Goodbye
As I say goodbye to the Diabetes Self-Management blog, my biggest hope is that you will share your journey too…
Martha Zimmer
Should You Worry About Hepatitis B If You Have Diabetes?
The first time I heard about hepatitis B was when my dad caught the infection while he was in the hospital…
Who Takes Care of Your Feet?
since I developed Type 2 diabetes over 15 years ago, taking care of my feet has turned into a big deal…
Choosing Happiness With Diabetes
Having diabetes can make being happy a challenge. How do you become a happy person no matter what situation you are in?
Holiday Food and Diabetes
At my house the holidays have always been about family feasts. I have found these to be the most difficult times to have diabetes…
Diabetes and Self-Pity
If you have diabetes and never feel sorry for yourself, you are amazing. The rest of us battle self-pity now and then during our journey. We need ways to cope during those down times…
Hypoglycemia Awareness
Today there is a simple way to increase your own hypoglycemia awareness and to help others become more skilled at identifying the condition as well…
Taking Diabetes on a Road Trip
Packing for a road trip is not as simple as it used to be for me. The checklist for traveling is a lot longer because of Type 2 diabetes…
Driving With Diabetes: Staying Safe
Having diabetes can affect your life in ways you never expected. One of those involves safety while you are driving…
Make Your Diabetes Care Less Expensive
One of the biggest reasons for neglecting diabetes care is the financial burden. I would love to see this change, so I’ve included a lot of information on reducing costs here…
Three Diabetes Therapies: Hugs, Smiles, and Laughter
Here are three simple therapies that have been proven to help ease stress and even make blood sugar easier to control. They are easy to do and cost nothing…
Eating Disorders and Diabetes
While looking for news about the connection between diabetes and eating disorders, I came across a question that stopped me in my tracks…
Diabetes One Day at a Time: Staying Present
I want to encourage you to take your journey one day at a time. Defeat and burnout are common among people who have had diabetes for many years…
Feeling Tired? Diabetes Might Be the Culprit
There can be many causes for feeling tired, but Type 2 diabetes is definitely a major culprit…
Keeping Memory Alive With Diabetes
We all know that forgetting is frequently a part of aging. But for those of us who have diabetes, the prospect of Alzheimer’s disease is not a joke…
Metabolism: Little Things Mean a Lot
My metabolic rate is low and has been for most of my adult life. I’m perfectly happy sitting in front of a computer for hours. But according to the experts, this is asking for trouble…
The Fructose Wars
In one blog by another person with Type 2 diabetes, I read that fructose has less impact on insulin than other forms of sugar…
What Are Your Diabetes Goals?
Many doctors will treat you according to the standards of care given to them by the AMA and ADA. That is modern medicine. But are those goals right for you?
Treating Hypoglycemia With Glucagon
As someone with diabetes, you may know what it’s like to experience severe hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar. It is scary…
Blame, the Enemy of Living Well With Diabetes
I made a mistake. Focusing on my feelings of guilt after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I felt blame coming from all sides…
How to Lose Weight
Since I developed diabetes, doctors have reinforced my obsession with weight. If a person could lose weight by thinking about it, I’d be skin and bones…
Making Snacks Work for You If You Have Diabetes
For those of us with Type 2 diabetes, there are two main things we can do to improve our lives: They are exercise and weight loss…
Preparing for Emergencies When You Have Diabetes
The recent flooding in Texas brought home to me again how important it is for those of us with diabetes to be prepared for emergencies…
How Can I Stop Eating Too Much?
The reasons we eat have less to do with hunger and more with other things. Here are some strategies I’ve discovered that can prevent you from eating too much…
Blood Sugar Testing, Pain, and Promise
All of us have had at least one fingerstick test at the doctor’s office. But when you have diabetes, sticking your finger is a daily reality…
Have Diabetes? Can’t Sleep? Don’t Eat These Tonight
There is a lot of evidence that sleeping well improves diabetes control, so anything that will help us sleep better catches my interest…
Melatonin, Sleep, and Type 2 Diabetes
Why is there such a strong link between poor sleep and Type 2 diabetes?
Have Diabetes? Take That Toenail Fungus Seriously
Before I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, toenail fungus was a problem, but I did not take it seriously because over-the-counter remedies seemed to work just fine…
Chasing the Perfect Bread for a Diabetic Diet
There is plenty of advice for people with diabetes, as well as people who just want to lose weight, about which carbohydrates to eat. So why have I found this so difficult?
