Type 2 Diabetes - Who You Need To Help You Come To Terms With Your Diabetes Diagnosis

Being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes usually means making many changes to your life. One of the changes you will need to deal with is the number of health professionals you'll work with. Your primary diabetes doctor will help you build a health care team to coordinate your care and help you get the most out of the health care system. A health care team usually consists of at least...

• a primary diabetes doctor,
• nurse educator, and
• a registered dietitian.

You may also work with a pharmacist, foot doctor, or eye doctor. If you haven't worked with these health professionals before, here's what you can expect...

1. Primary Diabetes Doctor. He is usually an endocrinologist, internist, or family doctor. This doctor will take the lead on your diabetes management. Your primary diabetes doctor will complete yearly checkups and order tests to check your hemoglobin A1c, cholesterol levels, and more. He or she will also help refer you to providers to make up the rest of your diabetes care team. You can prepare for your appointments by writing down any new symptoms you are experiencing and any questions you want to ask the doctor. Bring a pen and paper or tablet to record what the doctor tells you. You may also need to avoid eating and drinking before this appointment if you'll be having fasting glucose tests.

2. Nurse Educator. This person may be a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) who is trained to teach you how to manage your disease. He or she will teach you...

• how to check your blood sugar,
• give yourself insulin injections, and
• more.

The nurse educator will also explain the symptoms of high and low blood sugar. Your first visit will be an assessment of how you're doing and what you need help with, and you'll leave with a plan to help you better manage your diabetes. You will meet with your diabetes educator at least once a year, or more often if your hemoglobin A1c is high and you would like more help.

3. Registered Dietitian (RD). The registered dietitian who may also be a CDE, will help you determine your nutritional needs and create a meal plan. The meal plan will take into account your age, lifestyle, weight, and any medications you're taking. To prepare for this visit, you may be asked to do a food recall, which means you'll write down everything you eat for three days. You may also need to bring in your blood sugar log. As with any appointment, it's a good idea to think about questions you'll ask ahead of time. You may also want to write down any nutritional goals you'd like to achieve so your dietitian can work with you to help you meet these goals.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

For nearly 25 years Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help you build a healthy body. Go to http://DrugFreeType2Diabetes.com to learn about some of those secrets.

The answer isn't in the endless volumes of available information but in yourself.