I have written about this before, but thought it was worth repeating as there are people every day being newly diagnosed with diabetes. I am writing about my personal experiences. I am a person with Type 2 Diabetes. Any advice that sounds good should be discussed first and always with your doctor. The italics are from my earlier posts.
I was diagnosed in October 2003 while in the hospital with angina problems. The last (almost) seven years have been a learning experience and have not always been easy.
The first thing I had to learn and accept was - it was not my fault. The second lesson took a lot longer - I cannot change the past - it is the past and I have to learn to live in the present. Painful, yes, and at times harder than a real job. This requires my attention seven days a week and does not allow for a vacation.
The above statement is the first rule for anyone newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Many people spend years suffering because they cannot put the past behind them and still believe they are somehow at fault. If you are that way, please realize that you would have to blame all your ancestors. Yes, all, because they gave you the genetic possibility to develop the diabetes that you have. One may have given you a part and another something else, and then you did something that triggered the diabetes you have. This may be a simplification, but could well be what happened. Several generations may have had the setup for diabetes, but it was never triggered.
Once you have followed the first rule, then you need to start reading as much about diabetes as you are capable of reading. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet, so be cautious. There is also a lot of correct information and often the situation will easy to discern.
One of my fellow bloggers has an excellent blog on becoming a more informed advocate for yourself. His discussion is to the point and more people need to learn this art of patient empowerment. Doctors also need to learn to work with patients in a non-confrontational manner. This would be a win-win situation for both. The doctor would have more time for other patients and the empowered patients would get better treatment.
Patient empowerment is going to be a hot button issue in 2011 in my opinion as the movement to related topics like digitizing medical records and health care reforms get implemented.
ReplyDeleteThe importance of this issue cannot be ignored for its importance not only to the diabetic patient, physician relationship but for improved diabetes self management as well. From my piece you can see a major hospital like the Mayo clinic spearheading the efforts to increase patient empowerment. I for one am all for any process, tool, knowledge or procedure that makes diabetes management that mush easier and more effective.
Thanks for the link to my piece by the way,I appreciate it.
You are welcome. If your work does not help then maybe two of us together can assist in getting the point across.
ReplyDeleteHave you read the latest news on preventing type 2 diabetes out of UCLA?
ReplyDeleteCoffee linked to diabetes prevention
I have always thought that my favorite beverage (coffee) held health benefits, now we have substantial proof that coffee and diabetes are a good mix when it comes to prevention.
Smiles,
Betty Z
Since I do not drink coffee, I had read this and thought "may" is the key word here. For some this may work and for others it remains to be seen.
ReplyDelete