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Beth – Type 1 Diabetes - Sharing the burden of diabetes management
Diabetes Diagnosis and Treatment - Type 1
I found out I had diabetes when I was ten years old. I had a severe case of the measles. Then I had my tonsils out and I didn’t recover well and started to lose weight. They tested me and found out that my blood sugar was very high. That was about 47 years ago.
When I first found out I had type 1 diabetes, I thought my life would change drastically. And it did, because I couldn't eat what I wanted to. I had to measure my food, and eat at certain times. I also had to take insulin injections coordinated with my diet. My activity level also changed, because I couldn't be as spontaneous as I originally was. I had to know what I was going to do so that I could adjust my insulin level and my food intake. Type 1 diabetes changed my life quite a bit. Knowing I had diabetes as a child made me feel somewhat different than the rest of the kids. But my parents did a very good job of making me feel accepted and that the habits I needed to form as a child diabetic were just a natural way of life.
Even so, the potential consequences of unmanaged type 1 diabetes can be severe. There can be eye damage, damage to the circulation, nerve-end damage and kidney damage. There can be very extensive damage with type 1 diabetes. And it is something that is always in your mind.
I feel that prior to coming to DiabetesAmerica™, I was not managing my type 1 diabetes very well. Not as well as I could have. The treatment of my type 1 diabetes was pretty much left up to me, with an occasional visit to a doctor, who would look at my blood sugar results and tell me how to adjust my insulin level.
Over 47 years of diabetes, I have had many doctors. But I have noticed in the last five to ten years, we've had insurance companies who want the doctors to see many patients in one day. My doctor would spend no more than five minutes with me. He would take a quick look at my blood sugar log, and in a nanosecond, give me a recommended course of action. And from that point on, it was up to me to be able to make changes. Just take it upon myself to manage diabetes…. It was very difficult. Psychologically, I felt that all the responsibility fell on my shoulders. Since I've come to the center, I feel that I am able to share that responsibility with people who care. And, although I have been doing this for a long time, you can't really look at it as 47 years of experience, because the technology has changed so much over the years.
DiabetesAmerica™ Treatment
My first visit to DiabetesAmerica™ just knocked my socks off! The center is so patient-oriented, it's unbelievable. From the moment you walk in the door, it's very bright, very light, very welcoming. Every member on the staff is cheerful and very willing to help. There's no glass window protecting them from the patients. It's just very open and friendly. And the doctors and the staff people relate to the patient. They act as though they really care. DiabetesAmerica™ is different from the doctors I've gone to in the past because they're interested in me as a patient, as a person. Not as a number. And that really hit me.
I was also impressed by the follow-up. Within two or three days after my first visit at the center, they even called me to see if I needed any prescription refills. This was such a new experience. I have never had another doctor’s office treat me that way.
It's important to me to have everything and everyone under one roof, because in the past, it would take a considerable amount of time to go to a dietician, to go to a lab, to go to a medical doctor all in different parts of town. Not only was it not an efficient use of my time, but my condition could change in between visits. So it is very helpful to have all these services under one roof at the health center. And one thing I particularly like is that I can communicate to my educator via e-mail. After my visit with the doctor, if she gives me a new recommendation, my educator will ask that I get back in touch with her within two to three days. I can simply scan my log sheets to her and e-mail the statistics on my condition. My doctor can look at them and, usually within 24 hours, review my results. They can get back to me with any adjustments to the plan.
Another thing I love about the staff at DiabetesAmerica™ is that some of the staff members are actually diabetics. My educator is a diabetic, and she can relate to every problem I have. She knows what it's like to go through life with diabetes. And so I place more trust in her.
The facilities at DiabetesAmerica™ are very welcoming. They're cheerful and patient-oriented. One of the things I like is the waiting room. It has art work and internet access. They offer you coffee and bottled water. It is like a little community. A place you enjoy coming to. It's not another dreaded doctor's appointment.
In addition to convenience, my health has improved considerably since becoming a patient of the DiabetesAmerica™. I would say that my blood sugar levels are more in line with my target of 150. I'm able to manage my diet much better. And I am able to manage going out to restaurants. DiabetesAmerica™ has really helped empower me to control my disease.
Four Cornerstones of Diabetes Care: Medical, Education, Nutrition, and Lifestyle
DiabetesAmerica™ suggested that I get the new insulin pump with a sensor. The sensor tests my blood sugar every five minutes. In the past, I had to either guess by the way I felt or stop and test my blood sugar. Now I can just look at the pump on my belt and see what my blood sugar is. They've also helped to use my pump to its greatest capacity. It has a lot of functions that I wasn't taking advantage of and they've taught me how to use those. It gives me so much more freedom. I know that I can be more spontaneous now. I can be a normal person.
One unique result of the education program is that they have explained the results of the tests I have had. I have never had a doctor actually sit down and take 20 or 30 minutes with me to make sure that I understand the medical care that they are giving me. It’s important, because most of that day to day control is managed by me. And unless I understand what that doctor is communicating to me, their expertise is not going to do any good.
The DiabetesAmerica™ nutrition program really helped me. They taught me how to go out and eat like a real person. Having had diabetes for 47 years, I knew quite a bit about measuring food and reading nutritional labels, but they've also taught me how to go to McDonald's and eat a hamburger, for example, and be able to adjust my insulin accordingly. Learning about eating in restaurants has been a big help to me. They also helped me in terms of low blood sugar. If my blood sugar levels drop too low, they taught me that I can just take a tablespoon of honey. I don't have to eat everything under the sun to compensate for that low blood sugar.
From a lifestyle perspective, I think DiabetesAmerica™ has helped me relate with other diabetics. It's helped me feel more comfortable in the world. I've had the opportunity to meet other people who face the same challenges that I do. That has helped me considerably.
Before coming to DiabetesAmerica™, I felt that the weight of controlling this disease was totally on my shoulders. But once I came here, I had a staff of people who were willing, not only capable, but willing, to take that burden off my shoulders and help me to control this disease. That just gave me a much freer lifestyle. And I know that they do that with all their patients. I've seen people from all levels of life at the center. They provide this quality of care to everyone.
One of the things I fear is that if I'm not able to control my diabetes, I will have high blood sugars for such a sustained period of time that I will have to face the long-term complications of diabetes. Before finding DiabetesAmerica™, I was very frustrated with the quality of my healthcare. After finding DiabetesAmerica™, I'm just so happy. I feel as though I can relax. Coming to DiabetesAmerica™ has just been an answered prayer for me. They have helped to share this burden.
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