Diabetes is a fascinating disease to me.  I have to admit that it was very frightening to me when I first started in my nursing career for a number of reasons.  I was terrified of the high and low blood sugars.  I worried about the timing of medication and meals.  And what if, heaven forbid, I hurt someone when caring for a person with diabetes?  Over time, I have learned that diabetes is complicated, but manageable.  I have also learned that I, as a nurse, do not have control over a person’s diabetes.  In fact, it is one of the few diseases that can be controlled by the person afflicted by it.  It is all about empowerment.

As a certified diabetes educator, my role is not only to provide information, but to help people find ways to fit diabetes into their life.  As a person with diabetes, you have choices.  You can choose whether or not to test your blood sugar, take your medicine, eat healthy or exercise.  You choose whether you have control over diabetes or the diabetes has control over your life.

What I often find is that people have knowledge about diabetes, but find it challenging to put that knowledge into practice.  Think about what is important to you, what you find most challenging and what goals you have for your health and your day to day diabetes management.

Tools for diabetes management is ever changing.  Be sure to talk with your diabetes educator to see what the latest information is and talk about your challenges.  Never be afraid to ask questions.  Knowledge is power and you have the power to take control of your diabetes.

A note to caregivers:  You have a very challenging role.  You may feel like I did when I first began my nursing career.  I felt I had to control what the person with diabetes did for his/her diabetes.  What they need is support, understanding that it is not easy to manage diabetes every day and can be very frustrating.  You may not agree with their choices, but it is important to appreciate that they have a choice.  Walk beside your loved one.  Learn to manage your anxieties about your loved one’s health.  Enlist a support system to help you deal with your feelings.  Help them to become empowered.

Michelle Dart, RN, MSN, CDE