Lyfebulb and UnitedHealth Group Launch Second Annual Innovation Challenge for Patient Entrepreneurs

• Challenge aims to inspire patient-driven innovation in the management of depression and anxiety
• Finalists will compete at UnitedHealth Group headquarters for a chance to win $25,000

MINNETONKA, Minn. and NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ Lyfebulb LLC and UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) invite patient entrepreneurs to compete in “Empowering Patients: An Innovation Challenge,” for the second annual Lyfebulb and UnitedHealth Group Innovation Award.

This year’s challenge will recognize the top patient entrepreneurs developing innovative ideas for better management of depression and anxiety using health care information technology, medical devices, diagnostics, consumer products or services.

Eligible companies are those that are founded or led by a patient entrepreneur: someone who has been personally affected by depression or anxiety (themselves or through a loved one) and who develops a product or service to address an unmet need identified through personal experience. Companies based in the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec) are eligible to apply. The application, detailed rules and eligibility criteria can be found at click here. Applications are open until 11:59pm EST on May 31, 2019.

“Depression and anxiety are issues that particularly affect people living with chronic disease,” said Dr. Karin Hehenberger, founder and CEO of Lyfebulb. “We are honored to work with UnitedHealth Group on an issue that affects so many people in our community and nationwide. We are eager to tap into the unique insights that patients have, and leverage those to identify user-driven solutions by patient entrepreneurs for issues they face.”

A joint steering committee composed of Lyfebulb and UnitedHealth Group executives will conduct a thorough sourcing and screening process, and select 10 finalists who will be invited to the Empowering Patients event July 23-24, 2019, at UnitedHealth Group’s headquarters in Minnetonka. There, the finalists will pitch their solutions to a panel of experts (a jury) from the business, medical and patient communities. The jury will award a $25,000 prize to the company with the most innovative and impactful solution at the closing ceremony.

“Depression and anxiety weave through all areas of disease – chronic and acute – yet they are understudied and underserved in terms of dialogue and solutions today in the United States,” said Gene Baker, Ph.D., a research fellow at UnitedHealth Group. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Lyfebulb and look forward to hearing from patients and entrepreneurs to learn more about the innovative, patient-driven solutions to help people living with depression and chronic disease.”

About Lyfebulb
Lyfebulb is a chronic disease-focused, patient empowerment platform that connects patients and industry (manufacturers and payers) to support user-driven innovation. Lyfebulb promotes a healthy, take-charge lifestyle for those affected by chronic disease. Grounded with its strong foundation in diabetes, the company has expanded disease states covered into cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and depression/anxiety.

See www.lyfebulb.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Karin Hehenberger LinkedIn, and Lyfebulb LinkedIn.

About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.

Contact:

Lyfebulb
Karin Hehenberger, M.D., Ph.D., CEO
917-575-0210; Karin@lyfebulb.com

UnitedHealth Group
Tyler Mason
424-333-6122, tyler.mason@uhg.com

Lyfebulb and Celgene Announce Finalists for 2019 “Addressing Unmet Needs in MS: An Innovation Challenge”

Finalist patient entrepreneurs recognized for potential of innovations in multiple sclerosis (MS)

NEW YORK, May 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ Lyfebulb, a chronic disease-focused, patient-empowerment platform that connects patients with industry to support user-driven innovation, and Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) announced the 10 finalists chosen for the Lyfebulb-Celgene 2019 “Addressing Unmet Needs in MS: An Innovation Challenge.”

The following finalists will compete at the Innovation Challenge Summit on June 13, 2019, for a $25,000 monetary grant to further develop their proposed innovations:

