Dr Ashley Ng

On December 5th 2017, the OzDOC as we know and love, held its last Tweetchat after 5 years. The OzDOC team made the difficult to call it a day (for now) as no one had the capacity to continue leading it. As part of our last tweetchat, we reflected on what OzDOC meant to us.

Having always been quite shy in person, I found it easier to connect with others online. Being part of Facebook support groups gave me the unique insights and experiences of life with diabetes.

Before I knew it, I found myself at the heart of the Diabetes Online Community and I loved it. I had found my tribe. While most people I had met online was open minded and willing to listen, some weren’t. I learned to deal with them and the trolls as well. I also learned that every person you meet with diabetes doesn’t have to be your best friend.

Being part of OzDOC was a life-changing turning point for me. Hearing the experiences and insights of others enabled me to make better or informed choices about my own diabetes care. OzDOC empowered me to take charge and own my health.

I started to view diabetes not as a disease that dictated my life. Diabetes may be a part of my life but I learned that it was possible to live with it. And whenever I find myself in a dark space, I know that I’m never alone. I can always turn to the online community for support and encouragement. From OzDOC, I know I have made some life-long friends.

Stars don’t shine forever. While it’s time for the OzDOC team to move on or take a break, I’m confident the #OzDOC hashtag will live on. I hope that it will continue to be a safe and welcoming space for people to connect with others and learn about life with diabetes. At the moment, @BionicWookie continues to keep the OzDOC tweetchats alive, so I’m looking forward to seeing what 2018 will hold for us!