Controlling diabetes a daily routine
It was June 2008, and Cindy Campbell wasn’t feeling well. She was thirsty most of the time. She couldn’t get her eyes to focus properly. She lived the busy life of a teacher and didn’t always take the time to exercise and choose healthy foods.
Campbell had a pretty good idea what was causing her to feel poorly. A trip to her primary care provider’s office confirmed what she had already suspected: she had type 2 diabetes.
Millions of people in the United States live with diabetes. The disease affects the body’s ability to properly process blood sugar. As a result, sugar builds up in the bloodstream, which can harm the body’s organs and raise a person’s risk of heart disease.
She remembers how she felt upon learning that the disease would be a part of her life forever.
“I was scared,” Campbell said. “You think it’s not going to happen to you. I knew for years I was overweight and out of shape.”
About one in 12 people in the United States is diabetic, so most everyone is affected by the disease in some way. Type 2 diabetes — the most common form of the disease — typically strikes adults. Certain risk factors can increase a person’s likelihood of getting this form of diabetes, including family history, age, diet and exercise. Type 1 diabetes — a less common form of the disease — is typically diagnosed during childhood. Gestational diabetes — the third type of the disease — affects pregnant women.
Campbell’s reaction to her diagnosis is common. There is currently no cure for diabetes, and proper management of the disease takes life-long commitment. It didn’t take her long to realize that her diagnosis was real and that it wasn’t going away. So she decided to do something about it.
“I realized that I couldn’t play around with my health any longer,” she said. “I decided that it was time to make a change. If I wanted to see my kids graduate, get married and be a part of their lives for years to come, I had to do it.”
She began by identifying the resources available to her. She worked closely with her primary care provider to learn about her new medications and how they could be used to help control the disease. She also enrolled in The Aroostook Medical Center’s Diabetes Self Management Training Program.
The program helps diabetics learn the skills they need to successfully manage the disease. Participants find out how to take control of diabetes through exercise, meal planning and medication management. The program, which includes eight hours of education and free follow-up for a year, is coordinated by Lillian Wipperman, a diabetes nurse educator.
According to Campbell, the Diabetes Self Management Training Program played an important role in helping her manage the disease.
“I think if I hadn’t been educated, I wouldn’t have understood the disease and realized that it’s manageable,” she said. “I learned that it is important to set small daily goals. My goals were to exercise at least 20 minutes a day three times a week, lose two pounds each week and take my medications as scheduled.”
In the months following her diagnosis, Campbell lost almost 100 pounds by exercising and paying attention to her diet. She continues to walk or exercise indoors several days each week. She feels good and is now able to control her diabetes through diet and exercise, without the aid of medication.
Gaining control of her diabetes required dedication and support. She also credits the resources that were available to help her, including the Diabetes Self Management Training Program.
“I think the program was very beneficial to me. I enjoy Lillian because she’s very positive,” said Campbell.
Through the program, she learned that she can still splurge on occasion, and she doesn’t need to completely give up her favorite foods.
“I’ve learned how I can eat different things,” Campbell said. “I can go to any restaurant that anyone else goes to; it’s just that I pick the grilled foods.”
Keeping motivated isn’t always easy, but Campbell believes that every diabetic can find a plan that will work for them.
“Even if you can’t get out and exercise, you can still watch your diet and take your medicine and find things around the house to do,” she added. “Use cans of vegetables for weights. Go up and down the stairs. Park at the end of the parking lot at the store and walk. It is a change in your lifestyle.”
Campbell will be a diabetic for life, but with persistence, she believes she has the ability to stay in control of the disease. Her advice to diabetics who are struggling to stay motivated: don’t give up.
“Don’t give up too soon. It’s not something that happens overnight. Talk to others and share what you’re learning so you’re not going through the process alone. Find support, whether it’s at home or at work. Like anything else, you really have to want it. If you want to be healthy and have control of your life, you can do it,” said Campbell.
For more information about TAMC’s Diabetes Self-Management Program, call 768-4580.
