Barbara Anderson, PhD
Professor, Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas
by Martha M. Funnell
I am honored to introduce this book and congratulate you on taking this important step in caring for your diabetes. If you are like many of the people whom I see as a diabetes educator and you just found out that you have type 2 diabetes, you are probably feeling somewhat overwhelmed. You may also be feeling angry, scared, or confused.
You probably also have questions. You may have concerns about taking care of a chronic illness such as diabetes. And you may have discovered that diabetes is different from other illnesses you have had. Having diabetes means that there are many decisions to be made each day about how you care for yourself. Making wise choices will make a difference in both how you feel today and your future health.
You may also want to begin to make some changes in your life that will help you take better care of yourself and your diabetes. As much as you truly want to make these changes, it is never easy, especially when it comes to how you eat, handle stress, and exercise.
It may help to know that you are not alone. This book is written to be a resource to help you learn how to manage and cope with diabetes. You may not know a lot about diabetes yet, but you do know about yourself and what is important to you. When you combine what you know with what your health care team knows about diabetes, you’ll have a powerful combination.
I often tell my patients that diabetes is a journey. It is probably not a journey that you would have chosen, and it is not an easy one. But even the hardest journey is made easier when you can lighten your load. This book can be a guide for you. The more you know, the more you will feel that you are in charge of diabetes, rather than allowing diabetes to control you. You can also learn how to make decisions that are right for you and make changes in your life so that you not only live long but live well.
Best wishes on your journey.
Martha M. Funnell, MS, RN, CDE
Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Acknowledgments
Len Boswell, former Vice President, Publications, American Diabetes Association, came up with the idea for a book that would help people who are just beginning to deal with type 2 diabetes, whether newly diagnosed or just starting to care for their long-standing diabetes. I am grateful that he asked me to write it.
Many other staff members at the National Office of the American Diabetes Association helped make this book a reality. Special thanks to Abe Ogden, Director of Book Publishing; Greg Guthrie, Managing Editor; Stephanie Dunbar, MPh, RD, Director of Nutrition and Medical Affairs; and the illustrators and graphic designers.
Thanks also to the many volunteers I worked with at the American Diabetes Association. They taught me so much through the years. I cannot possibly list them all, but I hope they know who they are! I do want to single out those volunteers who worked with me on the Program Publications Editorial Board: Martha M. Funnell, MS, RN, CDE; Virginia Paragallo-Dittko, MA, RN, CDE; Barbara Anderson, PhD; Patricia Barr, BS; Carol Homko, PhD, RN, CDE; Melinda Maryniuk, MEd, RD, CDE; Catherine Mullooly, MS, CDE; Robin Nwankwo, MPH, RD, CDE; Cecilia Boyer Casey, MS, RN, CDE; Richard Rubin, PhD, CDE; and Andrea Zaldivar, MS, ANP, CDE. Marion Franz, MS, RD, CDE, and Madelyn Wheeler, MS, RD, were my wonderful diabetes and nutrition mentors who always had time for a question or volunteer project.
And last, but not least, I want to thank my parents for their sacrifices and support through the years. I also want to thank my husband, Michael, who has been my best friend, sounding board, and “at-home editor.”
Introduction
Diabetes has been part of my life for many years. You see, diabetes is in my family. My Aunt Carla has had diabetes for as long as I can remember. My cousin Pam has had diabetes for a number of years. Other cousins have now been diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. I guess you can say that diabetes runs in my family. My mom has type 2 diabetes, too. A number of my high school friends now have type 2 diabetes. Many people I love have diabetes. Many people you love probably have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, too. And you or a family member or friend may have been told you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Since writing the first edition of this book five years ago, my circle of family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes has grown substantially. You see, diabetes is an epidemic in our country. Close to 2 million adults are diagnosed with diabetes each year.
As a Registered Dietitian (RD), I worked for 30 years with people who have diabetes. I was a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) for 20 years. A CDE is a health care provider who specializes in diabetes education. I had to pass a special exam. I have worked in health departments with kids, adults, and pregnant women who had diabetes. I have worked in managed care, helping people learn how to take care of their diabetes.
I most recently worked at the National Office for the American Diabetes Association for more than 11 years. I helped write guidelines and booklets for people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. I am lucky enough to still be developing and writing educational materials for them as a consultant.
The American Diabetes Association asked me to write this book in 2005 and to update this edition in 2011. The American Diabetes Association has many fine books, but they wanted me to write a book that focuses on the basic stuff—what you really need to know if you’ve recently been diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Many people I’ve worked with through the years have told me, “My life is too busy as it is. Just tell me what I need to do to take care of my diabetes.” Well, here it is.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, you may be scared. Or you may have had diabetes for a while but haven’t taken care of it. Too much glucose in the blood for a long time can cause diabetes problems. If you’ve been told you have a diabetes problem, you may be scared, too. This book will be helpful whether you’ve been recently diagnosed or have had diabetes for a while. You may know about the problems that diabetes has caused your family or friends. But you may not have heard the good news about having prediabetes or type 2 diabetes today:
• You can have a healthy, active, and long life with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
• You can learn to cope with the ups and downs of living with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
• You can take care of yourself by using a meal plan, being active most days of the week, and taking diabetes medicines, if needed.
• If you have prediabetes, you can delay or prevent getting type 2 diabetes.
• You can delay or prevent long-term problems by caring for your diabetes each day.
When it comes to your diabetes care, the experts agree that you’re in charge. Sure, you go to the doctor or see a nurse educator every few months. But you choose what and how much to eat. You decide whether you’ll take your diabetes medicine, check your blood glucose, and be active.
You’re in charge, but you’re not alone. Lean on your diabetes team for care and support. Who is on your diabetes team? It might be your spouse, your partner, your kids, your parents, your friends, or other members of your family. It might be a neighbor you’ve known for years. It might be people from your church or synagogue or from where you work. Your diabetes health care team can include your doctor, diabetes educator, dietitian, eye doctor, foot doctor, and mental health counselor.
Many of the people on your team may also have diabetes. Today many people in the United States and around the world have diabetes. Almost 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes. Seventy-nine million more have prediabetes.
There’s never a vacation from having diabetes or caring for your diabetes. But as millions of people know, you can live a healthy and happy