From Library Journal
Poirier, a diabetes nurse educator at the Joslin Diabetes Center, and Coburn, coordinator at the Dartmouth Medical Center, recognize that women with a chronic illness like diabetes face special challenges. The authors focus on the internal impact of the disease, which adds to the responsibility of health maintenance to a woman's already overcrowded schedule of work and family commitments. Diabetes is compared to a full-time job, with which the woman has to work in partnership in order to perform successfully in preserving good health. Quality-of-life issues are emphasized, and short activities are included to assist the reader in determining her own areas of need and support. Special concerns for women with diabetes, such as monthly hormonal changes, pregnancy, and estrogen replacement therapy, are addressed. Highly recommended for any diabetes collection. [See also Christopher Saudek's The Johns Hopkins Guide to Diabetes for Today and Tomorrow, reviewed below.?Ed.]?Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans Hosp., Tampa, Fla.
-?Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans Hosp., Tampa, Fla.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
-?Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans Hosp., Tampa, Fla.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
Created to help women deal with the emotional issues and practical concerns that accompany diabetes, this revised second edition also encourages women to be educated about the recommendations made by their health-care team to ensure their long-term good health. Women will learn how to develop a support system, confront fears that can make self-care difficult, pay attention to their body's wisdom, and more.
From the Publisher
Endorsed by the American Diabetes Association
"The best book I've ever seen in print on how to live in the most empowering way possible with a chronic illness. A great resource."
--Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom
"A great well of wisdom...Reading this book left me with a sense of peace and energy and hope."
--Dolly Daniel, R.N.C., B.S.N., C.D.E., Diabetes Nurse Specialist, Alexandria Hospital, Alexandria, VA
"Tackles the difficulties of day-to-day diabetes management for women."
--Diabetes Interview
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
About the Author
Laurinda M. Poirier, R.N., M.P.H., C.D.E., is a diabetes nurse educator at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
Katharine M. Coburn, M.P.H., is the coordinator of the Community Health Education Section of the Center for Continuing Education at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. She has had type 1 diabetes since she was a child.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
My Own Reality: Who Am I As A Woman With Diabetes?
Anna was striking. At 72, she was radiant and beautiful despite the wrinkles, the dependency on a wheelchair for mobility, and even the recent loss of a grandchild. Her tenderness and comfort with herself radiated to others beyond the cloak of an aging body. She did not dwell on the fact that she was unable to keep up with the rest of the group nor that she needed help with some of her diabetes self-care tasks. Her focus was on living the moment, enjoying the view, and experiencing a new adventure. Her acceptance of herself enabled her to go beyond any external limitations and events imposed on her.
It is possible to live a rewarding life as a woman with diabetes and to feel whole and fulfilled. Women like Anna remind us that our state of wellness is determined by much more than the absence of illness. "Well" people can have debilitating health conditions. Wellness is a state of feeling good about yourself. That means you not only surrender to but honor who you are, even the part of yourself that is ill. Wellness defined this way honors the whole person and does not depend on the illness going away.
Diabetes is a chronic illness--it never goes away. It becomes part of you, like the color of your eyes. It will be your companion, and it will be your teacher, too. Learning to live well with diabetes is like having a lifetime job. Like any job, this one involves learning about your limits, your potential for change, as well as your physical and emotional needs. It involves being able to make a promise to yourself and keeping it. Living well with diabetes is not as simple as taking the right medication at the right time, eating the right amount of food, or exercising! As you know, you also need to be flexible and to adapt to the unexpected. Whether you have type 1 or type 2, diabetes is something you'll think about every day. What you think will affect what you do and how well you feel.
To begin with, if you have not taken care of yourself or your diabetes in the past, do not waste energy now on regret or guilt. This is a poor investment of your precious time and energy. Acknowledge and respect the path that you have traveled this far and begin to explore how you can make a difference now. Look at the big picture. Consider what you want out of life as a woman who also happens to have diabetes. How do you want your life with diabetes to change?
This moment in your life is an opportunity to think about the future, to set new life goals, and to decide how to reach them. Everyone needs time for reflection and renewal. This is what teachers do on sabbaticals and business people do during a retreat. This is the time to fuel your imagination, to be creative, to have some fun, and to return to your life as a woman with diabetes in new ways that feel good to you.
