A diabetes game plan

Develop a winning self-care program with your diabetes health team

Although there’s no cure for diabetes, you can learn how to decrease your risk of complications with good diabetes self-management. Consider yourself captain of a team of healthcare providers, which should include a diabetes educator. Work with your team to tailor a program you can follow throughout the year, breaking down what you need to do daily, weekly, monthly and annually.

Use the schedule below as a model for your self-care diabetes program, adding any other guidelines you and your team have agreed you should follow:

Every day

• Self-monitor and log your blood glucose. There’s no “right” number of times to test. At certain times, such as when you’re first diagnosed, you’ll benefit from testing several times a day to help get your blood glucose in your healthy range.

• Keep track of your medications. Understand your team’s recommendations for dosages and timing.

• Eat well. Careful eating is an essential key to self-management.

• Exercise. Frequent activity is important for weight control and general health.

• Examine your feet. Because you’re prone to numbness, infections and poor circulation, your feet are vulnerable to health problems that should be caught early.

Every week to every month

• Weigh yourself. Maintaining a normal weight makes it easier to achieve good blood glucose control.

• Build and follow a healthy meal plan. Planning menus and shopping ahead of time will save you from having to throw together last-minute meals that may not fit into a healthy diet.

• Find a diabetes support group for camaraderie and practical tips. Ask your doctor to recommend a group or visit the American Diabetes Association Web site at www.diabetes.org for resources. If you think you may be suffering from a serious inability to cope, ask your physician for a referral to a mental health professional.

Every three to six months

• Schedule a doctor’s visit to monitor your diabetes and routine. Your doctor should:

—Do a hemoglobin A1c blood test, which measures the amount of glucose in your blood.

—Weigh you.

—Take your blood pressure. People with diabetes are susceptible to heart disease, and this screening is an important indicator of heart health.

—Conduct a medical foot exam.

• Schedule a dental exam. People with diabetes tend to be prone to gum disease and infection.

Every year

• Be sure your primary doctor:

—Tests your urine for any sign of kidney disease.

—Screens your blood for cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

—Gives you a flu shot and updates pneumonia, tetanus and hepatitis B vaccinations. Illness raises blood glucose levels and increases your chances of infection.

• Get an eye exam. Diabetes puts you at risk for vision complications.