Type 2 Diabetes and a New Eating Disorder
Because Type 2 diabetes is linked to bad eating habits, it becomes easy to get obsessed with food. How does the desire to eat right become orthorexia?
Diabetes Is Personal
It is possible to neglect Type 2 diabetes for a long time before complications catch up with you. So today might be a good time for a personal checkup…
Where Is Generic Insulin?
When I turned 65 last month, it was time to deal with that dreaded entity, Medicare. The biggest surprise was the prescription list…
Eat Fat to Improve Diabetes Control
When I tried to lose weight as a young adult, fat-free diets were the rage. That was the 1970s, but have things changed much since then?
Why Should I Learn About Diabetes?
One of the first things the doctor who diagnosed me with Type 2 diabetes said was, “I’m sending you to a diabetes educator.” But I did not go…
Sleep Apnea: A Hidden Enemy in Diabetes
If you have diabetes, you may also have obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. In fact, up to 80% of people with Type 2 diabetes have some form of OSA…
What Type of Diabetes Do You Have?
At least one in ten people who have been diagnosed with Type 2 actually have something called LADA, or latent autoimmune diabetes of adults…
Nine Foods We Can Live Without
The only thing I was sure of when my dad developed Type 2 diabetes was that sugar was the enemy. After my own diagnosis of Type 2, I discovered that I was not seeing the whole picture…
Warning Signs of Type 2 Diabetes
I made a list of warning signs for Type 2 diabetes. If this sneaky condition is caught early, you can avoid serious complications…
Can We Really Change?
Is it possible to change our habits when we are older? Here are some mistakes that I have made while trying to change, and what I should have done instead…
Diabetes and Flu Season
Those of us with diabetes are more likely to get the flu and are three times more likely to need a hospital stay from the virus and its complications…
The Lives of Others
Being around people who do not have diabetes makes it clear how hard it is for them to understand what it means to live with this condition…
Using Common Sense With Supplements
When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, the first thing I did was look through the home-remedy books on my shelves for a supplement that would help…
Is Alzheimer Disease Another Kind of Diabetes?
Diabetes is known to be linked to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease, and diabetes is more common in people who have Alzheimer disease…
Glucose Monitor Test Strips
When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I was offered a coupon for a glucose monitor. Having no idea what I was getting into, I got the monitor, brought it home, and started using it…
How I Fight Diabetes Burnout
Living with Type 2 diabetes means we have to make decisions every day to do the things we have been told to do. The “do this, don’t do that” list is long…
Dealing With Low Blood Sugar From Diabetes
The first time I experienced a low blood sugar episode was scary. Sweating and a pounding heart woke me out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night…
Losing Weight With Type 2 Diabetes
My weight-loss journey has had hundreds of ups and downs. It is always tough, but having Type 2 diabetes has made it even harder…
Taking Care of Your Feet When You Have Diabetes
Problems in my feet were the first complication I noticed after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Feet refuse to be ignored when they are hurting…
Being a Pincushion (Important Lab Tests for Diabetes)
After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I found myself getting blood tests every three months…
“Pins and Needles” and Diabetes
Paresthesia. This is the medical term for the tingling, numbness, and “pins and needles” that can sometimes come from diabetes…
Eating to Lower Insulin Needs
I love food, and having Type 2 diabetes has not changed that. So when I found out that some foods help keep my insulin needs from spiking too high, it captured my attention…
Sugar-Free Labels Can Be Deceptive
The only thing I thought I knew about diabetes in the beginning was that I was not supposed to have sugar anymore. Other than that I was completely ignorant…
My Battle With the Glycemic Index
Being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes meant I had to come to terms with what had to change in my diet. What was a glycemic index and why did I have to care about it?
Why Wear Special Shoes for Diabetes?
No one told me that Type 2 diabetes would make my feet hurt. It was one of those surprises that developed after a few years with this sneaky condition…
You Can Fight Chronic Pain With Food
Most of us fight pain every day, and it only gets worse as we age with diabetes. Did you know that some foods can fight inflammation and improve chronic pain?
Why Do Your Feet Hurt?
Pain and numbness in my feet from diabetes sent me looking for answers. What caused it, and what could I do about it?
Medical Alert Jewelry for Diabetes
Experiencing a low blood sugar forced me to think about how diabetes was changing my life. Here are some of the things that made me decide to buy a medical alert necklace…
Discovering I Had Type 2 Diabetes
I was not prepared when Type 2 diabetes burst the bubble of ignorance I had built around myself. Looking back, I should have known better…
