Dignity Health | St. Rose Dominican | Reach | Fall 2017

Reach | Fall 2017 5 Turning hope into action. “Learning I have diabetes is actually the best thing that could have happened to me, because I know I can do something about it.” —Alan Claypool You’ve probably seen news reports about rising rates of diabetes. But what exactly is diabetes? It’s actually a group of diseases characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood, often called blood sugar. Diabetes means your body has trouble making or using the hormone insulin. Your body needs insulin to help turn the food you eat into energy. If that doesn’t happen, sugar (glucose) builds up in your blood. Excessive amounts of blood sugar can harm nerves, blood vessels, and organs and lead to serious problems. Diabetes typically strikes in one of three ways. Type 1 diabetes Type 1 usually begins in childhood or young adulthood. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the cells that make insulin. People with type 1 can’t make enough insulin—or any at all. That’s why they need to take insulin regularly. Only about 5 percent of adults diagnosed with diabetes have type 1. Type 2 diabetes This is the most common type of diabetes. It was once called adult- onset diabetes, but it’s increasingly being found in children. Type 2 occurs when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly. Genetics, diet, and inactivity are all probable causes. Medicines and sometimes insulin are needed to treat it. Gestational diabetes Some women who’ve never had diabetes before develop it during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually resolves once the baby is born. However, it increases the mother’s risk for future type 2 diabetes—as well as the baby’s risk, if the mother isn’t treated. What is diabetes? —Continued on page 6 Alan Claypool was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes just over a year ago. Unlike Linda, he did not experience symptoms and had no family history of the disease. As part of a routine exam, his doctor checked his blood sugar levels. He, too, got a call from his doctor’s office saying he needed to come back in. “I asked for a reason, and the nurse reluctantly told me it was about my sugar,” he says. “So I started researching diabetes immediately. By the time I saw my doctor and the diagnosis was confirmed, I’d already gone through the denial and anger, and I was ready to make a change.” Alan Embraces the challenge and a healthier lifestyle Alan’s levels were not nearly as high as Linda’s had been, so he and his doctor talked about making lifestyle changes first, rather than starting medication. Engineering a path forward “I’m a network engineer,” says Alan. “I needed a framework to work within—where I was and where I was supposed to be. My doctor referred me to the diabetes support team at St. Rose Dominican…they actually calledme before I could call them.” “Sherry is an excellent reference and sounding board,” he continues. “She gave me the information and resources I needed to control my diabetes without medication.” The diabetes team tailored a program specifically for Alan,