- With Mayo Clinic diabetes educators
Nancy Klobassa Davidson, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.
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Nancy Klobassa Davidson, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.
Nancy Klobassa Davidson and Peggy Moreland
Nancy Klobassa Davidson, R.N., B.S.N, C.D.E
Nancy Klobassa Davidson is a registered nurse who has worked in diabetes education for 17 years. She is a certified diabetes educator (C.D.E.) and is currently in graduate school working on a Master of Science in nursing (M.S.N.) and health care education.Nancy works with adults who have type 1, type 2 and other forms of diabetes. Nancy is coordinator of the Diabetes Unit's intensive insulin therapy program within the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Nancy has worked extensively with insulin pump therapy and continuous interstitial glucose sensing.
Peggy Moreland, R.N., M.S.N.
Peggy Moreland is a certified diabetes educator (C.D.E.) in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.Peggy graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing and Health Care Education from the University of Phoenix and is a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Diabetes Association. A certified diabetes educator (C.D.E.), Peggy enjoys working with patients to set and achieve diabetes self-management goals.
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Living with diabetes blog
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April 26, 2011
Diabetes lifestyle: Focus on small changes
By Nancy Klobassa Davidson, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.
A diabetes lifestyle is a demanding one, in which the majority of management is self-care. The key to managing your diabetes involves testing your blood sugar; taking diabetes medications, insulin or both; eating a healthy, balanced diet; exercising; caring for your feet; stopping smoking; and keeping your diabetes appointments with your provider. If you don't do these things, you're at great risk of developing diabetes complications.
Research has proven that complications are less likely to occur if you keep your blood glucose as near to normal as possible, yet, as diabetes educators, we hear many reasons why our clients don't make simple changes to better their own health. Here are a few.
- "I'm too young to have diabetes." This is a form of denial. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 13,000 young people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the United States each year. The number of children and adolescents diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate. New diagnoses for type 2 diabetes in children accounts for up to half of all diabetes diagnoses in children and adolescents.
- "I don't have enough time." Whether you work full-time or stay at home, it's important to take time to improve your way of life. Managing your blood sugar doesn't require you to make drastic changes. Break tasks down into smaller, doable actions. For example, take a 10-minute walk twice a day instead of walking for 20 minutes at one time. There are, however, things you must make time for. To stay healthy, you must test your blood sugar and take your diabetes medications.
- "I feel fine. Maybe high blood sugar is normal for me." High blood sugar is never normal. Normal blood sugar for people who don't have diabetes is 70 to 100 mg/dL (3.9 to 5.6 mmol/L). Diabetes is an insidious disease, often called a silent killer. You may feel fine, but damage is being done to your entire body, from your hearing and vision, to sexual function, to mental health and sleep.
Other comments we hear include everything from "I don't like vegetables" to "Lifestyle changes won't work, so just give me diabetes pills."
But no change is too small to ward off type 2 diabetes or to delay further progression of diabetes! A large, national study conducted at 27 sites around the U.S. found that small lifestyle changes are far more successful at warding off diabetes or delaying further progression of the disease than are medications. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) found that participants who lost a modest amount of weight through dietary changes and increased physical activity greatly reduced their chances of developing diabetes or developing further complications of diabetes.
Get started today and set a specific goal. Choose a lifestyle change that you're willing to work on. Don't change behaviors that will make your health care team happy — change for you. Ask yourself what you'd like to change and how you're going to do it, for how long, and how many days of the week. Start with one specific, attainable goal, for example, "I will walk 10 to 15 minutes three days a week for one month."
Lifestyle changes take patience, but, with persistence, you can make them happen.
Peggy
7 comments posted
February 27, 2012 4:47 p.m.
Susie, for me, living a "diabetes lifestyle" assures me that I WILL LIVE. Diabetes has the power to debilitate my body as well as take my life IF I choose to ignore it. I was hospitalized with a blood sugar level in the 700's about 6 weeks ago, & after I thanked God that I was still here, I learned everything I could on exactly how to live a "diabetes lifestyle". The Lord gave me 2 other lifelong diseases 25 years ago, and the diabetes 7 years ago.It's never even occurred to me to feel sorry for myself. The very least of my worries would be what other people think of me or what "category" they put me in. They've not walked a day in my shoes, as I haven't walked in theirs, so if someone dismisses me if they should find out about my diseases, it makes me wonder what they have been through in their life to make such a snap judgement.Everyone has their own cross to bear..some on the inside, some on the outside. Even though I feel I'm in control most of the time, yep. To an extent, diabetes does run my life..and I'm okay with that. Must I inform everyone about the shots or the pills or the things I go through every day to stay alive? Certainly not. Unless I would tell someone about being narcoleptic, cataplectic, and diabetic, they never know by just looking at me. There are so many others that have harder lives than you or I, so if living a "diabetic lifestyle" is the worst thing that happens today, I'd say we are very blessed.
- Kathy
May 10, 2011 12:03 p.m.
Susie: Having children with type 1 diabetes and a husband with type 2 diabetes I am sensitive to not putting a label on them as having diabetes. Living with diabetes is demanding. I can see where "diabetes lifestyle" might offend and I apologize.
- Peggy
May 4, 2011 11:10 p.m.
Ridiculous to state "diabetes lifestyle". I am a person with diabetes. Just exactly what do you mean by a diabetes lifestyle? Do people with hypothyroidism, as an example, live a "hypothyroid lifestyle". I am in control of how I treat my disease...but I am not the disease nor do I allow it to rule my life. I will not allow anyone to marginalize me simply because I have diabetes. I live a wonderful, full life and do not dwell on the sad fact that I am diabetic. My "glass" is always half full...with something sugarfree, of course! Your blog saddens me.
- susie
May 4, 2011 12:27 p.m.
Very very good article. Thank you.
- Fabio
May 2, 2011 1:39 p.m.
more like a ? how do you take care of someone when his family won't??? this man has just had his leg taken off from the knee....he is bull headed and pushes alot of his nurses away...he has come home and we check and feed him
- dallas
April 28, 2011 8:33 p.m.
For those with diabetes over a number of years, mental health is a sure sign that it is going to be downhill from thereon. Seeing and hearing someone trying to harm you; It's sort of like hallucination. There is not enough blood flowing to the brain.
- Zazabeth
April 28, 2011 8:44 a.m.
I am a 42 year old female with a fasting glucose level of 92, should I be concerned?
- Carmen
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