• Abilitech Medical, Shawna Persaud: Medical device intended to help people with MS with mobility challenges use their arms
• AXS Map, Jason DaSilva: Web platform that allows users to locate, rate and review the accessibility of any location in the world
• BeCareLink, Alan Gilbert: Predictive artificial intelligence (AI) digital therapeutics platform which remotely measures clinically validated assessments of cognition and motion to help improve quality of care and reduce costs for people with MS
• C. Light Technologies, Inc, Zachary Helft: Neurotech and AI technology using eye motion measured on the cellular scale to monitor disease state in people with MS for treatment efficacy feedback
• Dance4Healing, Amy Li: AI-powered telehealth live video platform which brings community, exercise and physical rehabilitation into the home to encourage healthy behavior change
• Icometrix, Wim Van Hecke: AI-based brain imaging solutions to monitor disease progression
• Leoplus USA, Kinza Kasher: Device and app which aims to support communications between patients and care partners
• Loro co., David Hojah: Socially assistive companion robot for people with mobility challenges
• Moodify, Kate Milliken: Web-based tool which builds communities, aims to reduce loneliness, creates searchable content moments and tracks the emotional journey
• ThermApparel LLC, Bradley Dunn: Lightweight, comfortable and concealable cooling apparel for people with extreme heat sensitivity

“At Lyfebulb, we build communities of patients with chronic disease around a message of inspiration and hope for the future. Each of these patient entrepreneurs is inspirational, as they have taken their frustrations of living with their disease – or observing it in a loved one – and are working to turn those insights into business solutions to help members of the MS community live their daily lives more comfortably,” said Dr. Karin Hehenberger, CEO and Founder of Lyfebulb.

These finalists are being recognized as outstanding patient entrepreneurs – those who have been affected by MS as either a patient, loved one or support partner – whose companies are helping develop solutions to address an unmet need in MS. A “pitch session” will be held at the Challenge Summit, and a winner will be chosen by a diverse group of experts in the MS, healthcare and business communities. The panel of judges will include:

• Tim Coetzee, PhD: Chief Advocacy, Services and Research Officer, National Multiple Sclerosis Society;
• Adam Fine: General Partner and CEO, Windham Venture Partners;
• Elizabeth Jones: MS Patient Ambassador;
• Darin T. Okuda, MD, MS, FAAN, FANA: Director, Neuroinnovation Program, Multiple Sclerosis & Neuroimmunology Imaging Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center; and
• Deneen Vojta, MD: Executive Vice President, Global Research & Development, UnitedHealth Group.

“We are excited to bring together these patient entrepreneurs, judges and members of the Celgene and Lyfebulb teams for an engaging and interactive summit,” said Terrie Curran, President, Celgene Inflammation and Immunology. “Ultimately, we hope to foster discussion about ways to advance innovation in the space and look forward to awarding this grant that will help support people with MS and their families.”

About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often debilitating disease that affects approximately 2.5 million people worldwide. In MS, an abnormal response of the body’s immune system causes inflammation and damage to myelin—the substance covering nerve fibers—in addition to damage to nerves themselves. Signs and symptoms are varied and can pose significant challenges in daily life.

About Lyfebulb
Lyfebulb is a chronic disease-focused, patient empowerment platform that connects patients and industry (manufacturers and payers) to support user-driven innovation. Lyfebulb promotes a healthy, take-charge lifestyle for those affected by chronic disease. Grounded with its strong foundation in diabetes, the company has expanded disease states covered into cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and depression/anxiety.

See www.lyfebulb.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Karin Hehenberger LinkedIn, and Lyfebulb LinkedIn.

About Celgene
Celgene Corporation, headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, is an integrated global pharmaceutical company engaged primarily in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases through next-generation solutions in protein homeostasis, immuno-oncology, epigenetics, immunology and neuro-inflammation. For more information, please visit www.celgene.com. Follow Celgene on Social Media: @Celgene, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

For inquiries, please contact:

Lyfebulb
Karin Hehenberger, M.D., Ph.D., CEO
917-575-0210;

If your elderly mom or dad is unable to live independently, your options can include finding a private care facility for them, in-home care, or moving them in with you. If that move is cross-country, there are many factors to consider to make the transition a smooth one. Read on for a guide on what to do if you need to move your senior parent closer to you.

Decide How to Transport Them

Consider the comfort level of your parents when choosing how to move them across state lines. If choosing to fly them out, try to make it a direct flight for the easiest experience for them, especially if they are in a wheelchair or have other mobility issues.

