My Diabetes My Way: November 2025 update
Welcome to the My Diabetes My Way Newsletter for November 2025.
World Diabetes Day 2025
November 14th was World Diabetes Day. This international event raises awareness of diabetes, its risk factors and the importance of early diagnosis and effective management. The theme this year is to challenge misconceptions about diabetes and the hurtful comments that some people receive. The following link shows some patient stories of stigma that people with diabetes have experienced: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/living-with-diabetes/emotional-wellbeing/stigma/your-stories-stigma
Undiagnosed Diabetes
Many people in our communities have undiagnosed diabetes, so if you have a family member or a friend who displays any of the signs of diabetes, you could bring up a conversation about the benefit of having their blood sugar tested. Signs to look out for include thirst, increased urination, tired, unintentional weight loss and frequent infections. Type 2 diabetes tends to have a subtle onset over many months or years, so many people write off the symptoms as "old age". Type 1 diabetes tends to have a much more rapid onset. Not everyone will have all the symptoms. Undiagnosed diabetes means that people are more likely to start developing complications before they can be effectively managed with current treatments.
Self-care Week
November 17th-23rd was National Self-care Week. Research has shown that people with diabetes spend 2-3 hours in total with a healthcare professional every year. This means that the remaining 8,757 hours are spent on self-care. It is essential that people with diabetes have education about their condition so that they can self-manage to a high level. Understanding your diabetes, how it affects your body and how your treatment works is essential for good self-management. Many Health Boards run their own face-to-face educational courses and we also have many online courses available on our website which you can access when it is convenient for you. These cover all aspects of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes management and several devices that you may now be using.
You can see the full list of courses here:https://elearning.mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/courses/
Logging-in to Online Courses (eLearning)
We have updated the way you can log in to the online courses mentioned above. You can either continue to use any login details you have created on My Diabetes My Way previously, or you can use your myaccount details to access the courses. Using myaccount means that you can now use the same login details to access your eLearning and your diabetes records online. If you used the same email address for eLearning and myaccount, then any eLearning course history should be maintained. Please let us know if you have any problems with this new way of working.
New Website Content
We have lots of information on the My Diabetes My Way website and we continually review it to keep it updated. This month we have added some information about the kidney-related complications of diabetes. Kidney function can often decline slowly over the years, and it is really important to take a first morning specimen of urine with you at least annually to your check-ups so that this can be measured. We have more information about kidney complications at the following links:
How Diabetes Affects Your Kidneys: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/resources/external/how-diabetes-affects-your-kidneys/
Kidney Disease (Nephropathy): https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/resources/external/kidney-disease-nephropathy/
Diabetes and Kidney Failure – A Patient’s Story: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/resources/external/diabetes-and-kidney-failure-a-patient-s-story/
Winter Vaccinations
Finally, a reminder that as winter approaches and winter viruses start to circulate, please get your flu vaccination in good time. Some people may be eligible for a Covid vaccination, but you need to check this with your GP as the eligibility criteria have changed this year. The following information shows how to book your flu vaccination online in Scotland: https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/immunisation/winter-vaccines
It is also a good time to check that your ketone strips are in date particularly if you have Type 1 diabetes and use a sensor. These strips have a fairly short shelf life, and you don’t want to be without them in case of illness. Also check that you have a copy of your Sick Day Rules handy. When you aren’t feeling well, you want to avoid having to go searching for them. Why not make up a sick day box with ketone strips, a meter and a copy of your sick day rules.
Sick Day Guidance for Type 1 Diabetes: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/resources/internal/sick-day-guidance-for-type-1-diabetes/
Sick Day Guidance for Type 2 Diabetes: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/resources/internal/sick-day-guidance-for-type-2-diabetes/
Facebook, X and Bluesky
Please remember, you can keep up-to-date with the latest news and useful information on the My Diabetes My Way Facebook, X and Bluesky pages.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mydiabetesmyway
X (formerly Twitter): https://www.twitter.com/mydiabetesmyway
Bluesky: @mydiabetesmyway.bsky.social
Help and Support
If you have not yet managed to gain access to your diabetes records on My Diabetes My Way, or would like an update on the status of your registration, please let us know. You can contact us regarding any problems or request further help and support by emailing: mydiabetes.myway@nhs.scot
Thank you for your continued support.