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I was more than ready for the announcement to board my late-night plane for the long journey home. I had taught my Diabetes Seminar from 8am to 4pm, packed up my stuff, then plodded through two hours of traffic to Dulles Airport and was anxious to get back home to northern California.
Just as I was getting comfy in my airport seat, my feet propped up on my suitcase, cradling a cup of hot tea, a gentleman who could have doubled for Santa Claus, plopped down next to me and asked, “Were you here for business or pleasure?”
I explained that I had taught a seminar on diabetes for the health care professionals at a local hospital.
“I have diabetes, he said as he looked away, but I just got tired of taking my medications, so I stopped taking them.”
I took a sip of my tea and nodded.
He continued, “actually, since I stopped my medications, I have lost over ten pounds. I don’t think those medications work.”
I asked more questions about his self-care and barriers. He wondered if taking care of his diabetes really mattered.
I provided a passionate description of how important it was to keep working on his diabetes and at least continue taking his metformin. I encouraged him to try to monitor blood sugars a few times a week.
I described how elevated blood sugars can cause weight loss as the kidneys try to clear out extra sugar in the urine (he was experiencing polyuria) and that his blood might be looking thick and gooey like honey, slowing down his circulation.
I reassured him that metformin, in addition to helping to lower his blood sugars won’t harm his kidneys, can help lower cholesterol levels and may even have a cancer protective effect.
He got quiet for a few minutes and said,
“Well, maybe I could restart taking the metformin, I just hate taking all those pills.”
“Yeah, it is a lot, I replied. But it’s worth it, and you are worth it. You deserve to live the best life possible with your diabetes.”
When they called our group to board the plane, he patted my shoulder and nodded a thank you.
As a frequent traveler, dozens of complete strangers have opened up their hearts to me and told me stories about their struggles managing diabetes.
Each story touches me in a different way and reminds me of the complexity and permanence of living with a chronic condition.
I consider these stories sweet and fragile gifts. Gifts that make me a better and more compassionate educator.
As educators, people tell us their diabetes stories all the time, in clinics, hospitals and airports. A special thanks to all of you for your careful listening. You are providing a gift of invaluable hope for people living with diabetes.
This compassionate listening is making such a difference in so many people’s lives and I am sincerely grateful for each one of you!
Love, Coach Beverly
This story is from our December Newsletter. Click here to read previous issues or sign up for future newsletters.
Our November Newsletter celebrates Diabetes Awareness month, so it is brimming with free resources! Find out how you can get free monofilaments and raise awareness for diabetes and diagnosis.
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In our September Newsletter we highlight a string of new technology developments! From pump recalls and treatment decisions, to technology events and solutions.
Read this month’s newsletter to find out more about our latest technology toolkit, and can’t-miss events like the Women Leader’s Conference coming to the East Coast!
Want to learn more about Diabetes Technologies? Coach Beverly’s New Technology Toolkit – Earn 3.0 CEs is ready for on-demand viewing. Next Live Show: September 11 & 13, 2019 @ 11:30 a.m.
When it comes to insulin pumps, sensors and calculation, many of us feel overwhelmed and unsure about diabetes technology management. Plus, with the vast amount of information, it may seem impossible to figure out what to focus on for our clinical practice and to prepare for the diabetes certification exam.
Coach Beverly invites you to enroll in our NEW Technology Toolkit Online Course Bundle, to keep you abreast of the rapidly changing world of Insulin Pump Therapy, Continuous Glucose Monitoring and calculations while preparing for exam success.
If you want cutting edge information on diabetes technology, problem solving and using formulas to determine appropriate insulin dosing, we highly recommend this toolkit.
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]In our August Newsletter, we highlight several exciting new releases! Nasal Glucagon has been approved, generic Dapagliflozin has been released, and Cleveland Clinic has synthesized a chart of supplements and their efficacy for people with diabetes!
Read this month’s newsletter before August 16 to see how you could get a $50 discount.
Click here to read our newsletter
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]The marketing application for a generic version of Farxiga, or dapagliflozin has received tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). Alembic Pharmaceuticals received a nod for its abbreviated new drug application for Dapagliflozin Tablets in 5 mg and 10 mg strength.
