Part I
Dealing with the Onset of Diabetes
âPancreas: a small region, often ignored, until it goes on strike.â
In this part . . .
You have been told that you or a loved one has diabetes. What do you do now? This part helps you to deal with all the emotions that inevitably arise âfrom wondering whether the diagnosis is correct to investigating the causes of diabetes.
Chapter 1
Dealing with Diabetes
In This Chapter
Understanding how common diabetes is Developing techniques to live with diabetes Looking at why your mental health is important Maintaining a high quality of life after diagnosis If youâve picked up this book, chances are you or someone you know has been diagnosed with diabetes. A diagnosis of any medical condition is simply a way of understanding that condition by putting it in a category that helps to predict what is likely to happen to you. A diagnosis also allows doctors and health care professionals to make assumptions about your treatment and prognosis. A diagnosis is, where possible, based on evidence.
However, if you have diabetes, you are more than a diagnosis or a measurement of abnormal blood glucose levels. You have feelings and a history. The way that you respond to the challenges of diabetes helps to determine whether the disease will be a moderate annoyance or a source of major sickness.
Also, your diabetes doesnât affect just one person. Your family, friends and colleagues are affected by how you deal with your diabetes and by their desire to help you. In this chapter, we introduce you to what it means to be diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the kinds of feelings you may struggle with after diagnosis and how you can move forward and learn to live with diabetes.
You Are Not Alone
Diabetes is a common disease, and getting commoner. The list of people with diabetes is long, and you may be surprised at some of the people who have it. Famous Australians like renovating expert and television personality Rob Palmer, singer Marcia Hines, model and entrepreneur Maggie Tabberer, Olympian Dawn Fraser, ex-footballer Steve Renouf, racing car driver Jack Perkins, politician Guy Barnett and judge Barbara Holborrow have not let diabetes slow them down. Our point is that every one of these people lives with this chronic illness, and every one of them has been able to do something special with his or her life.
The names in the preceding paragraph are just a partial list of those with diabetes who are well known. The point of these examples is this: Diabetes shouldnât stop you from doing what you want to do with your life. We encourage you to follow the guidelines of good diabetes care, which we describe in Part III. If you follow these guidelines, you may actually be healthier than people without diabetes who smoke, overeat, underexercise, or combine these and other unhealthy habits. If you follow the guidelines of good diabetes care, you can often be just as healthy as the person without diabetes. Living with Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease that can create short- and long-term complications (see Chapters 6 and 7 for more on these complications). In some ways, dealing with a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is quite different to dealing with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, and we discuss the considerations specific to each in the following sections.
Some tips for learning to live with having diabetes are common to both types, however, as follows:
Make sure you have good information. Reading this book is a great start! Your next step is to find out about other reliable sources of information and support. There are excellent resources available and your diabetes care team is available to assist. Chapter 21 provides some tips to help you work out whether information available online can be trusted and Chapter 24 provides details of useful websites for further information about diabetes. Get to know the doctors, nurses and other health professionals involved in your care. Identify people you feel comfortable with and agree with on what works for you. You want to share a common vision and treatment plan with your doctor and treating team. Ensure you have a general practitioner you can relate to and stick with one rather than choosing to just turn up at a medical centre. Keep a list of questions. Have a âshopping listâ of questions for your doctor or diabetes care team. Write these down when you think of them and take them with you on your next visit. Find out if you can talk to people who have managed their diabetes well. Most people know someone with diabetes, but that doesnât mean they know whatâs best for you to do, or anything about your diabetes. Your diabetes care team, the Australian Diabetes Council (in NSW) or Diabetes Australia (in other states and territories) can help you get in touch with people whose circumstances are (or were) similar to yours. You may also know someone within your circle of family, friends or colleagues. Surround yourself with loving positive support. With luck, you not only accept the diabetes diagnosis yourself, but you also share the news with your family, friends and people close to you. Having diabetes isnât something to be ashamed of and it isnât something that you should hide from anyone. Identify who is âthere for youâ and let those people know you appreciate it. If possible, give them things they can do â people do better when they have a tangible way of supporting you. See Chapter 14 for more on using the support that is available to you. Understand how you cope with stressful situations and change and build healthy coping skills. Diabetes often starts at times of stress â just when you donât need another thing to be happening. Being diagnosed with the condition presents you with an opportunity to reflect on how you deal with stress and what kind of coping skills you have developed. When it comes to your long-term health â b... 
