It's week nine of the I-Can Challenge, and this week the five challengers are learning more about their medical condition. Some of the five challengers are dealing with heart disease. All of them have diabetes, and that's a disease that's best dealt with by getting lots of education and reliable information.
Terri Epler is a diabetes educator with York Memorial Hospital. She's always amazed by the number of people with diabetes who don't take the time to learn about the disease. "People sometimes think the diabetes will go away. Unfortunately it doesn't go away. But it can be controlled, controlled with healthy, eating, exercise and sometimes medication and those kind of things."
Type I diabetes usually strikes before age 20, but it can happen later in life. The disease favors neither sex. Essentially the pancreas stops producing insulin that our bodies need to effectively use blood sugar. This type is typically treated with insulin shots. Type II diabetes usually strikes people age 35 or older. The body's cells are resistant to insulin or there simply isn't enough insulin to do the job. This type of diabetes can be controlled with proper nutrition, activity and oral medications.
For I-Can Challenger Janis Kinard-Lopez and the others, staying in top of their diabetes is an everyday commitment for the rest of their lives. Kinard-Lopez say, "Knowledge is power. If you take in the knowledge and you apply it, it will work. It will work!"
Challenger Jenny Felizzi has already been through Epler's ten hour diabetes education class. She says, "Its been critical. Without the education I think I'd still be walking around, bumping into walls. Without the education I wouldn't know how the disease would change the rest of my life. I'd still be looking at diets instead of lifestyle changes."
And, one of the biggest parts of any diabetes health class is dispelling myths, rumors, and misconceptions about the disease and its treatment. "When we start to teach about insulin, one of the first things I ask somebody is tell me what you know about it. And I can't believe some of the things people believe are true about things like insulin that are not true at all. There is a lot of misconception about it" says Epler. And that's why education is so crucial for anyone with diabetes or at risk to develop the disease. To be able to make critical health and lifestyle decisions based on fact. Felizzi says, "I'm doing it right, and the scale is showing it. My clothes are showing it. Just the way I feel. My energy level, I sleep better at night. It takes every piece of the puzzle and its working, it's working!"
For diabetics, knowledge also means watching cholesterol intake since diabetics already have the same risk of heart attack as non-diabetics who have already suffered a heart attack. Obesity adds to the chances of developing the disease.
Taking at look at this weeks weigh-ins. Jenny Felizzi has lost xx pounds. Bob Todd has lost xx pounds. Vickie Kelly has lost xx pounds. Felix Gonzalez has lost since the start of the challenge. Janis Kinard-Lopez has lost xx pounds so far. Evan Forrester has lost 13 pounds. In addition, each challenger is getting better handle on their medications. They all say clothes are fitting better; they have more energy and are sleeping better.
Next week's challenge (7/9/09) deals with using quality data to improve your health. We'll unveil a brand new website that helps you learn more about the quality of healthcare being provided here in central Pennsylvania.
Terri Epler is a diabetes educator with York Memorial Hospital. She's always amazed by the number of people with diabetes who don't take the time to learn about the disease. "People sometimes think the diabetes will go away. Unfortunately it doesn't go away. But it can be controlled, controlled with healthy, eating, exercise and sometimes medication and those kind of things."
Type I diabetes usually strikes before age 20, but it can happen later in life. The disease favors neither sex. Essentially the pancreas stops producing insulin that our bodies need to effectively use blood sugar. This type is typically treated with insulin shots. Type II diabetes usually strikes people age 35 or older. The body's cells are resistant to insulin or there simply isn't enough insulin to do the job. This type of diabetes can be controlled with proper nutrition, activity and oral medications.
For I-Can Challenger Janis Kinard-Lopez and the others, staying in top of their diabetes is an everyday commitment for the rest of their lives. Kinard-Lopez say, "Knowledge is power. If you take in the knowledge and you apply it, it will work. It will work!"
Challenger Jenny Felizzi has already been through Epler's ten hour diabetes education class. She says, "Its been critical. Without the education I think I'd still be walking around, bumping into walls. Without the education I wouldn't know how the disease would change the rest of my life. I'd still be looking at diets instead of lifestyle changes."
And, one of the biggest parts of any diabetes health class is dispelling myths, rumors, and misconceptions about the disease and its treatment. "When we start to teach about insulin, one of the first things I ask somebody is tell me what you know about it. And I can't believe some of the things people believe are true about things like insulin that are not true at all. There is a lot of misconception about it" says Epler. And that's why education is so crucial for anyone with diabetes or at risk to develop the disease. To be able to make critical health and lifestyle decisions based on fact. Felizzi says, "I'm doing it right, and the scale is showing it. My clothes are showing it. Just the way I feel. My energy level, I sleep better at night. It takes every piece of the puzzle and its working, it's working!"
For diabetics, knowledge also means watching cholesterol intake since diabetics already have the same risk of heart attack as non-diabetics who have already suffered a heart attack. Obesity adds to the chances of developing the disease.
Taking at look at this weeks weigh-ins. Jenny Felizzi has lost xx pounds. Bob Todd has lost xx pounds. Vickie Kelly has lost xx pounds. Felix Gonzalez has lost since the start of the challenge. Janis Kinard-Lopez has lost xx pounds so far. Evan Forrester has lost 13 pounds. In addition, each challenger is getting better handle on their medications. They all say clothes are fitting better; they have more energy and are sleeping better.
Next week's challenge (7/9/09) deals with using quality data to improve your health. We'll unveil a brand new website that helps you learn more about the quality of healthcare being provided here in central Pennsylvania.
