You have recently been diagnosed with diabetes. Perhaps you knew it was coming. You have several family members with this condition and knew it was a matter of time it would happen to you as well. Perhaps you were experiencing some unusual symptoms lately. You’ve been so thirsty and going to the bathroom more often, even at night. Or maybe your vision has been a little blurry and you’re having headaches and feeling tired. Or perhaps it came as a total surprise. You feel like you lead a pretty healthy lifestyle, have no family history, and were having no symptoms.
But the diagnosis has been entered in your chart and now what?
Here are 5 things you can do to get you started on the road to wellness.
Breathe
Stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath. A new diagnosis of diabetes can be difficult to accept and be life changing, and it’s easy to get stressed out and become overwhelmed. Before you log in to the internet to search for diabetes cures, slow down and breathe. Quite literally. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Slowly. Yes, the new diagnosis may encourage some changes, but doing it the right way is important. And know that many people live long healthy lives with diabetes, or get it into remission. So slow down and breathe. This will give you the clarity to know the direction you want to take with your health.
See your primary care provider
If you haven’t yet, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider. Write down any questions you have as it’s easy to feel nervous and forget what you wanted to ask during the visit. Let your provider know of any symptoms you may be having. Go over your labs, ask what everything means. If this hasn’t been done yet, you can also ask for labs to confirm your type of diabetes. Checking your c-peptide or diabetes antibodies can give you the assurance from the start on the type of diabetes you have, get a baseline result should things change in the future, and the certainty that you are receiving the best treatment for your type of diabetes. Be ready for some screenings such as getting immunizations up-to-date and having your feet examined.
See your eye doctor
Getting an eye exam when you first get diagnosed and yearly after that helps you keep track of your eye health. Elevated blood sugars can cause swelling and bleeding in the little veins in the back of your eyes and cause vision issues, so making sure everything is staying healthy is important. If you’ve been having blurry vision and elevated blood sugars, ask your doctor if you should wait to get glasses until after your glucose levels stabilize as your vision may change again then.
Connect with a diabetes educator
Visiting with a diabetes educator when you are first diagnosed can be life changing. These healthcare professionals have a wealth of knowledge not only about diabetes itself, but also how it may be affecting your body and your life in general. Confirm with your health insurance, but they often cover several visits with a diabetes educator, so take advantage of this. You and your diabetes educator can work together to create a plan to help you achieve your health goals and reach your best health. They can also get your connected with important resources to support you on this new journey.
Get ready for change
Change may feel uncomfortable at times, but change can also be exciting and of extreme value especially when it moves you closer to your goals and helps you feel better. After being diagnosed with diabetes you will receive a lot of information on foods to avoid and what foods to eat, medication recommendations, needed screenings, and essential appointments. In the midst of it all, keep your health goals in mind, take small steps, get support, and look forward to a new you.