In Charge and In Control

By Tracie Foster

The white paper crinkles underneath as you situate yourself on the exam table. You just had a yearly wellness checkup and are waiting for your primary care physician to return with your lab results from the previous week.

Knowing that diabetes runs in your family and living with type 2 diabetes yourself, the doctor ordered an A1C blood draw. Today, you all will find out how well you having been managing your type 2 diabetes. “Let’s see what your A1C level is,” states your doctor, as he reviews the report.

You hope your level is within the normal range of seven percent or less, but you see a look of concern on your doctor’s face. You immediately realize something is not right.

This is a familiar scenario for Tina Worlock. “No one wants to hear that their A1C is 15 percent, which is alarmingly high level and if left uncontrolled, could lead to serious complications,” says Tina. “I didn’t hear much after my doctor uttered those words. Like anyone else, I started thinking, ‘why me?’ But the moment the thought crossed my mind, I decided not to let this disease run my life. Diabetes was not in charge of me; I was in charge of it.”

Although Tina was no stranger to diabetes, she never dreamed her A1C would be at this level.

More than 37 million Americans have diabetes and approximately 90 percent have type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Type 2 diabetes develops when cells do not respond normally to insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells for the body to use as energy. This is known as insulin resistance.

As a result, the pancreas makes more insulin in an attempt to get cells to respond. Eventually, the pancreas cannot keep up, causing blood sugar levels to rise and setting the stage for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Tina’s doctor referred her to the McLeod Diabetes Center.

Since opening its doors in 1999, the McLeod Diabetes Center has provided people with diabetes the education and tools needed to better manage their health, including:

·       Inpatient and outpatient diabetes education

·       Comprehensive diabetes evaluations

·       Diabetes and insulin self-management education

·       Medical nutrition therapy

·       Gestational diabetes management

·       Insulin pump training

·       And more

The McLeod Diabetes Center is recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina, and the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists for achieving national and state standards of diabetes education.

“I had always been aware that uncontrolled diabetes could lead to serious complications such as blindness, poor circulation and kidney disease,” said Tina. “I wasn’t sure what new information the McLeod Diabetes Center could share with me that I didn’t already know.”

At Tina’s initial appointment, she met with Sunny Stokes, Registered Nurse and Diabetes Care Manager. They discussed Tina’s A1C level, ways to bring it down to a normal range, as well ashow to assemble a balanced plate at mealtimes and healthy snack options.

“A patient’s first appointment is very thorough, which is crucial for creating a customized plan that meets their needs,” said Sunny. “With Tina, we immediately identified a few barriers standing in her way of success and discussed strategies for overcoming those obstacles.”

By the end of her first appointment, Tina realized there were many things she did not know about type 2 diabetes. Sunny reminded Tina that changing her mindset was key to maintaining healthy behaviors such as balanced meals and exercise.

Within two months of beginning her journey with the McLeod Diabetes Center, Tina reduced her A1C from 15 percent to 7.7 percent. Her most recent results show an A1C level of 5.7 percent.

“It has been a pleasure taking part in Tina’s care, and I look forward to seeing her check off each goal and meet challenges as they arise,” said Sunny. “Perhaps the most rewarding of all is seeing firsthand Tina’s newfound confidence and energy.”