Things you wish they'd told you when you were diagnosed...
I am studying Chronic Illness this semester as part of my nursing course requirements, and
I have to develop a project that can be implemented while I am on clinical placement which is focused on a chronic illness that will improve patient education and better involve them in their care.
As I have just been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes myself, I have decided to do a fact sheet that can be given to newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetics.
During the stage of being diagnosed with diabetes it can be very overwhelming with a HUGE amount of information to be absorbed. I am hoping to include all the important stuff that they will need to know, that is often either not discussed or is lost during information overload!
Being a nursing student when diagnosed, I aready understood some of the information that others may not have, so I am hoping to get some advice on what to include in case I leave out some important info.
If you guys could tell me some of the things you either were not told, or on the other hand things you were told that were very valuable when first diagnosed I would be very grateful.
Thanks, Leah :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by onesaint on -
I really have never felt like the Dr.s bedside was any good when I was DX in 1985. and as others have said, they (the Dr.s) tell you things can be bad, but really dont always do much to help you make sure it wont be bad other than the general "you need to get better control of your sugars." So heres my 2c for a DX infor sheet. Brilliant idea by the way. With my nurse would have had one of these sheets.
1. DONT PANIC!
2. Your going to learn more about your health than you ever wanted to know, but youll take better care that way.
3. Complications can be avoided with near normal BGs and low BG fluctuations.
4. YDMV, every one is different, some get complications some don't, but don't play Russian roulette with your health.
5. BGs over 150mg/dl can do damage, shoot for under that.
6. Diabetes management is hard. Extremely hard. Dont blame yourself for crazy numbers, as sometimes they just happen.
7. Carbs = glucose, glucose = high BGs,
8. insulin / meds / exercise (unless over 230mg/dl) = low BGs
9. Live fast, die young doesn't work. You'll just end up screwed when you get older and have to deal with it.
10. Just because your pancreas doesn't produce insulin, doesn't mean your liver stopped storing glucose.
11. There are tons of people to talk to and lots of information available. Start with Tudiabetes.org.
12. Management comes with information, information is a CGMS or finger sticks, please do them.
13. Please do research for yourself as well as take your Dr.s advise. Diabetic solution, think like a pancreas, etc.
14. Your not an orange or a pin cushion. There are lots of tools to make management easy, just ask about them.
15. Over your life, Diabetes will cost you as much as having a child.
16. Chocolate isnt good for treating lows, but fructose (fruit juice) is.
Thats all I can think of right now. I was DX in the 80s, so communication and bedside manner was hopefully worse then than it is now.
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