Your loved one has diabetes. What are you going to do? First, don’t panic. Diabetes is a treatable medical condition. For people with diabetes, the pancreas does not always make enough insulin, a hormone that brings sugar into cells so it can be used for energy. Low insulin means the cells don’t get enough sugar and the sugar stays in the blood causing high blood sugar.
In some ways, diabetes is a mixed blessing. A wake up call that the body is not indestructible. It is time to start taking care of oneself. Perhaps the most important thing for both of you to realize is your lives will need to change, but change for the better.
STEP ONE: Be Supportive
No one likes to be told they have a chronic medical condition. Remember, your loved one is probably troubled by having diabetes and has many unfounded fears about the illness. Many people think diabetes is a death sentence, that having diabetes is the first step on the road to poor health. Simply stated: this is not true.
It is your job to tell your loved one that you love and support him or her no matter what medical condition develops. Also, you must remind your loved one that people with diabetes can and do live normal lives. Diabetes can be managed through healthy eating and exercise. You will also need to impress on your loved one that diabetes is a medical condition that needs daily attention and that you are there to help.
STEP TWO: Change The Way You Live
Diabetes can motivate both of you to pay more attention to each other and to yourselves. Chances are, your healthcare provider has already discussed what you need to do to control diabetes. While medicine helps control the problem, the most benefit comes from changing the way you live.
First on the list of changes are eating habits and exercise. It is no secret that people with diabetes who eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly have better control of their blood sugar and experience fewer complications. In fact, through healthy eating and exercise some people with Type 2 diabetes may actually limit or eliminate the need for medications. Your doctor’s diet and exercise advice is not for people with diabetes only. This same advice is useful to anyone and it can add active years to their life. This is what we mean by living the life of a person with diabetes. You don’t need to check your blood sugar or take medicine. You can, however, follow the same healthy eating plan and exercise advice given to your loved one. Having both you and your loved one make these changes together increases the chance of success. It’s easy to take a pill. It’s harder to change how you live. By taking part in these changes, you and your partner will work together as a team to keep each other well. Limit the amount of certain foods such as ice cream or sweets that you and your loved one eats as part of a meal or snack.
Also remember not to try to make all the changes overnight. If you completely change your eating and exercise routine all at once, it will be too difficult to stick with the new program. You can sit down together and make a plan that works for both of you so you can make the changes slowly and stay with them.
STEP THREE: Take An Active Role
It’s also important to go with your partner to doctor appointments when possible. You will not only provide support, but you will be able to make sure your loved one gets there. You will also hear what the doctor has to say and be able to help your partner understand and remember the information. You may also have to gently remind your partner a little in the beginning. Your doctor may ask your partner to check and record blood sugar several times a day. As this can be slightly painful, blood sugar checks are easy to “forget.“ It is, however, vital that your partner check and record blood sugar daily as this is the only way your doctor can tell how the treatment is working.
If you notice your loved one is taking diabetes too hard it may help to talk a professional about coping with the situation. While nobody likes to be told they have a medical problem, diabetes is treatable. View this time as a chance for both of you to sit back and look at the way you live. Think of diabetes as a new beginning and a time when you and your partner can show a new respect for your bodies and make the needed changes to lead more healthy and active lives.
