Investigate.Inform. Inspire
S. Epatha Merkerson is best known for her former role in the TV series Law and Order. Today you can see her on the popular show Chicago Med as the hospital administrator Sharon Goodwin. S. Epatha’s celebrity status does not take away from her passion in helping other people with diabetes learn more about their disease. She comes from a family with a history of
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By Janel Johnson In November 2005, with an A1c of 7.5%, I was told that I had type 2 diabetes. It shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to me because my mother has type 2 and her mother died from complications due to her uncontrolled diabetes. My being overweight just quickened my diagnosis as I often ate fast food, skipped meals, loaded up
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A procedure designed to change how the body absorbs and processes glucose could help improve A1C numbers for those with type 2 diabetes, according to recent research. Presenting at the 19th World Congress of International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity & Metabolic Disorders in Montreal, researchers said that a procedure that resurfaces the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine where food is
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Carbohydrates can increase blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, as well as contribute to weight gain. A recent study shows that eating two ounces of raw, dry, or roasted nuts daily as a replacement for two ounces of other carbohydrates may control blood sugar levels and cholesterol in type 2 diabetes without packing on the pounds. The study was conducted at St. Michael’s Hospital,
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I’ve had type 1 diabetes for nearly 14 years. I have fallen off the wagon a few times, battled diabulimia, survived numerous insulin shock comas and ketoacidosis episodes, and struggled with acceptance: I have my scars. Despite these mistakes, I’ve picked myself up countless times and have prevailed. I’ve persevered with a disease that doesn’t take vacations for even a minute, and I’ve come out
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When first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes two years ago, I was scared into a very rigid regime of diet and exercise. The first thing I did was register for the Tour de Cure – a bike ride sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. Establishing a goal served as an incentive to train and exercise daily. Six months later, I had lost 25 pounds and
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My husband is on metformin, and he was able to manage his diabetes for several years. But slowly his A1C has been creeping above eight even though he exercises two hours a day. His physician recommends that he go on insulin and he refuses to do so. Stephanie Dear Stephanie: If your husband is competitive or a high achieving person, he could have the mindset
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My mother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 53. Unfortunately, she passed away from diabetes complications at 65. Of course this was because she did not take care of her blood sugars. Her A1C usually hovered around 10. It was frustrating trying to help her. I remember traveling the full emotional scale as her caretaker, desperately trying to show her how
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It’s a nightmare scenario for a person who’s been newly diagnosed with diabetes: You’re fired after learning you have this chronic-yet-manageable disease. Everything the doctors told you about living a nearly normal life seems like a lie. Your visions and hopes for the future-already clouded with this scary medical news-darken. What would you do? How would you react? Who would you turn to for support?
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An Interview with John Schaaf
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