Bring in Support Services

To provide the best experience, choose a companion who specializes in non-emergency medical transport services. This individual can make a long journey by air more comfortable for your parents and for you, as they can provide you with updates on travel and health-related details in addition to providing any required medical care.

Hire a Realtor

Be ready to step in and help your parent sell their home. They may not be mentally able to decide on a realtor themselves, perhaps because of strong emotions intertwined with the home or because of issues like dementia.

To help sell the home quicker, so that your parent can settle fully into your place, take the time to hire a real estate professional who understands your needs, who knows the market, and who knows how to negotiate to price effectively.

De-Clutter the Home

Like most people, your loved one likely has accumulated many possessions over the years, which may mean that their house is full of clutter.

It can seem overwhelming to have to take time off work to help your parent downsize their household. However, it’s much better to do so in person rather than leaving it all to them to do alone, especially if they are in physical pain.

As you work with them to downsize, be patient, as they likely have emotional attachments to many of the items. Pack the cherished pieces, such as family photo albums, and arrange to move them to the new residence.

Moving Possessions

Now that decisions have been made about what to pack, donate or sell off anything that won’t be kept. Use the money from any sales toward moving expenses.

The most popular ways to move belongings across state lines include truck rental companies, professional movers, and container services. Decide which one is best for your situation by weighing each option’s pros and cons. For example, experienced movers can pack, load, ship, and unpack the household items for you.

Ensure Everyone Has the Same Goals

Most importantly, do not assume that your parents and siblings all want the same thing. To align your goals, have honest discussions with them about the move. Taking the time now to make sure that everyone is on the same page will reduce stress.

If it’s not an emergency move, give your parents time to adjust to the idea of moving to a new place, leaving their friends, and all the other concomitant changes. Lastly, check-in with your parents at every stage of the move. Enjoy having them close to you to provide the best care possible and make new memories together.

Winners of the second annual Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Summit & Awards in Oncology announced

• Mihir Shah of UE LifeSciences Inc. has been selected as the winner of the 2019 Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Award in Oncology
• Pierluigi Paracchi of Genenta Science has been selected as the winner of the 2019 Squinto-LePera Award

 

MONACO, PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO and NEW YORK, NY, MARCH 19, 2019: 
Lyfebulb, a patient-empowerment platform that connects patients with industry to support user-driven innovation, and Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on building quality cancer care, today announced that Mihir Shah of UE LifeSciences and Pierluigi Paracchi of Genenta Science were chosen as winners of the second Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Summit and Awards in Oncology. Mihir received the Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Award, and Pierluigi received The Squinto-LePera award, which was presented by Dr. Stephen Squinto and Denise LePera. The awards recognize outstanding innovations by Patient Entrepreneurs which advance solutions in the prevention, management or care of cancer, and have the potential to be commercialized.

Mihir Shah founded UE LifeSciences to enable affordable and scalable access to early diagnosis of cancer for women everywhere, after seeing his mother-in-law go through breast cancer. The company’s iBreastExam, a US FDA-cleared, hand-held device, enables health workers to identify non-palpable breast lumps in just a few minutes, without pain or radiation and at a fraction of the cost of a mammogram.

Inspired by his mother’s brush with cancer, Pierluigi Paracchi, an experienced venture capitalist, co-founded Genenta Science, a clinical stage immune-gene therapy company which leverages the ground-breaking science from Professor Naldini at the San Raffaele Milano hospital. Genenta has phase 1 / 2 trials ongoing in multiple myeloma and glioblastoma.

Ten inspiring finalists were invited to compete at the 2019 Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Summit in Oncology, which was hosted on March 18-19 by Lyfebulb and Helsinn in Monaco. All finalists were Patient Entrepreneurs, meaning that they are cancer patients, survivors or people with   a close relative or loved one who has been affected by cancer. Over the course of the Summit, the finalists presented their businesses to a jury with diverse expertise in cancer. Each winner received a $25,000 monetary grant.

“The innovations demonstrated at this Summit clearly show how the personal experiences of each of the ten finalists have informed and driven them in developing impactful solutions for people affected by cancer. We look forward to following their progress and believe that the Lyfebulb Patient Entrepreneur Circle and its Innovation Summits can play a significant role in their journey,” said Dr. Karin Hehenberger, CEO and Founder of Lyfebulb.

Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO, added, “We were very impressed by the quality of applications received for this Innovation Summit and the finalists who competed in Monaco. We congratulate the winners and know the jury chose worthy award recipients, Mihir and Pierluigi. Helsinn is proud to be supporting dynamic entrepreneurs who are bringing innovation and personal experience to developing solutions to the challenges of cancer, and the second year of this event has demonstrated that this is a powerful idea with momentum. Looking ahead, we hope that this Innovation Summit will inspire more Patient Entrepreneurs to come forward in providing further solutions in cancer.”

The Lyfebulb-Helsinn Award recognizes outstanding potential among entrepreneurs who have demonstrated an ability to develop and bring to market solutions that improve quality of life of people with cancer. The Squinto-LePera Award by Lyfebulb was generously donated by Dr. Stephen Squinto and Denise LePera, and was added to the Summit to provide additional recognition among a highly talented pool of finalists.

About Lyfebulb

Lyfebulb is a chronic disease-focused, patient empowerment platform that connects patients and industry (manufacturers and payers) to support user-driven innovation. Lyfebulb promotes a healthy, take-charge lifestyle for those affected by chronic disease. Grounded with its strong foundation in diabetes, the company has expanded disease states covered into cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis.
See www.lyfebulb.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Lyfebulb LinkedIn, and Karin Hehenberger LinkedIn.

About Helsinn International Services sarl

Helsinn International Services sarl is the Helsinn subsidiary which provides a range of advisory services and strategic activities to the Group and its specific companies. In particular, it acts as the advisory company to Helsinn Investment Fund.

About Helsinn Investment Fund S.A., SICAR

The Helsinn Investment Fund is focused on early-stage investments in areas of high unmet patient need. Backed by the Helsinn Group, and guided by Helsinn’s core values of quality, integrity and respect, Helsinn Investment Fund aims to help companies with innovative technologies to transform new ideas into commercial solutions with the potential to impact health-related quality of life of patients.
Drawing on Helsinn’s over 40 years of investment into research and development and commercial expertise, the investment fund selects companies with technologies in a range of areas including cancer therapeutics and diagnostics, cancer supportive care, metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders, and dermatology conditions.
For more information, visit www.helsinninvestmentfund.com

About the Helsinn Group

Helsinn is a privately owned pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed cancer care products and a robust drug development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality. The Group works across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and nutritional supplements and has expertise in research, development, manufacture and the commercialization of therapeutic and supportive care products for cancer, pain and inflammation and gastroenterology. In 2016, Helsinn created the Helsinn Investment Fund to support early-stage investment opportunities in areas of unmet patient need. The company is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Switzerland, Ireland, the U.S., Monaco and China, as well as a product presence in approximately 190 countries globally.
To learn more about Helsinn Group please visit www.helsinn.com

For more information:

Helsinn Group Media Contact
Paola Bonvicini
Group Head of Communication
Lugano, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0) 91 985 21 21
Info-hhc@helsinn.com
For more information, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Vimeo.

Press Contact for Lyfebulb: 
Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD
CEO & Founder, Lyfebulb,
Phone: + 00 1 917-575-0210
Email: karin@lyfebulb.com

 

 

Ten finalists have been chosen for the second annual Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Summit & Awards in Oncology  

GlobeNewswire – New York, NY – February 27, 2019

• The Award recognizes Patient Entrepreneurs’ innovations for cancer and cancer supportive care using therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices or healthcare IT tools 

MONACO, PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO and NEW YORK, NY, FEBRUARY 27 2019:  

Lyfebulb, a patient empowerment platform that connects patients, industry and investors to support user-driven innovation toward solutions in chronic disease, and Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on building quality cancer care, today announce the names of the ten Patient Entrepreneurs chosen as finalists for the Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Summit & Awards in Oncology. 

