Award-winning Conference Returns with New Opportunities
Procrastination is an interesting concept. We have good intentions of following through with plans, but for some reason, they often fall to the wayside, and opportunities are missed. Well, I have some good news for you! If you had planned to register for the "Taking the Mystery Out of Diabetes" conference but didn't get around to sending in your registration, you still have time! However, this must be done by the end of the workday on Monday, April 23.
The 2012 "Taking the Mystery Out of Diabetes" conference will bring top-notch speakers, sessions, and exhibitors to our own back yard! On a side note, the 2011 conference and the committee who planned and implemented the conference, will be awarded the Community Partnership Award to be presented during the 2012 Texas Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences Conference this summer. This award is based on its effectiveness in addressing a prevalent issue and the measurable impact on participants. Due to the success of the conference, Hopkins County has been asked to serve again as host county for this regional event. I'm pleased to offer this opportunity to all who want to learn more about diabetes management.
The conference will feature a keynote address by Dr. Carol Rice, Professor and Specialist in Family Development & Resource Management, Texas A&M University. Participants will have the opportunity to visit exhibits to receive information and give-away items. Lunch will feature the cuisine of Cindy Welch, certified culinary chef. Cooking demonstrations and physical activity demonstrations will be provided during the lunch hour, and each participant will receive a cookbook and elastic exercise band.
Following lunch, participants will attend two concurrent sessions of their choice. The sessions that will be offered are:
- 1. "Got Questions? Get the Answers - Diabetes Basics", led by dietitian, Debbie Latham. This would be a great session for those who are newly diagnosed and need help understanding basic management practices.
- 2. "Insulin Use - Type 1 and Type 2", led by Pharmacist Oscar Medelline and Texas Tech School of Pharmacy interns. Learn why insulin must be used for some individuals, and sometimes even those with type 2 diabetes.
- 3. "Wise Dining with Diabetes", led by dietitian Kim Sellers. Learn the tricks to making healthy food choices while dining away from home, as well as how to handle those portions that might send your blood sugar spiraling.
- 4. "Diabetes Medications", led by Dr. Lyndsi White, founder of IntelliCare Pharmacy Consultants. Understand what your specific diabetes medication does and how each one functions differently in the body.
- 5. "Wound Care/Foot Care", led by Carol Mowat, Clinical coordinator for Wound Care at Memorial, and Tanya Griffin, Clinical Intake Coordinator for home health. Foot care and wound care are important issues for individuals with diabetes. Learn to recognize problems before they become complications.
- 6. "Sign & Symptoms/ Other Diseases", led by Dr. Carol Rice. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are frequent problems for individuals with diabetes. Another issue, especially with those with type 1 diabetes, is celiac disease (gluten intolerance). Dr. Rice will review symptoms and provide information on managing these other related diseases.
If you are one of those procrastinators I mentioned earlier, take action now to register for this event. Here are the specifics:
- · Date: Tuesday, May 1, 2012
- · Location: First Baptist Church, 116 Oak Avenue, Sulphur Springs, TX
- · Time: Check-in 8:30 to 9:00 a.m., with conference to begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.
- · Cost: $25 covers all conference materials, catered lunch, gifts, concurrent sessions, exhibit fair, and door prizes
- · Registration forms available at http://hopkins.agrilife.org, or come by the Extension Office, 1200-B W. Houston Street. Forms also available at the Southwest Dairy Museum, Wound Care Clinic, and surrounding county Extension Offices. Forms must be in the Hopkins, Hunt, Wood, or Rains County Extension Office by 5:00 p.m., Monday, April 23.
Closing Thought
Life has many twists and turns and sometimes what looks like a very bad day can just be clearing the way for good things to come.
Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed.
Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Agent
Hopkins County
1200-B W. Houston
P.O. Box 518
Sulphur Springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 - phone
903-439-4909 - fax
jshicks@ag.tamu.edu
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