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  • With Mayo Clinic diabetes educators

    Nancy Klobassa, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.

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  • Dec. 18, 2008

    Welcome to the diabetes blog

    By Nancy Klobassa, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.

337 comments posted

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, and according to the American Diabetes Association there are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8 percent of the population, who have diabetes.

Unfortunately, 1 out of every 4 people who has diabetes is unaware. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as blindness, kidney damage, heart disease, and lower-limb amputations. Persons with diabetes can decrease their risk of complications by controlling their blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

With your help, we hope we can increase awareness and find ways that you can help each other manage your disease.

If you're already managing diabetes, you know it can be time consuming.

The daily routines of diabetes self-management involve foot care, exercise, carbohydrate counting, self-monitoring of blood glucose, oral medications, insulin, or even a combination of oral medications and insulin.

Here are some questions for you:

  • How much time do you spend managing your diabetes every day?
  • Have you ever been tempted or even tried taking a vacation from your diabetes self-management?
  • If so, what happened if anything, and what did you learn from the experience?

We look forward to you sharing your responses with us. Welcome to the blog.

- Nancy and Peggy

337 comments posted

blog index
  • December 15, 2009 1:14 p.m.

    Joan: That question would best be answered by your gynecologist.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • December 15, 2009 1:13 p.m.

    Anita: the key to losing weight is to decrease the amount of calories that you take in. Ask to see a diabetes dietician.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • December 15, 2009 1:10 p.m.

    Wanda: Be a self-care advocate. Ask to see an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes. If your blood sugars are high, you need to make an appointment with the doctor right away.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • December 15, 2009 11:32 a.m.

    Is there any help for external vaginal itching? It is driving me crazy - have tried all the creams.

    - Joan

  • December 14, 2009 5:33 p.m.

    I have type 1 and have recently got on the pump. I don't have much body fat to me, and the insets always hurt/bruise/bleed. Is there any vitamin I could take that would make my sites less problematic? Something that would help the tissue to better absorb the insulin? Thanks for the help.

    - AJ

  • December 14, 2009 12:39 p.m.

    I read that being a vegetarian can help in reducing weight and in return control Diabetes better. But in my case, I have been a vegetarian all my lifeand now doctors are telling me to eat meat and fish. They say that vegetarian diet is high in carbs (veges, whole wheat, legumes, pulses, beans), all are carbs. hence i cannot loose weight. I am having a very hard time.

    - Anita

  • December 13, 2009 12:33 p.m.

    I have been an insulin dependant diabetic for about 30 years. I now use an insulin pump because just doing daily injections was getting to hard to control. I see a lot of questions on this blog. i have found that counting carbs and doing one unit of regular insulin for every 15 carbs seems to keep my blood sugar pretty close to normal. Normal would be between 80-120. Frequent blood testing is part of the game as well. I test all the time to be sure I am close to normal. When I mget high I do more insulin...1 unit for every 50 I want to drop. Lots to say but little room.

    - Terry

  • December 13, 2009 8:04 a.m.

    I've been a daibetic for 4 ys now and i've been doing ok But now the doctors are getting stupid and they took me off my meds and now not so good...and i have NOT taking any meds now for 5 months and i will go back to the doctors in jan, i sleep all the time and it seems like i can't control my Diabetes,if you have anything you can share with me PLEASE do i just don't know what to do anymore...

    - wandaa

  • December 12, 2009 9:56 a.m.

    I am taking glucovance 5/500 2x a day. I was just put on januvia 100 daily because my finger sticks are still in the 150s to 180s even though I am presently attempting to loose wt. Will thw januvia decrease my ability to loose wt.

    - Elaine age 66

  • December 8, 2009 9:54 p.m.

    i have gone on and off controlling diabetes for the past 7 years....not a good call. The first time I went off the rails, I had a droopy eyelid and some nerve damage in my left eye. Fortunately for me it cleared up. Nobody was able to determine waht happened but they all agreed it might be related to the diabetes. Now I have fallen off the rails again 3 years later and I get tired easily, my chest hurts when I exercise and I have erectile dysfunction. This is stressful. However I have a loving family and great support and we are all determined to help me get back on track and stay on track permanently....and live to be a ripe old age at least over 75!

    - bl

  • December 6, 2009 12:59 p.m.

    what is a normal sugar count

    - judy

  • December 5, 2009 5:40 p.m.