The approved product is therapeutically equivalent to the reference listed drug product Farxiga Tablets.
No information on pricing has been posted yet, but the hope is that as patents expire, more affordable generic diabetes medications will be made available.
Dapagliflozin belongs to the SGLT-2 Inhibitor class of diabetes medications. To read more, download our FREE Diabetes Medication Pocket Cards.
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
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New studies show that sitting for too long can impair health and even shorten life expectancy. It’s difficult to keep active in a world of screens, movie theaters, and desk jobs. However, studies are showing that body awareness and movement is necessary. The goal is to get up at least every hour of sedentary time, to improve posture and metabolic rate.
Medical News Today published an article on proper posture while sitting, showing just how difficult it is to maintain good postural health, with over ten variables to consider. Sitting and staying in one position for more than an hour increases the likelihood of poor posture, decreased metabolism, and inhibits blood flow, which can worsen circulation problems for people with diabetes.
Here are several strategies to lessen their sedentary time and get healthier:
Office Fitness Industry News encourages employers to spend their wellness funds on standing desks or treadmill desks, rather than spending money on a wellness program that offers employees under-utilized gym memberships.
Standing desks help improve posture by allowing people to stand, stretch, and interrupt their sitting time. Simply standing more can help tone muscle, increase metabolism, and prevent diabetes complications. However, some may have difficulty standing for long periods of time. A treadmill desk may feel more natural and compounds the benefits of standing desk: burning extra calories, increasing creativity in the workplace, and potentially even increasing mental acuity for kinesthetic learners or those with ADD.
Even if an employer won’t provide a standing or treadmill desk, just standing up every hour helps counteract a lot of the issues associated with sitting too much.
Taking brief exercise breaks during the day can help tremendously. It doesn’t require going to the gym, or even using your full 10 – 15 minutes in the morning or afternoon. HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training, only needs to be done in 30 second bursts to be effective. This can include 30 seconds of sprinting in place or doing quick push-ups against a counter (such as in a break room or bathroom). You can find more HIIT exercises that can be done in just 30 seconds, here.
Many people may only get two 10-15 minute breaks per day plus lunch, but that doesn’t mean they have to be chained to a desk at all other times. Refilling water bottles or glasses every hour can help interrupt sitting and also offer a refreshing mental break from staring at a screen or papers. If the job requires reviewing or reading documents, try doing this while standing or pacing to interrupt the monotony of sitting.
Suddenly switching from sitting to standing can be tough on lower extremities, and for those already standing most of the day because of their job, proper foot care is important to lessen fatigue and prevent ending the day on the couch until bed.
Wearing thicker socks and cushioned sole inserts can help during the day. Ending the day with an Epsom salt foot bath and lotion can help ease soreness, increase circulation, and help you get back on feet the next day.
NEAT means non-exercise activity thermogenesis. All it requires is simple stretches, twists, and bends to break up your sitting every hour. Practicing NEAT helps increase circulation, ease back pain and muscle aches, and increase daily range of motion, which will eventually make getting nore active easier too.
Staying mindful about sitting duration and taking any of these steps to move more can help lead to a longer and better quality of life. To see more on how to counteract or avoid sitting disease, see Just Stand’s Office, School, and Home resources.
See our Exercise Resource Page for a bunch of wonderful handouts and movement ideas.
Most of us aren’t even aware that weight bias is embedded in our everyday medical language, in scientific papers, and in our client interactions. But with awareness, we start hearing and seeing this bias all around us and realize that change is needed.
In our July Newsletter, we explore weight bias language and provide some examples and fixes. Plus, we invite you to apply for our diabetes education scholarship and highlight the approval for a GLP-1 RA for pediatrics with type 2 diabetes.
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]by Coach Beverly Thomassian RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM
This newsletter highlights hard earned wisdom shared by our keynote speakers at the Women Leaders in Diabetes Conference last month in San Francisco. We have summarized their concrete strategies to make meaningful connections and engage our audience, for the long run. Newsletter topic includes:
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Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
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