Most women want to do what is best for themselves, but knowing what is best and how to do it are not always clear. With diabetes there are no real milestones, so you may feel like you endlessly seek without arriving. When you consider managing diabetes as a career, you see your challenge in a different light. With this job, as with every job, comes a set of rights, responsibilities, and pressures as well as opportunities to grow. It requires you to be motivated and flexible, to manage stress, and to solve problems. This job will teach you about yourself and help you improve your self image, if you let it.
My Partnership With Diabetes
As a woman with diabetes, you have the "job" of living in partnership with this aspect of yourself. To succeed in your career as a manager of diabetes, you have to develop a healthy relationship with yourself and your disease. How do you regard your diabetes? Is it a failure or a character flaw, something to be ashamed of or to hide? Do you think it detracts from your value as a woman? Is diabetes the enemy that drains you emotionally or physically, a dragon to fight and slay? Or is it a part of you that you accept and care for?
Each of us wants to be a whole woman whose life is full and balanced. To do that, we must recognize all the parts of ourselves and fit them together. How would you describe yourself? Imagine that a circle represents you, a whole person. Where would you place diabetes--inside or outside the circle? Take a moment to write the word diabetes where it best fits for you.
Now, write in the words or qualities that describe other parts of you, your passions, likes, and strengths. Did you say that you are a painter, a cook, a mother, a gardener? Or did you note your passion for quilting, reading, or traveling? How did diabetes come into the picture? Examine your circle again. How much energy do you give to each part of you? How much is your physical health the focus of your life?
Let's examine how some other women have completed the circle. Which response rings true for you?
"Diabetes does not exist!"
"Diabetes is my life!"
"Diabetes is a part of me."
Reshaping Your Outlook
What does it take to regard diabetes as a healthy part of yourself? Honesty. Respect. Courage.
Honesty:
about who you are
about how you treat and take care of yourself
about the choices you make
about what you take for granted and what you ignore
Respect:
your individuality
that all people make mistakes
the need to change your approach and attitude
Courage:
to keep looking for truths
to change
How does diabetes affect you? You experience emotions or physical feelings because of fluctuations in blood sugars that women without diabetes do not. All women feel, at some time, fatigued, irritable, lethargic, or overwhelmed. With diabetes, these feelings may be exaggerated and intense. Your ability to rebound may be a little slower. Most women tend to deny that there is a problem and that the body requires more time to balance itself. Being aware of this will help you give yourself the time you need before you get overwhelmed.
Having diabetes does not make you better or worse then anyone else. It just is part of you. Diabetes is an issue of blood sugars and how food is used by the body. It does not define your value or worth. It is one of the jobs you do. Your challenge will be to accept and to use what diabetes teaches you about yourself.
We invite you to actively participate in directing your life with diabetes instead of passively accepting what may happen. When you play an active role in your own life, you strengthen your sense of integrity. You come to know and then to honor what is right for you. You may not always be able to prevent a health problem or high and low blood sugars, but you can choose how you approach them and how you define your inner self. Who are you, the woman meeting the life challenges today?
Consider developing a healthy relationship with your diabetes, respecting it--not resigning to it--by acknowledging that it is there and needs your attention. In this book, we explore how you can strengthen your ability to manage your life with diabetes. You can learn to listen to your body's needs and how to develop self-care skills.
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
Anna was striking. At 72, she was radiant and beautiful despite the wrinkles, the dependency on a wheelchair for mobility, and even the recent loss of a grandchild. Her tenderness and comfort with herself radiated to others beyond the cloak of an aging body. She did not dwell on the fact that she was unable to keep up with the rest of the group nor that she needed help with some of her diabetes self-care tasks. Her focus was on living the moment, enjoying the view, and experiencing a new adventure. Her acceptance of herself enabled her to go beyond any external limitations and events imposed on her.
It is possible to live a rewarding life as a woman with diabetes and to feel whole and fulfilled. Women like Anna remind us that our state of wellness is determined by much more than the absence of illness. "Well" people can have debilitating health conditions. Wellness is a state of feeling good about yourself. That means you not only surrender to but honor who you are, even the part of yourself that is ill. Wellness defined this way honors the whole person and does not depend on the illness going away.
