You’re In Charge

Your health care team may be experts on diabetes, but you are the expert on you. No one else can manage your diabetes for you. So work closely with your health care team to create a management plan that you can stick with. Remember: As your life changes, your plan may need to change too. In fact, anytime your plan isn’t working as intended, it may be time to change the plan. This can help to protect your health, now and in the future.

Designing a Management Plan

The rest of this workbook focuses on what you’ll need to create your diabetes management plan. Each section gives you information and tips you can use every day. Use the fill-ins and checkboxes to mark ideas that you would like to try. In chapter 7, you’ll find an example of your diabetes tool kit. You’ll also find a glossary of diabetes terms and resources for learning more about diabetes management.

Reasons to Manage Your Diabetes

Diabetes can take a toll on your body and lifestyle. Here are just a few of the benefits you gain by creating and sticking with a management plan: • May help reduce your risk of serious complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, or lower limb loss • Have more energy and a better sense of well-being • Miss fewer days of work, school, or other regular activities Add a few of your own reasons here: _____________________________________________

Chapter 2

Monitoring Your Blood Glucose

In this section, you will learn: ✓The importance of checking your blood glucose ✓How to know if your treatment plan is keeping your blood glucose where you want it to be ✓What to do when your blood glucose is too high or too low