Diabetes: Words of Advice for the Newly Diagnosed

This article has been reprinted with permission from Science 37. The original article can be viewed here.

People have a lot to say about diabetes. People also love to give their opinions. So when you put those two things together, and ask an invested diabetes community to offer up some advice to those who are newly diagnosed, you get all kinds of passionate and insightful answers. We’re highlighting some of the responses below.

Diabetes: When It Comes to Food…

So what’s important to know if you’re newly diagnosed? The subject of food is a good place to start. Several people recommended finding a nutritionist or dietitian, and in general, getting a handle on nutrition was a common theme, which makes sense. As we’ve seen in the past with those who have diabetes (remember “eat the damn turkey chili?“), finding the right resources and support for dietary changes can be incredibly challenging. Other comments we heard about food:

• “Ask all the questions you can think of! Find a doctor or nutritionist who understands your needs as a diabetic.”
• “Learn as much as you can about diabetes: how to take your medication, meals, exercise, etc.”
• “Make sure you meet with nutritionist. Come with a lot of questions.”
• “Learn how to cook health meals.”
• “Get a referral to a DSMT [diabetes self-management training] program. See a dietitian.”
• “Follow diets and exercise.”

One person told us: “[There’s a] lot of talk about eating veggies, but not how to prepare them or tasty healthy meals for people who don’t know how to cook.” Indeed, these words of wisdom from others in the diabetes community show that it’s not enough to know what to do; you also need to know how to do it.

Diabetes: Keep Calm and Crave Information

Remember the woman who reminded us of Aaron Rodgers with her call to relax? Later on she told us: “[A diagnosis is] not the end of the world. Get as much education as you can so you can make informed decisions.” Her comments were right in line with others we heard:

• “Ask your doctor about diabetes and what to do to solve it.”
• “Don’t trust health educators. Be your own advocate.”
• “Stay focused and positive with your new lifestyle changes.”
• “Diabetes is a treatable disease. As you get accustomed to your new lifestyle, it gets easier.”
• “You have to work at it and stay on top of it. Keep A1C down and find all information.”
• “Don’t give up! It’s a tedious routine, but worth the hard work you put into it.”

Many stressed the importance of working hard to maintain lifestyle changes and closely monitoring A1C levels, and offered a variety of tips to do so (“use a pump with a CGM sensor,” etc.). But the key to diabetes management, based on the responses we heard, is to be positive and take control in a way that makes sense for you. It starts with education, then making the necessary adjustments.

What advice would you give to someone who is newly diagnosed with diabetes? Let us know on Twitter.