Just diagnosed with diabetes

When you’re just diagnosed with diabetes it can be overwhelming. It’s natural to feel a mix of emotions, from shock to uncertainty about the future. However, with the right knowledge and support, you can manage this condition effectively and lead a fulfilling life.

Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. When you eat, your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which enters your bloodstream. In response, your pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that allows glucose to enter your cells to be used for energy. In diabetes, this process is impaired.

There are three main types of diabetes:

• Type 1 Diabetes: An autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type often develops in children and young adults and requires lifelong insulin therapy.
• Type 2 Diabetes: The most common form, where the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn’t produce enough. It’s often linked to lifestyle factors and typically occurs in adults, though it’s increasingly seen in younger populations.
• Gestational Diabetes: Develops during pregnancy and usually resolves after childbirth but increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Just diagnosed with with diabetes, now what?

After a diabetes diagnosis, it’s common to experience various emotional stages:

1. Shock and Disbelief: Initial reactions often include surprise or denial, especially if you had no prior symptoms.
2. Anger: Feelings of frustration or questioning, “Why me?” are natural as you come to terms with the diagnosis.
3. Bargaining: You might find yourself making deals or setting conditions in hopes of reversing the diagnosis.
4. Depression: Feelings of sadness or hopelessness can arise, making it crucial to seek support from loved ones or professionals.
5. Acceptance: Coming to terms with the diagnosis and focusing on managing the condition effectively.

Recognizing and addressing these emotions is vital. Support groups, counseling, and open communication with family and friends can be invaluable during this time.

Immediate steps after diagnosis

1. Educate yourself: Knowledge is power. Understanding diabetes helps you make informed decisions about your health.
2. Assemble a healthcare team: This may include an endocrinologist, dietitian, diabetes educator, and primary care physician. A multidisciplinary approach ensures comprehensive care.
3. Monitor blood glucose levels: Regular monitoring helps you understand how food, activity, and medications affect your blood sugar.
4. Adopt a healthy lifestyle: Incorporate balanced nutrition and regular physical activity into your routine.
5. Set realistic goals: Work with your healthcare team to establish achievable health targets.

Lifestyle modifications

• Nutrition: Adopting a balanced diet is crucial. The Diabetes Plate Method is a practical approach:
  • Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables (e.g., leafy greens, broccoli).Allocate a quarter to lean proteins (e.g., chicken, tofu).Reserve the remaining quarter for complex carbohydrates (e.g., whole grains, legumes).
  This method simplifies meal planning and promotes portion control.
• Physical activity: Engage in regular exercise, such as walking, swimming, or cycling. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity and aids in weight management.
• Weight management: Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of complications.
• Stress management: Chronic stress can affect blood sugar levels. Incorporate stress-reducing practices like meditation, yoga, or deep-breathing exercises.

Medication and treatment

Treatment plans are individualized based on the type of diabetes and personal health factors:

• Type 1 Diabetes: Requires lifelong insulin therapy. Insulin can be administered through injections or an insulin pump.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Management may include lifestyle modifications, oral medications, and sometimes insulin. Common medications include metformin, which decreases glucose production in the liver.
• Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM): CGMs provide real-time blood sugar readings, helping you make timely decisions about food, activity, and medications.

Regular health check-ups

Routine medical appointments are essential to monitor and prevent complications:

• A1C Tests: Measure average blood glucose levels over the past 2-3 months. Aim for an A1C level as advised by your healthcare provider.
• Blood Pressure Monitoring: Diabetes increases the risk of hypertension, so regular checks are vital.
• Cholesterol Levels: Managing cholesterol reduces cardiovascular risks.
• Eye Exams: Annual dilated eye exams detect early signs of diabetic retinopathy.
• Foot Care: Regular foot inspections help prevent infections and complications. Ensure proper footwear to protect your feet.

Building a Support System

• Join support groups: Connecting with others facing similar challenges provides emotional support and practical advice.
• Educate family and friends: Involving loved ones in your care fosters understanding and encouragement.
• Seek professional help: Diabetes can impact mental health. Don’t hesitate to consult a counselor or therapist if needed.

Long-Term Management

• Stay informed: Diabetes research is continually evolving. Keep abreast of new treatments and management strategies.
• Regular screenings: Stay updated with vaccinations and screenings, as diabetes can affect the immune system.
• Plan for travel: Ensure you have adequate medications and supplies when traveling. Inform travel companions about your condition.

Being just diagnosed with diabetes is a significant life event, but with the right approach, it doesn’t have to hinder your quality of life. Embrace the journey with a proactive mindset, utilize available resources, and remember that you’re not alone. Millions manage diabetes successfully, and so can you.

Fortunately, in most cases, the accommodation period is pretty short, as the patient understands that there is nothing that can be done to change the situation or reverse the condition. Other worries come to life like what will I do? What is the life expectancy? Am I allowed to do this and the other? From this moment on, the patient wishes to find out as much as possible about the condition.

After being just diagnosed with diabetes, the longest period is to get used to the condition.

Is anyone to blame for getting diabetes?

Short answer is no! Especially for type 1 diabetes, which in most cases is inherited. The patient shouldn’t look for relatives with type 1 diabetes to blame. For type 2 diabetes we can discuss about the lifestyle habits that have influenced having the condition.

Not you, not your family, not the doctors are guilty for you having diabetes. By acknowledging the factors that lead to getting diabetes and the fact that anyone can suffer from the condition, the patient can lose the guilt feeling they had when they were just diagnosed with diabetes.

First discussion with your doctor

If you are a parent and your child was just diagnosed with diabetes, it would be better that for the first time the child is not participating in the discussion. This needs to be between the doctor who will treat the child and the parents.

First of all, the parents will get help to overcome their emotions so they can better understand the information received from the doctors and will be encouraged to ask for clarifications or additional explanations. It is also important for the parents to understand that they are not to be blamed for the condition of their child.

For an adult, some counselling will also be needed, for the same purpose so the patient can accept that diabetes is a chronic disease which will not be cured, but it can be managed to have a normal healthy life.

Why is getting used to diabetes important ?

Getting used to the diabetes condition is very important to overcome any feelings about uncertainty and being helpless after just being diagnosed with diabetes. Getting over these feelings helps convincing yourself that you can face any situation and manage your diabetes.

The patient might need psychological help or not. This varies from person to person.

Accepting the fact that being just diagnosed with diabetes and accepting the diagnosis is key to better understanding the disease, by knowledge, will and experience.

Family is very important to understand that this condition will affect them as well and to be able to support the diabetic from an emotional side and a medical side. They need to know the symptoms of hypoglycemia etc. to be able to help and also accommodate their lifestyle according to the needs of the diabetic.