Lorraine’s Road Back To Health with the Diabetes Self-Management Program
At 65, Lorraine Roerig was the picture of health and it came as no surprise, because her entire life she had been healthy and very active, busy with everything from golfing, swimming to hiking. She enjoyed working part-time. And, her annual check-up confirmed how she felt: up for anything, including a wonderful 12-mile hike with friends.
“I was telling my friends, ‘I’m 65 and here it is the best time of my life’,” Lorraine said. “And two weeks later, in May 2019, I ended up in the emergency room with sugar levels up over 1,100. They told me I never should have survived it.”
Lorraine and her husband were shocked to discover that she had Type 1 diabetes, a condition normally diagnosed during childhood. In between that hike and hospital stay, Lorraine had been experiencing flu-like symptoms, but nothing could have prepared her for the unexpected diagnosis.
The family immediately began researching the condition and looking for signs of any family history. On the recommendation of Lorraine’s doctor, Dr. Dipti Patel, they also turned to Sun Health’s Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program.“I was very thankful and extremely grateful that there was somewhere I could go to get information,” Lorraine said.
Boosting quality of life
The DSME program is offered in a series of six classes through the Sun Health Center for Health & Wellbeing. The program has been proven to decrease A1c, control blood pressure and cholesterol and improve quality of life.
Though most in Lorraine’s classes were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which is most common in adults and seen in children, she said she benefitted greatly from the discussions about eating right and balancing carbs. She also appreciated receiving an information-packed workbook that became a valuable resource.
“It was a reinforcement of everything that I’ve been researching,” she said.She appreciated how Sun Health instructors Damian Plues and Susan Welter, who are both registered dietitians and certified diabetes educators, presented information and made themselves available to answer all her questions about any subject, such as getting an insulin pump.
Facing your feelings
After her diagnosis, Lorraine experienced an array of emotions including anxiety, stress, resentment and depression. She received overwhelming support from her wonderful family and friends. Always being the caregiver in her family, she wanted to stay strong for them and found herself hiding her emotions. This changed when she attended one of the classes in the DSME series that focused on “Healthy Coping.”
Lorraine says, “I felt like Damian providing me with personal support because I was experiencing all of the emotions he was talking about in class. I walked away from this class knowing that it is ‘ok’ to cry and have these feelings. I know that knowledge is power. As I grew more knowledgeable, the stronger I knew I would become.”
“The reassurance I was given that the instructors would be there for any questions and or concerns would make this all more manageable. Having ongoing monthly diabetes group meetings was an added note for me, as I know it wasn’t just these classes and then we were cut loose.”
“The camaraderie between all in the classes was real, as we knew we were all there for the same reasons… knowledge and support!”
Lorraine continues, “I was a very active person. I’d get up and walk four miles in the morning. I’d be out in the pool three, four hours at a time. I love yard work, bicycling, golfing,” she said. “My activity level (now) is not where it should be.”
“Going to the classes at Sun Health has reinforced that what has happened to me is not my fault because there isn’t anything that I did to myself to create this… and that it was OK to feel and have those ‘poor me’ days,” she said. “That was probably one of my favorite classes.”
Another favorite during the series was the interaction with other participants. They shared stories and leaned on each other for information. When Lorraine shared that she was using a 14-day monitor to track her glucose, rather than pricking herself a few dozen times a day, some classmates offered tips about the monitor and others talked about wanting to try a monitor themselves.“So, we’ve learned from each other,” she said.
Lorraine said she would recommend Sun Health’s DSME program to anyone in need. “Google searches and books are only part of the answer when it comes to finding information to manage diabetes,” she said.
“It’s important to talk to people and share your inner most fearful feelings. It’s ok to have the real discussions of what you are going through and know that there is support like I found during my visits to Sun Health DSME series classes.”
Call (623) 471-9355, option 3 to register for the next DSME series class. The cost of this program is covered by most insurance plans.