Diabetes is a chronic illness--it never goes away. It becomes part of you, like the color of your eyes. It will be your companion, and it will be your teacher, too. Learning to live well with diabetes is like having a lifetime job. Like any job, this one involves learning about your limits, your potential for change, as well as your physical and emotional needs. It involves being able to make a promise to yourself and keeping it. Living well with diabetes is not as simple as taking the right medication at the right time, eating the right amount of food, or exercising! As you know, you also need to be flexible and to adapt to the unexpected. Whether you have type 1 or type 2, diabetes is something you'll think about every day. What you think will affect what you do and how well you feel.
To begin with, if you have not taken care of yourself or your diabetes in the past, do not waste energy now on regret or guilt. This is a poor investment of your precious time and energy. Acknowledge and respect the path that you have traveled this far and begin to explore how you can make a difference now. Look at the big picture. Consider what you want out of life as a woman who also happens to have diabetes. How do you want your life with diabetes to change?
This moment in your life is an opportunity to think about the future, to set new life goals, and to decide how to reach them. Everyone needs time for reflection and renewal. This is what teachers do on sabbaticals and business people do during a retreat. This is the time to fuel your imagination, to be creative, to have some fun, and to return to your life as a woman with diabetes in new ways that feel good to you.
Most women want to do what is best for themselves, but knowing what is best and how to do it are not always clear. With diabetes there are no real milestones, so you may feel like you endlessly seek without arriving. When you consider managing diabetes as a career, you see your challenge in a different light. With this job, as with every job, comes a set of rights, responsibilities, and pressures as well as opportunities to grow. It requires you to be motivated and flexible, to manage stress, and to solve problems. This job will teach you about yourself and help you improve your self image, if you let it.
My Partnership With Diabetes
As a woman with diabetes, you have the "job" of living in partnership with this aspect of yourself. To succeed in your career as a manager of diabetes, you have to develop a healthy relationship with yourself and your disease. How do you regard your diabetes? Is it a failure or a character flaw, something to be ashamed of or to hide? Do you think it detracts from your value as a woman? Is diabetes the enemy that drains you emotionally or physically, a dragon to fight and slay? Or is it a part of you that you accept and care for?
Each of us wants to be a whole woman whose life is full and balanced. To do that, we must recognize all the parts of ourselves and fit them together. How would you describe yourself? Imagine that a circle represents you, a whole person. Where would you place diabetes--inside or outside the circle? Take a moment to write the word diabetes where it best fits for you.
Now, write in the words or qualities that describe other parts of you, your passions, likes, and strengths. Did you say that you are a painter, a cook, a mother, a gardener? Or did you note your passion for quilting, reading, or traveling? How did diabetes come into the picture? Examine your circle again. How much energy do you give to each part of you? How much is your physical health the focus of your life?
Let's examine how some other women have completed the circle. Which response rings true for you?
"Diabetes does not exist!"
"Diabetes is my life!"
"Diabetes is a part of me."
Reshaping Your Outlook
What does it take to regard diabetes as a healthy part of yourself? Honesty. Respect. Courage.
Honesty:
about who you are
about how you treat and take care of yourself
about the choices you make
about what you take for granted and what you ignore
Respect:
your individuality
that all people make mistakes
the need to change your approach and attitude
Courage:
to keep looking for truths
to change
How does diabetes affect you? You experience emotions or physical feelings because of fluctuations in blood sugars that women without diabetes do not. All women feel, at some time, fatigued, irritable, lethargic, or overwhelmed. With diabetes, these feelings may be exaggerated and intense. Your ability to rebound may be a little slower. Most women tend to deny that there is a problem and that the body requires more time to balance itself. Being aware of this will help you give yourself the time you need before you get overwhelmed.
Having diabetes does not make you better or worse then anyone else. It just is part of you. Diabetes is an issue of blood sugars and how food is used by the body. It does not define your value or worth. It is one of the jobs you do. Your challenge will be to accept and to use what diabetes teaches you about yourself.
We invite you to actively participate in directing your life with diabetes instead of passively accepting what may happen. When you play an active role in your own life, you strengthen your sense of integrity. You come to know and then to honor what is right for you. You may not always be able to prevent a health problem or high and low blood sugars, but you can choose how you approach them and how you define your inner self. Who are you, the woman meeting the life challenges today?
Consider developing a healthy relationship with your diabetes, respecting it--not resigning to it--by acknowledging that it is there and needs your attention. In this book, we explore how you can strengthen your ability to manage your life with diabetes. You can learn to listen to your body's needs and how to develop self-care skills.
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
