Regular visits with your physician, the Diabetes Education Center staff and contact with other people who have diabetes are the resources you'll rely on to manage your diabetes. Educating yourself, your family members and/or friends about your diabetes is the starting point.

Our team of diabetes specialists provide instruction on:

• Understanding the basics of diabetes
• Self-blood monitoring
• Medication management: insulin and oral agents
• Behavior modification
• Appropriate exercise
• Proper nutrition
• Meal planning
• Preventing diabetes complications
• Motivating yourself to live well
• Healthy habits for your feet, skin and eyes
• Gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)
• Community resources

Insulin Pump Therapy

Insulin pump therapy is a great alternative to managing your diabetes. It offers greater flexibility and allows you to fine tune your blood sugar control. If you are motivated and taking multiple daily insulin injections, checking blood sugars, counting carbohydrates and in good communication with your health care team, you may want to consider insulin pump therapy. Like a pancreas, an insulin pump continuously releases small amounts of rapid acting insulin to keep blood sugar levels steady between meals and during sleep. To learn more, talk to your health care provider at IDEC about insulin pump therapy or learn more at one of our informational classes.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is the newest tool that can be used to help you better understand your diabetes. When deciding whether to use CGM it is important to weigh both the pros and cons of its use carefully. Understanding CGM, how it works, its limitations and its potential will help you decide if this exciting new technology is for you. IDEC can assist you in getting information about your blood glucose patterns via professional or personal CGM. Talk to your IDEC health care provider and we can guide you to find the needed answers.