When it comes to diabetes care and management there are endless routine tasks. It can be difficult to stay on top of everything, and many people with diabetes slip up – sometimes for a few days, sometimes for weeks, and sometimes even longer. But if you’ve fallen off the bandwagon, it doesn’t mean you should panic before an appointment with the endocrinologist. Feeling ashamed of all the things you should have done won’t make your diabetes better. The best thing you can do is take action and get back on track. To make things easier for us, Dr. Zachary Bloomgarden, a New York City endocrinologist has made a list of the things he’d like all of his diabetes patients to do.
Each and every one of the tasks on his list is important. And once you get in the habit of doing them, they won’t feel difficult. So go ahead and print this list, stick it on your fridge, and be reminded to do the little things a person with diabetes needs to do to stay healthy in the long run.
Hi Khurt,
I think you misunderstood my point. My A1C is 5.0%. I exercise and eat low carb. I don’t do whatever I want. Rather, I follow the Dr. Bernstein theory behind managing type 1 diabetes). I believe the reason a majority of diabetics cannot normalize their sugars and don’t achieve blood sugar targets is because of recommendations such as these. Dr. Berstein’s approach reduces much of the uncertainty of managing type 1 diabetes.
I do all of this. All eight. And with all due respect, Vera, none of this is unreasonable. What is unreasonable is expecting NOT to do these an then expecting NOT to get diabetes complications. I test 6 times a day. I exercise. I eat my vegetables.
My AIC is a 5.9. What’s yours?
It never ceases to amaze me how the average American wants to do whatever they want and not have the consequences. Yes diabetes sucks. Shit happens. Accept it. Your cheese has moved.
Vera, I could not agree more. Being a Type 1 for 40 years+ I have been there and done that. I for many years just maintain complete boredom in my daily food management. Virtually the same meals each and every day.My wife mixes up Dinners only. Routine and sameness keeps my Diabetes in control most of the time.
Dr. Bloomgarden, With all due respect, your “wish list” is an unreasonable set of expectations. You say that you want patients to keep a food log, count carbs, and exercise every day. Have you tried doing that for months on end? This is in addition to expecting patients to manually perform every single day the same function that the pancreas performs in an otherwise healthy patient (I assume your “wish list” applies to both Type I and Type II since you did not make the distinction). Such unrealistic goals will not help diabetic patients achieve A1C and blood sugar targets.… Read more »