Some quotes from patients on whether or not they have the “D” word:
“My doctor has told me I have pre-diabetes for the past 25 years. My A1c is 6.6% and I’ve been on Metformin twice a day”.
OK?, I think to myself. An abnormally high 3-month blood sugar average (A1c) plus she’s on 2 doses of medication – but still the “D” word won’t be admitted, only the “PD” word.
Yesterday, I had a patient that admitted that she had the “D” word but her doctor didn’t! Her A1c is 7% (non-diabetic range is under 6%), she’s on Metformin and she has been testing her blood sugar for months, or has it been years? Anyway, with this diabetes epidemic and obesity epidemic, maybe using the words with their true meanings will be more motivating to put an end to this killer. At least maybe more patients will take this devastating disease seriously.
Marci SloaneMarci Sloane, MS, RD, LD/N, CDE, is a registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist and certified diabetes educator. She grew up in NYC where she graduated with a degree in Nutrition and Physiology from Teachers College at Columbia University.
For over a decade, Marci managed a Diabetes and Nutrition Education Center at a multi-bed hospital in South Florida and has been counseling people on healthy eating, weight loss, and managing diseases and conditions such as: diabetes, pre-diabetes, healthy eating, heart disease, weight loss, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, hypertension, hypoglycemia and a host of other nutrition-related diseases.
Marci is an American Diabetes Association Valor Award recipient and lectures frequently to the public and healthcare professionals. Marci was a featured panelist for the Sun-Sentinel's "Let's Take It Off" weight loss program, was highlighted in the Palm Beach Post: Meet Your Neighbor, "Woman's book on healthy eating uses humor as a key ingredient" and was a participant in their Diabetes Series in 2007. Marci Sloane is a member of the American Diabetes Association’s Health Professional Committee.
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