David Spero

David Spero has been a nurse for 32 years and has lived with multiple sclerosis for 25 years. He is author of two books: The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health When You Have a Chronic Illness (Hunter House 2002), and Diabetes: Sugar-coated Crisis – Who Gets It, Who Profits, and How to Stop It (New Society 2006). He writes for Diabetes Self-Management and Arthritis Self-Management magazines. He is a project director with New Health Partnerships: Improving care by Engaging Patients, a project of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Oct 01, 2008

Mistakes People Make With Doctors

David Spero

I just finished reading the responses to one of Jan’s recent blog entries ("Blowing My Top [If Not My Chai Latte]") about the criminal lack of communication some health-care providers give patients and families. It seems that many doctors do not give patients even basic information, or tell us how to get it.

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Sep 24, 2008

Speaking Up for Myself

David Spero

Did you ever notice how a lot of people teach the things they aren’t good at? Like ex-drug addicts who go around warning kids about the dangers of drugs. That’s why, for example, a lot of preachers tend to be among the worst sinners.

Well, I’m the same way.

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Sep 17, 2008

Self-Managing Chronic Pain (Part 3): Medications and Groups

David Spero

I’m almost done with chronic pain, but I thought I should ask a real expert some questions. I found Dr. Karen Burt-Amira, director of the highly successful Pain and Wellness Clinics at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in California. I asked her about drugs and herbal approaches. 

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Sep 10, 2008

Mind Over Pain?

David Spero

Last week, we reported on ways to help or relieve chronic pain by treating the part of the body that hurts. This week, we’ll discuss some effective things you can do to treat pain with your mind.

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Sep 03, 2008

Self-Managing Chronic Pain (Part 1)

David Spero

There's no cure for chronic pain—that’s what makes it chronic. But there are dozens of things we can do to make it better, and lots of places to get help. That's what I'll be writing about for the next few weeks.

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Aug 27, 2008

The Mysteries of Pain

Aug 20, 2008

An Epidemic of Pain

Aug 13, 2008

Does Your Educator Have a Clue?

Aug 06, 2008

Fighting for Food

Jul 30, 2008

Different Foods for Different Folks

Jul 23, 2008

Are Your Meds Making You Fat?

Jul 16, 2008

Partners Speak Out About Sex

Jul 09, 2008

ADA Advice on Sex

Jul 02, 2008

New Answers on Exercise

Jun 25, 2008

What to Eat? ADA Speakers Disagree

Jun 18, 2008

In the Palace of Diabetes

Jun 11, 2008

How Much (Monitoring) is Too Much? (Part 2)

Jun 04, 2008

How Much (Monitoring) is Too Much?

May 28, 2008

The New York Times Discovers Exercise

May 21, 2008

"Angry with God"

May 14, 2008

Power Naps, Health Naps

May 07, 2008

Insurance Tips from the ADA

Apr 30, 2008

Stay Out of the Swamp

Apr 23, 2008

Getting Health Insurance

Apr 16, 2008

Diabetes and the Brain

Apr 09, 2008

Love Your Feet

Apr 02, 2008

The Misuse of Science

Mar 27, 2008

Weight, Prejudice, and Type 2 Diabetes

Mar 19, 2008

Write It Down

Mar 12, 2008

Some Things Are Worse Than Sugar

Mar 05, 2008

ACCORD Travesty

Feb 27, 2008

To Band or Not to Band

Feb 20, 2008

Out of Shape in Two Months

Feb 13, 2008

The Green Triangle

Feb 06, 2008

Have You Tried Group Medicine?

Jan 30, 2008

What's Your Motivation?

Jan 23, 2008

Stop Waking Up! (Part 2)

Jan 16, 2008

Stop Waking Up!

Jan 09, 2008

Do You CAM?

Jan 02, 2008

New Year’s Resolutions

Dec 19, 2007

Going Home for the Holidays

Dec 12, 2007

Coping With Stress Through Relaxation

Dec 05, 2007

Reducing Stress

Nov 28, 2007

Accepting

Nov 21, 2007

Native Americans, Love, and Diabetes

Nov 14, 2007

Are You Ready for the Holidays?

Nov 07, 2007

Grab Some Z’s

Oct 31, 2007

Depression—The Power Cure

Oct 24, 2007

Self-Managing Depression

Oct 17, 2007

Depression and Type 2 Diabetes—Symptoms or Disease? (Part 2)

Oct 10, 2007

Depression and Type 2 Diabetes—Symptoms or Disease?

Oct 03, 2007

Changing a Bad Habit

Sep 26, 2007

Learning About Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

Sep 19, 2007

Carbs vs. Fats—Who's to Blame?

Sep 12, 2007

Say the Magic Word

Sep 05, 2007

I Need Some Rest

Aug 29, 2007

Answering Reader Questions

Aug 22, 2007

How the Medical System Hurts People With Diabetes

Aug 15, 2007

Sicker Than Sicko

Aug 09, 2007

Laugh With Me

Aug 01, 2007

In The Mood

Jul 25, 2007

Sex, Intimacy, and Diabetes

Jul 18, 2007

Is it Type 2 or is it LADA?

Jul 11, 2007

Put Your Mask on First

Jul 05, 2007

Let's Get Moving

Jun 27, 2007

Type 2 Diabetes—An Environmental Illness

Jun 20, 2007

Wellness is a Team Sport, Part 2: Working With Family

Jun 12, 2007

Wellness is a Team Sport, Part 1: "I Hate to Ask"

Jun 06, 2007

Introducing Myself

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