The following inspirational finalists will compete at the Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Summit, on March 18 and 19, 2019, for two $25,000 grants: 

• Karl Blohm, PhD of SafeHeal SAS 
• Matt De Silva of Notable Labs 
• Carlos Garcia of Welwaze Medical Inc. 
• Philippe Halfon MD, PhD, PharmD of Genoscience Pharma 
• David Hysong of Shepherd Therapeutics 
• Pierluigi Paracchi of Genenta Science 
• Florence Séjourné of Da Volterra  
• Mihir Shah of UE LifeSciences Inc. 
• Ira Spector, PhD of SFA Therapeutics Inc. 
• Maria Zannes of bioAffinity Technologies  

The Awards will recognize outstanding Patient Entrepreneurs building groundbreaking companies to advance the prevention, diagnosis, management or care of cancer patients. The finalists represent companies that have been founded by cancer patients, cancer survivors or those with loved ones affected by cancer. A “pitch session” will be held at the summit, where a jury of experts will select the ultimate winners. 

“At Lyfebulb, we believe individuals living with a chronic disease have not only unique insights, but also solutions to address needs they identify in their daily lives. We thank and salute each and every Patient Entrepreneur who applied to our Challenge, and we look forward to the highly collaborative two days we will spend with our teams, jury and finalists, who each bring their unique strategy to reducing the burden of living with cancer,” said Dr. Karin Hehenberger, CEO and Founder of Lyfebulb. 

Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO, added, “So many of us are affected by cancer, and bringing new and advanced solutions to the marketplace is at the heart of what the Helsinn Group does. Helsinn and the Helsinn Investment Fund are  committed to positively impacting the patient community by mentoring, partnering, investing in or connecting these innovators as they pursue their entrepreneurial journey and we are delighted to be working with Lyfebulb on this summit and awards for a second year.” 

About Lyfebulb 

Lyfebulb is a chronic disease–focused, patient empowerment platform that connects patients, industry (manufacturers and payers) and investors to support user-driven innovation. Lyfebulb promotes a healthy, take-charge lifestyle for those affected by chronic disease. Grounded with its strong foundation in diabetes, the company has expanded disease states covered into cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. 

See www.lyfebulb.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Lyfebulb LinkedIn, and Karin Hehenberger LinkedIn.  

About Helsinn International Services sarl 

Helsinn International Services sarl is the Helsinn subsidiary which provides a range of advisory services and strategic activities to the Group and its specific companies. In particular, it acts as the advisory company to Helsinn Investment Fund.   

 About Helsinn Investment Fund S.A., SICAR 

The Helsinn Investment Fund is focused on early-stage investments in areas of high unmet patient need. Backed by the Helsinn Group, and guided by Helsinn’s core values of quality, integrity and respect, Helsinn Investment Fund aims to help companies with innovative technologies to transform new ideas into commercial solutions with the potential to impact health-related quality of life of patients.  

Drawing on Helsinn’s over 40 years of investment into research and development and commercial expertise, the investment fund selects companies with technologies in a range of areas including cancer therapeutics and diagnostics, cancer supportive care, metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders, and dermatology conditions.  

For more information, visit www.helsinninvestmentfund.com 

About  the  Helsinn  Group 

Helsinn is a privately owned pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed cancer care products and a robust drug development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality. The Group works across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and nutritional supplements and has expertise in research, development, manufacture and the commercialization of therapeutic and supportive care products for cancer, pain and inflammation and gastroenterology. In 2016, Helsinn created the Helsinn Investment Fund to support early-stage investment opportunities in areas of unmet patient need. The company is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Switzerland, Ireland, the U.S., Monaco and China, as well as a product presence in approximately 190 countries globally. 

To learn more about Helsinn Group please visit  www.helsinn.com 

For  more  information: 
Helsinn  Group  Media  Contact 
Paola  Bonvicini 
Group Head  of  Communication 
Lugano,  Switzerland 
Tel: +41 (0) 91 985 21 21 
Info-hhc@helsinn.com 
For more information, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn  and  Vimeo. 

