Author Archive for admin
What are the most reliable sources of information on diabetes?
I have mentioned several sources throughout this book that will give you reliable information. For most of these I have given websites rather than phone numbers. Information is likely to be more reliable and less biased if it is from …
Does diabetes affect your sex drive?
Yes, it can. People usually feel most romantic and interested in sex when they are relaxed and can be spontaneous. It is hard to feel like that if you are embarrassed that you have lumps and bruises from where you …
How can I tell if I am really depressed or not?
Sometimes it can be really hard to tell. You may just be feeling hopeless and frustrated and feel that you have no way out of your situation. Here are some things to ask yourself. Are you having trouble falling asleep? …
What should I do when I get frustrated and depressed about my diabetes?
It is completely normal to get frustrated and depressed about having diabetes. Diabetes puts restrictions and burdens on you that interfere with your everyday life. There are likely to be days when you are just sick of it and want …
How much should my family and friends know about diabetes?
The best answer is, “As much as you want them to know and as much as you think they can cope with and understand in order to be helpful to you.” You need to use your own judgment. A distant …
How can I tell if new treatments that I hear about in the media would be good ones for me?
It is getting more and more common for pharmaceutical companies to advertise directly to consumers. The new drug always sounds great, of course. How can you tell if it really would be good for you? One approach is to use …
How often should I see my diabetes doctor?
It depends on how complicated your diabetes treatment is, how confident you are about what you are doing, and how much support you feel that you need or want. You certainly ought to be seen at least once a year …
How often should I get laboratory tests?
It depends on how old you are, what other medical conditions you have, and what treatment you are on. You should know what your HbA1c level is, when it was last checked, and what target you are trying to reach. …
How often should I get a physical?
This is a tricky thing to answer, because it depends so much on how healthy you are. Some people like the reassurance of getting an “annual physical,” as if this gives you some kind of guarantee that you are healthy, …
How can I get the most out of my relationship with my health care team?
Finding someone whom you connect with and who “gets” who you are and what matters to you is really important. Just like in other important relationships in your life, there are some indefinable qualities about this. You can sometimes just …