Welcome to the GYST website!
‘GYST’ is a fresh, new holistic approach to the complex process of transition. It's a comprehensive ‘life guide’ covering all the most important aspects of getting set up in adult life with specific information for young people living with diabetes.
On this website you will find loads of useful resources to help you navigate your way through the every day challenges of transition such as starting uni, getting a license, moving out of home, getting a job and travelling. Each of these issues requires special consideration when a medical condition is involved.
The GYST education package has been designed on the premise that transition to adulthood, for any young person, brings into play an array of interconnected life issues. You most likely see your diabetes as just another one of these issues, but you face a higher degree of difficulty because your medical condition has the potential to influence, or be influenced by, almost all of the other areas of your life.
The GYST package includes a DVD which is packed full of valuable information that every young person needs to know.
We will be adding more information to this site over the coming months so keep checking in.
The GYST Principle
The word ‘transition’ suggests that a person is in ‘limbo’ i.e. no longer at A, but not yet at B. This is not a comfortable state for anyone to be in - particularly during a time when they are still in the process of shaping their lifestyle. Despite the fact that we all go through it on our way to adulthood, 'transition’ is a term used mainly by health professionals and it is pretty foreign to most young people (with or without diabetes).
The process of finishing paediatric care then attending your first appointment at an adult hospital, is perhaps more accurately described as 'transferring’ as it takes a while to fully ‘get the GYST’ of it all and everyone gets it at their own pace.
Free DVD!
The GYST DVD was mailed out free of charge in mid August 2007 to young people with diabetes aged 16 – 21 years. If you did not receive your free copy, contact Diabetes Australia in your state immediately. If you haven’t seen GYST yet, check out the preview clip ‘The Making of GYST’. It’s a hoot!
Australian Music Industry gets the GYST
The GYST soundtrack is amazing, showcasing a broad range of exciting new and popular Australian musical talent.
We were fortunate to forge a partnership with The Association of Independent Record Labels (AIR) who helped us locate bands and individual performers who were willing to contribute their music to the project. AIR is a national, not for profit industry association, proactively serving and representing the interests and development of Australian independent record labels across Australia and the world.
Our sincerest thanks to AIR, the artist’s management teams and the artists themselves for their extraordinary generosity. Show your support by checking out their websites, by attending their gigs and buying their CDs.
The Making of GYST
Watch the off-screen antics in The Making of GYST preview clip.
Links
- Getting the Music - Musicians links
- Getting on the Road - Driver's License
- Getting the Gig - Employment
- Getting a Room - Accommodation
- Getting Away - Travelling
- Getting the Gist - Support & Health Resources
The GYST project was funded by a Strategic Development Grant under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The NDSS is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health & Ageing administered by Diabetes Australia Ltd.