When someone has diabetes, there’s a constant stream of questions. Did you check your blood sugar? Are you exercising and keeping a good diet? Do you have your insulin handy?
Mary Julius, a program manager for the diabetes self-management education and training at Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, wants to help educate Veterans and their families about how to self-manage diabetes.
Julius broke down the differences between Type I and Type II diabetes.
- Persons with Type I diabetes produce little or no insulin.
- Persons with Type II diabetes make insulin but there is a resistance to the insulin.
According to Julius, diabetes awareness and education are increasingly important for Veterans and their families; “25% of Veterans receiving VA care have been diagnosed with diabetes.” Without awareness and education, people diagnosed with diabetes put their health at risk. Thus, Veterans who have been diagnosed with diabetes should work closely with their primary provider, but, she emphasizes, Veterans and their family also need the tools and education to apply self-management techniques.
Finally, Julius shares how VA has been working on creating a virtual medical learning center for Veterans and their families to learn more about diabetes and related topics. Veterans and their families can access this learning site at VAVMC.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DIABETES
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Additional Links:
- https://vavmc.com/
- American Diabetes Association: https://www.diabetes.org
- VA Research on Diabetes: https://www.research.va.gov/topics/diabetes.cfm
- https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/solid-start.asp
- https://www.research.va.gov/naii/
- https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/web/myhealthevet/about-mhv
- https://telehealth.va.gov/
#BtBattle Veteran of the Week
- Marine Veteran Eden Pearl
Michelle Cannon is a podcast intern with the VA’s Digital Media Engagement Team. She is currently a graduate at Liberty University studying Professional Writing.
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Please please get your primary health care provider to get you to see an endocrinologist ASAP. You have to follow the insulin usage instructions exactly and while you are in their facility ask them to help you get a 50 % or higher disability rating.
I clicked on all the info guides to help me to understand VMC and were so confused at all that has to be completed to get this help with my diabetes.
It seems you have to have a special education in computers and the knowledge in the lingo.
I was awarded 30 percent Disability from Agent Orange in Vietnam for Diabetes and now it has effected my eyes and believe I won’t pass my Drivers License renewal this coming year.
This is just a comment, you need not have to respond since it doesn’t pertain to veterans like me.