You can do it!
or are just beginning to take insulin shots,
or are simply having trouble managing this complicated disease,
You can do it - with the help of your own Very Intensive diabetes treatment Program.
Why do it?
The results of the 1993 study, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, conclusively showed that controlling the blood sugar level makes a difference:
less eye complications.
Unfortunately, controlling blood sugar levels isn't easy. The goal is to help you develop a workable treatment program, and to help you to learn the skills you'll need to handle your diabetes better, and to decrease your chances of getting complications from diabetes.
Should I do it?
Yes, if you were recently diagnosed with diabetes, and want to get off to a good start in managing the disease.
A Team of Experts
You should expect to be cared for by a team, not just by a doctor. The team should include an endocrinologist, diabetes nurse educator, dietitian, and should have access to other specialists as needed. Expect that most members of the diabetes team to be Certified in Diabetes Education.And you should expect to become an expert, too: expect that you'll become the key person in helping to design your own program.
What's included?
First, your diabetes knowledge and medical needs will be assessed. Then the staff will work with you to establish your personal diabetes targets. You should expect personal attention, and individualized information, not a boring lecture in a stuffy classroom. You will be encouraged to get your family and other support persons involved.You will be provided with instruction on how to use careful monitoring of the blood sugar level, so needed adjustments can be made in your meal plan, exercise program, stress levels, and diabetes medications.
You will learn what to do with high and low blood sugars, how to adjust your insulin doses, and how to handle sick days. You will get information about diabetes complications and how to prevent them, plus updates about diabetes research.
Depending on your situation, you may choose to use multiple daily injections of insulin to control your blood sugar, or you might choose to use an insulin pump.
Your Treatment Plan should be reviewed at every visit, and an update of how you're doing should be sent to your personal physician. Since you will be part of the diabetes team, you will be asked to review your plan, ask questions, and indicate your understanding of your plan.
