friendships have been formed from this.

So who will join me and email balance@diabetes.org.uk ? Do it! Do it now!!! :D
 
I will be writing one asap. my space bar keeps sticking so emails are taking ages to write at the mo. Well anything x
 
I used Balance magazines chat room and write to a very nice chap. He has no internet access, so we write.

I got three responses from my own advert. two of them wrote just the once and the third I stopped writing to because she was so busy flaunting her wealth saying anyone who had to work were the lowest of the low that she had no time for real life and real people.
 
Is the balance issue anywhere online?
 
Ah, I dont actually get balance - I will see if I can have a look on line at it.
 
You could email in to the letters page? more people probably read that then they do the ?chat room??

I certainly do. (I normally skip it? writing letters? how archaic? hehehe)
 
jax said:
You could email in to the letters page… more people probably read that then they do the ‘chat room’…

I certainly do. (I normally skip it… writing letters… how archaic… hehehe)
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Personally, I think we should have the forum name peppered all over Balance and DUK's webpage! But, we should at least have an equal billing with Facebook. I know it is their 'Balance' FB page, not the DUK one but even so...!

p.s. we have had letters published in the past mentioning us, but hard to get that in every issue - we need a permanent slot!
 
It seems the diabetes world is conspiring against me and telling me to have a baby 😱 first a lecture from the people at B-Dec and now this?! LOL!

I'll send an email out to them later.

Pleased to see too that on their little myth page they'd taken the one off about jobs :D
 
Never heard of this "Balance" magazine myself but I do plan to have children (one day!) and am interested in obtaining as much information as I can to ensure I have a healthy pregnancy.
 
Laura22 said:
Never heard of this "Balance" magazine myself but I do plan to have children (one day!) and am interested in obtaining as much information as I can to ensure I have a healthy pregnancy.
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Its the magazine that diabetes uk send out if you join them as a member 🙂
 
Hmm- I thought I was a member?? I'll have to look into that!
 
Laura22 said:
Never heard of this "Balance" magazine myself but I do plan to have children (one day!) and am interested in obtaining as much information as I can to ensure I have a healthy pregnancy.
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It's Diabetes UK's magazine, sent out to 'supporters' 🙂 I would say that it's a useful addition to your collection of knowledge, but from following the various pregnancies we've had discussed here, I think this is one of your best sources! 🙂
 
I always seem to get my Balance a few days after you lot....whats that all about? 😉

I need some sort of priority copy- where does it say it is printed? 😉
 
Northerner said:
...I intend writing an email to Balance, requesting that we are included on their Chat Room page as another resource for people looking for contact. Over my time on this forum I have seen many, many people's lives transformed by the fantastic support, advice and encouragement they have found here. And a lot of genuine friendships have been formed from this....
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I have just had a reply from Balance, and they have agreed that it's a good idea, and will put the forum name on their page from now on! 🙂 Hurrah!
 
Hope everyone is well.

Good to see we're keen to mention the forum in the "chat room" pages.

I can work on promoting the forum more on the DUK website - although haven't the time to do this at present. It is something I need to concentrate on. The reason Facebook is mentioned in more places is possibly because it's so popular and (practically) everyone uses it so it's therefore in the forefront of people's minds more often? Both here and Facebook have their benefits for people with diabetes, so anything that helps, we should promote!

I'm in the process of putting the new issue of Balance online as we speak in the supporting membership area of the website. For those those of you who don't get Balance and would like to, you can join at www.diabetes.org.uk/join and we'll send it to you every 2 months when it's published. It is a very helpful magazine!

If anyone's got any other questions, feel free to ask!

Joe

Digital Communities Manager
Diabetes UK
 
Northerner said:
I have just had a reply from Balance, and they have agreed that it's a good idea, and will put the forum name on their page from now on! 🙂 Hurrah!
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Fantastic! Well done Northey, it's great when you (one) actually get a result.
Good to know that 'they' listened and realised it makes perfect sense.

Cheers.

xx
 
JoeFreeman said:
Hope everyone is well.

Good to see we're keen to mention the forum in the "chat room" pages.

I can work on promoting the forum more on the DUK website - although haven't the time to do this at present. It is something I need to concentrate on. The reason Facebook is mentioned in more places is possibly because it's so popular and (practically) everyone uses it so it's therefore in the forefront of people's minds more often? Both here and Facebook have their benefits for people with diabetes, so anything that helps, we should promote!
...Joe

Digital Communities Manager
Diabetes UK
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Cheers Joe 🙂 I agree that Facebook is popular, although I suspect that there is a large proportion of the population who find it confusing and hard work at times. I know I do, even though I have 30 years IT experience, a lot of which has been concerned with user interfaces for non-technical folk.

This forum's great strength is its simplicity, so people who are often scared or in distress can get their message across quickly and easily, and also have easy access to a whole range of previous conversations on similar topics. A lot of our members use FB as well, of course, so we are all offering different approaches to getting people the help and support they are looking for. 🙂
 
anonymity

A big advantage of this forum over Facebook is anonymity - many people have good reasons for keeping their diagnognosis secret from friends, colleagues etc.
 
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