Theresa Garnero - Your First Year with Diabetes: What To Do, Month by Month

Director, Book Publishing, Abe Ogden; Managing Editor, Book Publishing, Greg Guthrie; Copyediting: Cenveo Publisher Services; Production Manager, Melissa Sprott; Composition, ADA; Illustrations, Theresa Garnero; Cover Design, DropCap Design; Printer, Versa Press.

2014, 2008 by the American Diabetes Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including duplication, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the American Diabetes Association.

Printed in the United States of America
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The suggestions and information contained in this publication are generally consistent with the Clinical Practice Recommendations and other policies of the American Diabetes Association, but they do not represent the policy or position of the Association or any of its boards or committees. Reasonable steps have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the American Diabetes Association cannot ensure the safety or efficacy of any product or service described in this publication. Individuals are advised to consult a physician or other appropriate health care professional before undertaking any diet or exercise program or taking any medication referred to in this publication. Professionals must use and apply their own professional judgment, experience, and training and should not rely solely on the information contained in this publication before prescribing any diet, exercise, or medication. The American Diabetes Associationits officers, directors, employees, volunteers, and membersassumes no responsibility or liability for personal or other injury, loss, or damage that may result from the suggestions or information in this publication.

The paper in this publication meets the requirements of the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1992 (permanence of paper).

ADA titles may be purchased for business or promotional use or for special sales. To purchase more than 50 copies of this book at a discount, or for custom editions of this book with your logo, contact the American Diabetes Association at the address below, at booksales@diabetes.org, or by calling 703-299-2046.

American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22311

DOI: 10.2337/9781580404969

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Garnero, Theresa.
Your first year with diabetes : what to do, month by month / written and illustrated by Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN, CDE. -- Second edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-58040-496-9 (alk. paper)
1. Diabetes--Popular works. I. Title.
RC660.4.G366 2013
616.462--dc23
2012051158
eISBN: 978-1-58040-552-2

Dedicated to people with diabetes and their caring community.
Special thanks to all who have taught me about diabetes
and to the American Diabetes Association
for supporting this interactive book.

Contents

Introduction

Diabetes is about changechanging your life from the way it was and bringing changes to your whole beingmind, body, and spirit. You can be healthy with diabetes, especially if you are consistent. Every day presents ample opportunities to make decisions that affect your well-being. This interactive book is designed to help you learn the latest diabetes science so you can decide what to incorporate into your routine. As Dr. Elliot P. Joslin famously said, The diabetic who knows the most, lives the longest. Yet, knowing and doing are two distinct entities. You can understand a topic, but for the science to have the best synergistic impact, you will need to pull apart the information and put back the pieces that are useful for your specific situation.

The more you adjust and cope with having diabetes, the better you will be able to take things in stride and care for yourself. And despite your best efforts, diabetes management is demanding and rarely predictable, neat, or tidy. It requires paying attention to detail, while trying to maintain a positive attitudeand sometimes you just dont feel like it. Its easy to get overwhelmed. You will have successes and you will have slip-upsthats normal. Its a process that takes time and practice, and you dont have to be perfect! Just be patient with yourself, be your own champion, and lean on your circle of support when needed. Although this book is geared toward people with type 2 diabetes, many of the self-care management tips will apply to all types of diabetes. You also will find some product-related information, comparisons of brand names of food, and websites that may be helpful. Please know that I do not receive any financial incentives to provide this information and the American Diabetes Association does not endorse any of these products or supplies; I personally have checked out the resources so you can have a greater level of comfort when making up your own mind. Please ask your health-care provider for specific recommendations.

It is my honor to be involved even remotely with your journey and to share my unique perspective as a certified diabetes educator and humorist who knows the latest research and, equally as important, has experience with the real-life situations shared with me by thousands of people and their families dealing with diabetes. This repository of blended information offers you a positive approach to managing your diabetes and includes light-hearted humor. The art is in how you apply it to your everyday life while you continue to thrive in all the passions that keep you going.

Lets get started!

How to Use This Book

Have you noticed the icons? These health symbols represent the self-care behaviors that will help you navigate this book and your diabetes. You can easily identify a self-care behavior based on the symbols. At the end of each section, choose what to focus on or write in your own goal, and reflect on your progress. Health benefits happen by making small changes over time. And its never too late to begin.

Your First Year with Diabetes Roadmap

Another way to look at the year ahead and understand how the book works is to consider this schematic. Topics are presented in a need-to-know order that will have the biggest impact, will address safety, and will build in steps for success. You will reflect on goals and achievements with interactive activities and quarterly reviews. As the weeks and months continue, you will be presented with deeper layers of science and shared knowledge.

When multiple topics are offered in a given week or month, review each one to see if it is relevant and important to you. If it is, you read the details, decide whether youd like to take action by incorporating or continuing current behaviors, and whether you need help staying motivated. If not, you move to the next topic. Diabetes care is vast and everyone has a unique situation, so some topics will have more relevance than others. This book is flexible in its setup. Use the index to skip ahead to a topic that is urgent for your situation.

Along the way, you will learn about standards of care and tips to refine your abilities as well as ongoing resources that will be helpful for your first year and beyond.