CLASS HELPS PEOPLE LEARN TO LIVE WITH DIABETES

Some diabetics must take an injection of insulin as many as three times a day to regulate their blood sugar.

Lisa McClure of Sedgewickville enjoyed a balanced dinner that included sugar-free pudding. McClure has been a diabetic for three years.

Beverly Hoover, a registered nurse at St. Francis Medical Center, gathered information for an exercise prescription for diabetes patients from left, Troy Ford of Advance and Renea Taormina and Ken Wright, both of Jackson.

After years of living an active life with diabetes, Rosie Danker hopes that sharing her experiences can help other diabetics learn to effectively live with the condition.

"It doesn't necessarily make me a better educator than anyone else," said Danker, a diabetes rehabilitation nurse at St. Francis Medical Center. "But I can, hopefully, give patients advice on things that have worked for me in my diabetes."

Danker is one of several instructors at a two-day class the hospital offers monthly to teach patients techniques necessary to control their diabetes and avoid complications.

"What we are trying to achieve with this class is to educate people with diabetes so they can be in charge of their own lives," said Amy Ward, a clinical resource nurse with the hospital's Diabetes Center.

She said that while doctors, nurses and other health care workers can help diabetics, the primary responsibility for monitoring the disease lies with the patient.

"The person with diabetes has to live with it 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Ward said. "The more they know, the better their body reacts."

A doctor's referral is required, to enroll in the education program.

Diabetes interferes with the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that allows the body to convert sugar from the food we eat into energy.

There are two different types of diabetes. In insulin-dependent, or type one, diabetes, the pancreas produces no insulin whatsoever, requiring the patient to take daily insulin injections to survive.

Type one usually develops during childhood.

Danker uses an insulin pump, rather than taking injections. The pump continuously administers insulin 24 hours a day, in effect doing the job of the pancreas.

Danker said the pump provides more freedom and doesn't force one to eat at certain times to correspond with insulin shots.

"It gives patients more flexibility with their lifestyles," Danker said.

With non-insulin, or type two, diabetes, the pancreas produces some insulin, but not enough for the body to properly metabolize blood sugar.

Type two can be hereditary and is most common among people over 40 years of age and or who are obese.

Warning signs include increased thirst, urination or hunger; fatigue; blurry vision; or weight loss. The symptoms can develop gradually and may be hard to identify.

In the class, diabetics learn a variety of techniques, including how to properly monitor their blood sugar levels, maintaining a balanced diet, knowing their medications and what common over-the-counter drugs to avoid, how to adjust when ill and accepting their condition.

Improper management of diabetes can lead to many long-term complications, including blindness, kidney failure, amputation due to circulatory and nerve damage and gastro-intestinal disorders.

Ward said diabetes is the number one cause of amputations, particularly of feet and legs.

"Probably 50 percent or more could be prevented," Ward said.

Danker said diet is the most important aspect of managing diabetes.

"If you think of diabetes as a pyramid, diet is at the top of the pyramid," Danker said.

Having the right diet allows a diabetic to maintain a proper weight, keep blood sugar levels normal and prevent heart and circulation disorders, which tend to occur in diabetics.

While the proper diet varies from person to person, studies show that fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals may help lower blood glucose levels.

"A diabetic diet is not really terribly restrictive," Danker said.