Rubin Alan L - Diabetes for Dummies, 2nd Edition

Diabetes For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP, and Alan L Rubin, MD

Diabetes For Dummies, 2nd Edition

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-0-470-05810-7

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Authors

Dr Sarah Jarvis is a GP, GP trainer, and Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. Since qualifying at Cambridge and Oxford, she has combined her clinical life with a writing and medical broadcasting career. Her particular interest has been in educating and empowering patients. She has been lunchtime news doctor for ITN and doctor for Today newspaper, and has regular columns in several magazines. She is a regular guest on Radio 5 Live, and has published over 500 patient information leaflets. Her practice has a high proportion of patients with diabetes, and she has a special interest in their care.

Alan L Rubin, MD, is one of the foremost experts on diabetes in the US. He is a professional member of the American Diabetes Association and the Endocrine Society and has been in private practice specialising in diabetes and thyroid disease for 30 years. Dr Rubin has been on numerous radio and television programmes, and has spoken to medical audiences and non-medical audiences around the world. He was Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California Medical Center in San Francisco for 20 years.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my mother, who passed away while it was being written. She was my role model, and her kindness, boundless energy, and enthusiasm were an inspiration to all who knew her.

Sarah Jarvis

Authors Acknowledgments

My biggest debt of gratitude must be to my best friend, my closest confidant, my personal shopper, and my number one fan, who come all rolled into one in the shape of my beloved husband, Simon. Thank you, Simon, for your unfailing support and loyalty and your mouthwatering cooking! A great big thank you to my children, Seth and Matilda, who make my life a constant joy. They have put up with the closed study door between them and their mother with (almost) unfailing good humour and patience. And thank you to Joan, who has been the best of friends for far more years than either of us care to remember, and who introduced me to the wonderful team at Wiley. Finally, thank you to Marc Evans, consultant diabetologist extraordinaire even if I do have to translate your pearls from Medical into English occasionally!

A second edition also gives me the opportunity to thank the thousands of people who have themselves thanked me for Diabetes For Dummies . You know who you are. You have given me a sense of enormous gratification for writing this book, having shared your stories with me and permitting me to laugh and cry with you. One of the best stories is the following from Andrea in Canada:

My three-year-old daughter was recently diagnosed with diabetes type one. It has been a rough time. To help us out, my brother and his wife bought us your book, Diabetes For Dummies. One day my daughter saw this bright yellow book and asked what I was reading. I told her the book was called Diabetes For Dummies. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I regretted them. I didnt want her to think that dummies got diabetes so I quickly added, I am the dummy. Without missing a beat, she then asked, Am I the diabetes?

The story doesnt just end there. The other day she was relaxing on the couch. She looked at me and said, I dont want to have diabetes any more. Feeling terrible I responded, I know sweetie; I dont want you to have it any more either. I then explained that she would have diabetes for the rest of her life. With a very concerned look she then asked, Will you be the dummy for the rest of your life?