Nearly 26 million children and adults have diabetes in the United States. Diabetes is a disease where your body has trouble using a sugar called glucose.
This can cause the sugar level in your blood to become too high, which over time can lead to serious health problems.
But living with diabetes is possible, and Banner Health is trying to give patients the tools to be successful.
“I exercise 30 minutes every day,” Theresa Buelteman said.
Buelteman never misses a workout, which consists of walking on the treadmill, riding her stationary bike and then doing weights.
“Your life is so important and I think you need to take the time to do the exercise,” Buelteman said.
But exercise is only half of what keeps this 79-year-old in great shape. Buelteman also watches what she eats.
“I left behind a lot of those fried foods and that was one of the problems,” Buelteman said.
These are big changes Buelteman made after having triple bypass surgery and being diagnosed with diabetes 10 years ago.
“It’s what you’re putting in your mouth and the exercise that you’re not doing that puts you in that predicament,” Buelteman said.
She has been able to manage her diabetes, which includes taking insulin on a daily basis.
A new U.S. government study shows that from 1988 to 2010, the number of people with the disease able to meet or exceed all three of the measures that demonstrate good diabetes management rose from about 2 percent to 19 percent.
The three measures of diabetes management are sometimes called the ABCs of diabetes. A is for the A1C test that measures your average blood sugar level over the last two or three months, B is for blood pressure and C is cholesterol.
“That is an improvement but 19 percent isn’t very good,” said Rosalie Leman, certified diabetes educator who sees patients at Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz. “Part of the problem and probably a big reason is that people are not getting the education that they need.”
Banner Health is already ahead of the game.
“Banner is getting ready to expand into that outpatient arena more and have outpatient diabetes education programs more than we already do and they really are focusing on that team approach,” Leman said.
A team approach that already extends to community diabetes support groups like the one Leman runs at Banner Baywood.
“I help them understand that even though they have diabetes, they can live [a] very healthy [life] with diabetes,” Leman said.
Buelteman has been going to the support group for a year.
“Each time I come, we always learn something,” Buelteman said. “We go home with another idea and say, ‘OK, let’s see how we do this.’”
Buelteman is living proof that getting the tools to treat a medical condition like diabetes can be a lifesaver.
“I think you need somebody you can talk it over with because sometimes you think you’re doing the right thing and you could be going the opposite direction,” Buelteman said.
If you want to check out Banner Baywood’s diabetes support group click here. Banner Desert Medical Center also has a support group and you can call 480-412-5195 or 480-412-5074.
For more information on Banner Health Diabetes Self-Management Education Program visit www.BannerHealth.com/BAMC-Diabetes.
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