Evelyne Fleury-Milfort, RN, MSN, CDE, FNP, is a diabetes nurse educator in Los Angeles, California. She works at the University of Southern California University Hospital and at a low-income clinic.
DIABETES HEALTH: How long have you been involved with diabetes …
Q: Does caffeine lower or raise your blood sugar?
Cheryl Russal
Bethel Park, PA
A: Caffeine by itself has variable effects on blood sugar. In a recent review of some of the medical literature, there was not a profound effect …
Q: I am going on 58 years old and have had diabetes since 1980. Initially I weighed 127 at 5′ 8″. I was unusual in that I was not overweight. The first 8 years my control was micronase and jogging …
Your pharmacist and his staff screen a new prescription for errors, then enter the data into the computer. If a problem is noted the pharmacist will contact your physician. The prescription is dispensed to you and a face-to-face counseling session …
Q: I’ve been told that I have diabetic neuropathy. What is that and what can I do about it?
A: Diabetic neuropathy is a disorder of the nerves that is a common complication of diabetes. The symptoms of neuropathy include …
Looking For A Friend
Thanks for reminding me about renewing my subscription to DIABETES HEALTH I enjoy the paper and would hate to miss a copy. Being somewhat isolated, I especially look forward to your informative articles on diabetes, and …
Q: I’d like to buy a new meter to test my blood sugar and don’t know which one is best. How do I decide which meter to buy?
A: First of all, let us set the record straight! There is …
The vitamin E market in the United States, estimated at $600 million in sales, has been growing at an annualized rate of 25 percent.
It’s use in the health food industry has been bolstered by nutritional research on antioxidant vitamins. …
Q: There is a question which you may be able to help with. Good monitoring suggests frequent blood testing (4+ times a day), and usually equally frequent insulin injections. The question is: where do you keep sticking yourself to get …
Answer: why does my sugar go up after exercise ? If an inadequate amount of insulin is present in the blood allowing the BG to rise to about 250 to 300 mg/dl, …
My life in the diabetes community started at a young age as the secret keeper of my maternal and paternal Grandmothers. They both had type 2 diabetes and my days spent alone with them exposed me to their misunderstanding of how their diabetes really affected them. Eating candy bars, hiding the candy wrappers and smoking cigarettes seemed innocent enough to them. A decade later I married a type 1 person living with diabetes and experienced the full court of the diabetes spectrum with my type 2 family members and type 1 husband of almost 20 years.
My grandmothers, the type 2 have struggled with their diabetes as long as I could remember. Later my mother followed in her mother’s footsteps. Sadly, my brother followed in my mother’s footsteps and experienced an early passing at the age of 53. My brother Jamal’s passing had the greatest impact on me. Probably because were the Irish twins; eleven months apart and his departure devastated me.
As I tell most people, diabetes is not a glamorous profession. Most people that work in the industry have a personal connection. This is why I am still here publishing after 26 years.
On the flip side of the coin, helping and inspiring people is my mission. I understand the daily challenges you face regardless of your education, IQ and economic circumstance. I am not a healthcare professional. Simply a lay person who has lived with a Type 1 and Type 2 family member who struggled with their disease. My former Type 1 husband was a role model in how to manage your diabetes, while my intelligent family members were role models on how an invisible disease can be misunderstood, devastating the quality of their life while leaving heart broken family members behind.
The perils of my experience have taught me to never judge anyone. As knowledgeable as I am, I also realize that I have no idea of the strings that pull at each person heart.
What I love about the diabetes community?
Once I meet someone and we share that we have a common experience; their diabetes and my life long experience as a care taker, we tend to have an instant bond. Think about it. How many people do you meet who you feel really get you right after your introduction? The conversations that follow tend to be very personal. Not a common experience with all strangers.
I started this column because where ever I go, people tend to ask me a lot of diabetes questions.
My answers are my opinions and it is not to be replaced by your healthcare professional’s opinion. The answers to your question in most cases will include research and other links to give you a borader perspective on your question.
If you have a question for me, you can reach me at asknadia@diabeteshealth.com
Enjoy the columns and I look forward to reading and answering your question about diabetes.