Press Contact for Lyfebulb:  
Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD 
CEO & Founder, Lyfebulb,  
Phone: + 00 1 917-575-0210  
Email: karin@lyfebulb.com 
HELS-US-0031 

By: Yerachmiel Altman

I achieved 57 years of living with type 1 diabetes this year! I was diagnosed just one month after my 2nd birthday and have logged half a million hours of living with type 1 to this day! I want to share with you the tips and knowledge I’ve acquired through my top 15 tips living and working with diabetes. Hopefully you find these as useful as I have. Remember that everyone has a different way of treating their disease so don’t worry if some of these tips don’t apply to you!

1. Put your mind into it.

If you focus on what’s important to your health, it opens up wider possibilities than thought before.

2. Don’t judge yourself

3. Don’t compare yourself to others.

4. Its not your fault.

You didn’t choose to have diabetes, it chose you!

5. Make smart choices everyday

Diabetes self-care is all about choices. Human minds create over 35,000 choices about every five seconds.

6. Don’t wait for the cure.

Ever have someone talk about the “cure in five years” ? Do your best to control diabetes to best of your ability.  Monitoring your diabetes will only lead to better health and a longer, happier life with hopefully less complications. This will help to leave you in improved conditions to be eligible for breakthrough treatments when they ARE available.

7. No your way or the highway thinking.

Don’t think the way you are doing it is the best or only way.  Always read, research and try (under medical supervision) different ways of treatment, wellness, and care. Listen to those around you.

8. Know thyself and thy diet.

Always learn as much as possible about your own self.  Everyone has certain foods that for themselves don’t follow the standard “curve” (and/or standard “carb count”).

9. Find your niche and your system.

Each person has to find the system or methods that work best for them.

10. Get Techy

Technology has given us many many modern inventions which aid in our control and understanding of diabetes – you have determine which of them works best for you and which ones aren’t as helpful.

11. Find a mentor. Find a community.

Vitally important to have others who are type 1 and similar in length and type of diabetes as well as and other life factors.  It is also important to have a “mentor”; someone else to ask questions of.  Having another person to ask or to bounce ideas off of can many times resolve issues before they become problems.  Additionally long term use of equipment gets us into habits  –  having others to ask may open doors we didn’t even know existed.

12. Pay it forward: spread your knowledge to others!

It is very important once one has learned enough to help others.  It is both really helpful for the other people AND very good for yourself.

13. Surround yourself with love

Always have family and friends who lift you up, and help guide you through the tough times that come with being a T1D patient. There is always hope!

14. Open up

Diabetes doesn’t have to be a secret, share with others about your disease. Sometimes it can be hard to talk about your chronic illness but with more awareness comes more acceptance. However you always know how much is safe or okay to disclose,you are never obligated to tell people or only focus on your disease. You’re a multidimensional person!

15. Enjoy Life!! You CAN live a joyous and fulfilling life with diabetes!

Article By: Trishna Bharadia

Originally published on Life Effects by Teva  | 07 February 2019Trishna Bharadia

Fatigue has been the one MS symptom that has been a constant for me from the point of diagnosis. It’s not that unusual, since fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS which means I know that I’m not alone in experiencing it.

What can make it harder to cope with though is that people experience fatigue in different ways. So just like there’s no “one size fits all” method of managing your MS in general, the same can go for fatigue.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TRISHNA FIGHTS MS FATIGUE

Lyfebulb Family,

Most post surgery tips are very practical like how to apply bandages, when to take medication, or what foods to eat to avoid inflammation. My number one suggestion, although it may not be as obvious, is the most practical thing you can do. To know the whole story, let’s rewind to the first week of April 2018.

Just this past spring, right before I was set to have a double mastectomy/breast reconstruction, my iPhone went on the fritz with the newest update. It started to freeze on the regular, shut off at 60% battery, and send multiple texts to the wrong people. One must know thing about me- my phone is my bread and butter, continuing to this very day as Lyfebulb’s newest Social Media Marketing Manager. I love writing, designing, editing, all done with a finger tap or swipe. Most days you will find me at my desk with my phone permanently affixed to my hand. I swear, it’s for work.

