Frequently Asked Questions When Living with Diabetes

Q: Who Should be on my support team?

A: Laura, Patient
My support team is my family, co-workers, friends who know I have diabetes, the Divabetics, more people than I can count. There's also my doctor, my diabetes educator and my nutritionist.

I've got a big care team because I was taught early to talk to people.

A: American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association says that your health care team starts with you. However, it should also include your primary physician, a nurse educator, a dietician, an eye doctor, a podiatrist, a therapist or psychologist, a dentist and an exercise physiologist. They also recommend using friends, co-workers and family for support.

Q: How can I get the most out of my doctor's appointments?

A: Denise Kaiser, Diabetes Educator
Bring all current medications, a log book and your meter. Make sure you're aware of your lab history and when you last saw all of your specialists so you can be prepared to ask for any referrals. That ways you will really be able to maximize the doctor's time.

A: Roberta, Patient
I usually go in with a list of medications and lab work and make sure it's all up to date. I made a spreadsheet so I can keep track of my lab results and things.

If you have your questions written down you can make sure you address them before the doctor leaves.

Q: Can I still eat sweets?

A: Denise Kaiser, Diabetes Educator
Sweets aren't something to have all the time and they're not good to use as a reward. But if there is a special occasion, like a birthday, it's ok to have something sweet. If you want a dessert, you can include it in your meal plan and make it doable. It's not something you can never have again.

Q: Can I still eat foods I like?

A: Denise Kaiser, Diabetes Educator
There are ways of preparing old foods that are better for you. For example, I used to love chicken wings, but I was trying to lower my cholesterol. So I thought about it and realized I didn't like wings because they were fried, but I liked them because of the hot sauce. So now instead of frying them, I grill them. I get boneless and skinless wings, so they're healthier. But I still get to use the hot sauce and get the flavors I like.

Q: What do I do if I feel overwhelmed?

A: Laura, Patient
Find a support group. The DIVAbetics are great. With them, you forget you have diabetes.

Also, educate yourself. The more you know about the disease the more you can help your body.

A: Lily, Patient
Don't be afraid of it - if this is what you have, embrace it and try to live with it the best you can. We're here, we're gonna live and we're gonna die. Whatever's in between, deal with it. If you find out what you have, then try to do the best you can with it.

A: Elaine, Patient
It helps to have a partner who's strong - not someone who feels sorry for you - who helps you over the bumps, who praises you for the good things you do.

Q: I'm hearing all about carbohydrates. What are they?

A: Denise Kaiser, Diabetes Educator
A Carbohydrate can be anything made with flour or in something that contains sugar - not just the traditional white sugar, but the sugar that occurs naturally in fruit and milk products. The amount of carbohydrates can vary a lot, especially in fruit, so you need to look at the carbohydrate serving size for individual items. There are different kinds of carbohydrates as well, so you need to make sure you're getting a good variety and in the right amount.

Q: I don't want to change my diet. How can I start?

A: Lily, Patient
I try to find out new things I can eat. I'm trying to find new things that are good for me and get some variety in my meals. I can get bored, and when you're bored that's when you eat.

For example, I just discovered hummus. It's a vegetable, so it's good for you, and it keeps me away from the cheeses and dips.

A: Denise Kaiser, Diabetes Educator
There are ways of preparing old foods that are better for you. You can eat the same foods, but prepared healthier.

I'd also recommend learning about herbs and spices to start making new flavors.

Q: How can I start exercising? What if I don't like it?

A: Lily, Patient
You just have to change your mindset. I stay active by doing stuff I don't get bored with. I walk the dogs, I park farther away from the store so I have to walk more. I just discovered that gardening is a great way to stay active and it's hard work.

Q: What role do I play in my health care?

A: Roberta, Patient
With diabetes, the patient has the biggest role. I feel like everything falls back on me - trying to exercise, the food choices fall on me. Nobody's making me eat at Dairy Queen. We're making all the choices to take control or let it have its way.

A: Denise Kaiser, Diabetes Educator
Patients have to take the responsibility for the day-to-day management. You need to educate yourself and find out what you need and ask the doctor about it. You have to make sure you're seeing all your specialists and getting your tests done when they need to. You have to be your own advocate and the only way that can happen is with an education.

Q: How can I stay organized and on top of everything?

A: Roberta, Patient
I have a pocket-sized book that I can put in my lunch bag and write everything down. The book makes you more mindful of what you're eating. It's easy to just eat a handful of crackers here and snack, but when you have to start writing it down, you're more conscious of what you're eating. On the inside page I write if I exercised and what my totals were. I can look and see what I ate on a good day or what made my blood sugar high.

A: Larry, Spouse
I made a monthly calendar on the computer, and my wife logs her numbers every day. She puts on the calendar any deviation from her diet. She takes her monthly sheets to the doctor so they can look at her whole month's life.

A: Denise Kaiser, Diabetes Educator
I like a written log book. Often, if people are relying on memory, they're seeing one number at a time or an average. With a log book, you can see what the numbers are at different times to look for patterns.

Some meters can also be programmed to show a graph with all the numbers over a period of time. There are some programs online for different meters.

Q: What should I do if I'm feeling depressed?

A: Dr. Kim Shaub, Psychologist
The first step is to talk to your health care provider and make sure there's not anything medically going on. Commonly there can be psychological symptoms with physical disease. The doctor can help refer you to a mental health professional. You can also look at the Ohio Psychological Association website to identify mental health professionals.

Q: I don't think my friends get it. How can I educate them?

A: Denise Kaiser, Diabetes Educator
Sometimes friends and families can turn into the food police and that can make for tense situations. They can be given literature. Friends and family can also attend support groups and self-management classes.

Friends don't have to have the same knowledge as the patient, but they should know the basics. Everybody just needs to be educated.

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