    I forgot to include the fact that I have already lost 180 pounds but still about 5 pounds overweight according to the BMI. However, I look skinny because I have large bone structure. I really don't think I should lose more weight. I'm beginning to look like a skeleton.

    - Ben

  • December 5, 2009 5:37 p.m.

    I read conflicting statements on what type of diet I should have. I just found out about my condition a few days ago and am on confusion overload. On your site, recipes are listed with all purpose flour - yet my Dr. said eat no flour. Other research shows whole wheat flour is ok, but I'm now confused about that as well. My cholestrol is 203 but trig are 565 and my b.glucose readings are just under 300. Do you know where I can get valid information for a good diet. They all seem so contradictive. Help!

    - Ben

  • December 2, 2009 10:00 a.m.

    Kayla, I think it is great you are reading and getting information on diabetes for your mom. I would call local clinics or hospitals in your area and see if they have any group education programs you and your mom can attend together. It may help your mom to be more interested in her diabetes if she sees other people with diabetes and how they are coping with the disease.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • December 2, 2009 9:53 a.m.

    Bob, a 101 blood glucose reading is in the pre diabetes range. It will be fine to wait and see your doctor in two weeks.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • November 30, 2009 2:09 p.m.

    My blood test just acme back at 101 should I be concerned? My Doctor isn't available for consult for two weeks.

    - Bob

  • November 17, 2009 2:10 p.m.

    My mom( early 40's) just found out she has Type 2 Diabetes. I (20) was wondering what I could do to help her. She doesn't seem so interested in helping herself, I usually try to take care of her, But I have looked up a lot of information but I'm still having trouble understanding everything. Any help I can get would so very much appreciated.

    - Kayla

  • November 15, 2009 6:37 p.m.

    I am diabetic and have had a vibration sensation in my back which sometimes is more intense and sometimes goes away completely. Have read about several people on the open internet who have this problem that isn't painful but causes worry about what causes it. Has anyone ever heard of this problem with diabetics and what might be the cause?

    - Buddy

  • November 13, 2009 6:40 p.m.

    Could my diabetes be causing my right leg to pain and have weakness? This has just developed in the last two weeks. I have had diabetes for about eight years and it is under control by using Lantus once a day, 44 units, and Metformin.

    - Bill

  • November 12, 2009 3:24 p.m.

    Denis, try to find a internal medicine or family practice doctor.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • November 12, 2009 3:21 p.m.

    Rod, symptoms of diabetes include:mn thirst, frequent urination, feeling tired, hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and skin infections; like yeast. If you are having most of these symptoms you may want to be seen by your provider earlier than the middle of December.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • November 12, 2009 3:02 p.m.

    To the individuals wondering why the morning fasting blood glucose readings are always higher than the other blood glucose readings taken later in the day. Hormone levels in people peak early morning and can affect morning blood glucose readings. Also, if an individual has fasted for an extended period of time the liver will release sugar to cover the energy needs during this long fasting period. Sometimes having a small snack at bedtime will actually help with the morning reading. (1 carb serving or 15 Grams of carbohydrate). If you try the snack and it does not help your am blood glucose reading, drop the snack. Also, diabetes medication can be added in the evening if the blood glucose is consistently above 140 mg/dl or 7.7 mmol/L and the A1c is out of range. Discuss this with your care provider. Nancy

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • November 11, 2009 9:45 a.m.

    I'm 56 years old and had a grandmother who passed away from complication from diabetes. Yesterday I went to the doctor and found out I had a yeast infection in the throat and inner cheek area. Since this was not my regular doctor he threw a curve at me by saying this type of infection occurs to people with diabetes. My question to anyone is this. Is that statement true and have I developed diabetes or am I jumping to conclusions? My next schedule doctors appointment is not until mid December. Should I wait for that or get in earlier?

    - Rod

  • November 9, 2009 8:24 a.m.

    I have had diabetes for close to 30 years. I have complications from numerous leg knee surgeries(one left me in chronic pain) and leg vascular surgeries. I also have had a 4 heart bypasses. carotid artery, gal bladder, internal damage from a broken rib brought on by pleurisy left me with muscle scaring throw in some ripped rotator cup tears and you get the picture. A 24 hour bout of kidney & Liver failure put me on insulin shots (no more pills) and this combination has me weighing 275LBS. I need help. I want to live and all my doctors just treat their specialty. Any suggestions?

    - denis

  • November 6, 2009 12:39 p.m.

    I am the one who asked for help with high fasting blood sugars. Can you help? ANy info will be greatly apprecated.

    - Pageen

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