Beyond the professional demands placed on my phone, I had two breasts chock full of strange phyllodes tumors, and a lot of worried friends and family trying to drop me a line. If they couldn’t reach me, or worse, if my clinicians couldn’t reach me, then it could become a matter of life or death!

Armed with a justifiable reason to put a dent in my next credit card statement, I waltzed into my phone carrier store and made a beeline for the iPhone X. Finally, I was back at the forefront of technology! Goodbye dropped calls, frozen home screens, and fading battery power. HELLO face recognition, the all glass screen, and 256 gigabytes of memory. I was thrilled and put at ease by my new phone all at once. My loved ones and doctors could now easily reach me through a reliable device, and I would have a life line to the rest of the world during my long recovery.

The big day finally came. After my surgery I spent three days in the hospital during which I was so sore I could barely use my arms. Then I was discharged and sent home to sleep in a medical grade recliner for a month. My partner set me up with a tray right in front of the TV so I could rest comfortably in my post-anesthesia-painkiller-induced stupor.

Now, if I can sneak in one small tip on post surgery binge worthy television it would be to gorge yourself on the Great British Bake Off. Between bouts of intense pain and sleep were blissful images of proving dough, chantilly cream, and chocolate drizzles. It was exactly what I needed. In my happily TV ever after, I indulged in endless GBBO marathons from the glamorous location of my small Brooklyn apartment, all while sitting in a medical chair with throw pillows duct taped over the armrests.

Then one day the buzzer sounded. In the first couple weeks after my surgery I had a number of visitors, but on this day I wasn’t expecting anyone. My partner buzzed them in and opened the front door. We waited, but nobody came, so he went downstairs to investigate and returned with a large box left by a delivery person. Inside this monstrosity of cardboard was approximately sixty dollars worth of cake decorating supplies.

Was this some kind of mistake, or had my great British fairy godmother answered my dreams? I went into my Amazon account orders and found that I was, in fact, the aspirational baking culprit. To add even more humor to my predicament, I found some pain-med induced plans to start a baking business as well, and me with zero pro baking experience typed this up brazenly into my iPhone notes. The drowsy half awake call was coming from inside the house folks, but I had no recollection of when it took place or how I made the payment.

I still didn’t have the strength to use my laptop- and definitely didn’t have the brain bandwidth to enter a complex password. It finally dawned on me later that day when my new phone opened without having to enter the old numeric combination. Thanks to my newfangled iPhone X, I confirmed the purchase without even one single clumsy thumb jab, but with my FACE.

As my cautionary tale comes to an end, I impart with you the pre-surgical wisdom to TURN OFF your Face ID purchasing privileges. Moreover, don’t let Alexa, Google, Siri, Watson, Cortana or any other shiny A.I. companions let you purchase something from the ether with your thumb print, your voice, or your face.Thankfully all I bought was cake decorating supplies. Now when I get some free time, I’ll have a brand new hobby to start up.

Should I start taking orders?

Helayne Kushner

If you have any tips you’d like to share, have any pitches for blog posts, or have any questions for Helayne, email us at ambassadors@lyfebulb.com!

 

What would you add? Share and get your chemo tricks on CancerLyfe.

At Lyfebulb, we’re SO lucky to have Lauren Bongiorno on our T1D Lyfebulb Ambassador Team! Her expertise in countless areas related to self empowerment, fitness, nutrition and health is what makes her such a great influencer. We can all learn a thing or two from Lauren’s expertise!

Today we’re highlighting some of Lauren’s best wellness tips from  IG to share with you today. Her advice is relatable to everyone living with a chronic illness, T1D patients, or  even those interested in creating a well-balanced life.

Check her out at LaurenBongiorno.com !

TIP 1: PENCIL IN VACATION WORKOUT SESSIONS TO KEEP BALANCED

TIP 2: ENJOY YOUR VACATION: DON’T THINK ABOUT “EARNING YOUR MEAL”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsYUhi7lLxY/

TIP 3: PRIORITIZE YOUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING!

TIP 4: BE PRESENT IN THE MOMENT, YOUR BODY, AND LIFE

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsL8BilFoxh/

TIP 5: STICK TO A DAILY ROUTINE

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsTouZWF34H/