Introduction
Diabetes touches everyone. You may have diabetes, or you may take care of a loved one like a parent, spouse, or teen with this chronic condition. It’s incredibly personal, and yet it’s global. According to the World Health Organization, 422 million people around the world had diabetes in 2014. That’s a whopping 8.5 percent of the earth’s population.
Largely, diabetes is a condition that you manage on your own. In other words, you’re the top dog. You’re the person in charge of your care. There’s even a name for it: self-care. You’re responsible for learning about diabetes, assembling a healthcare team, taking steps to exercise and eat healthy, and discovering how to manage and treat your blood glucose. Yet, you may have been diagnosed with diabetes for reasons out of your control, such as a family history or because your race and ethnicity put you at higher risk for type 2 diabetes. The factors that contribute to each person’s diagnosis of diabetes aren’t always obvious.
Put in this context, diabetes is quite a journey for most of us. And it’s almost always an opportunity to take better care of yourself because you’re at the center of your healthcare. It can be empowering to realize that you’re responsible for making choices that will impact your health today and for decades in the future.
About This Book
You’re about to find out a lot about diabetes — at least enough to get started on this journey. You’ll discover how to become a better healthcare consumer and take actionable steps to manage your diabetes and prevent complications. Of course, there are many books out there dedicated to diabetes, and we’re thankful for all of them.
This book is focused solely on type 2 diabetes. We hope opening this book is like turning to a trusted friend or your favorite nurse to get answers to questions that you never had the time (or opportunity) to ask. There are no dumb questions in a For Dummies book.
This book was written by the American Diabetes Association, an organization dedicated to fighting diabetes and its deadly consequences through cutting-edge medical research, public health information, advocacy for people’s rights with diabetes in the workplace and school, and more. This is a group of volunteers, members, healthcare professionals, and staff with the sole motivation to prevent and cure diabetes. We’re on the front lines, right there with you.
This book is organized in easy-to-read parts that focus on specific topics such as how to get started, eating healthy, and staying active. Unlike the last novel you read, don’t expect to read this book from front to back. Instead, think of this book as a reference. You can dip in and out of topics as they relate to your diagnosis, care, and questions or concerns. You won’t find a pop quiz at the end, and frankly, remembering every detail isn’t the point. Use this book as reference when taking care of your type 2 diabetes or someone you love with diabetes.
You can skip the Technical Stuff icons and sidebars if you don’t need the nitty-gritty details on a particular topic. You’re going to see reasonable recommendations that the American Diabetes Association makes for most people with diabetes. These are just guidelines. It’s up to you and your healthcare provider to set your own goals for managing diabetes and preventing complications. Your goals should be based on your individual needs.
Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.
Foolish Assumptions
If you’re reading this book, you probably have diabetes or someone very close to you has diabetes. However, you may know almost nothing about diabetes because you’ve never had to deal with it before. Don’t worry — this book is for you.
You may not have ever set eyes on a blood glucose meter or pricked your skin for a blood sample. Or perhaps you have a family of people who have type 2 diabetes — and now you find yourself with the same diagnosis. You may have thought that you knew certain things about diabetes, but now wonder if those assumptions are really true. It’s time to find out.
Whatever your background, you’ll discover the basics of diabetes and its impact on your body in this book. You don’t even have to remember anything from your high school biology class to get started. You can use this information to understand why it’s important to take care of your diabetes so you can feel good each day and live a long and healthy life free of complications. You’ll find out how to build a healthcare team and ask the right questions during checkups. You’ll discover the latest medications and technology for taking care of your type 2 diabetes. You’ll learn the basic steps to take toward eating wholesome, nutritious foods and exercising more regularly. You may use this knowledge for yourself or use it to take care of someone you care about deeply.
Icons Used in This Book
Icons throughout the book alert you to helpful information, facts to remember, and technical information that may help if you’re looking for a more advanced understanding of the topic.
This icon marks important information that can save you time or make your life easier.
This icon flags important information. Commit it to your memory or mark it so you find it again for easy reference.
This icon warns about potential problems — health related and other.
This icon gives you information that may be helpful, but it’s not necessary to your understanding of the topic at hand.
Beyond the Book
In addition to the book you’re reading right now, be sure to check out the free online Cheat Sheet for details on diabetes checkups, checking your blood glucose, treating low blood glucose, and reading food labels for carbohydrate. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type Type 2 Diabetes For Dummies in the Search box.
Where to Go from Here
Turning this page to get started is a great next step in discovering what you need to know about diabetes. You’re about to uncover the basics of type 2 diabetes, including the role of the pancreas, insulin, and blood glucose. Remember: This is the part where you don’t need to remember anything about high school biology to jump right in. Perhaps more important, in Chapter 2 you find out why it’s critical to take care of your diabetes. That knowledge and confidence can give you a foundation for taking many of the action steps described in the rest of the book.
What if you already know a lot about type 2 diabetes? What if you’re already inspired to take charge of your health? Then feel free to skip to the chapter that most intrigues you. Perhaps it’s a chapter on women’s health or taking care of your mental health. Maybe you’re eager to get more information about checking blood glucose or bariatric surgery. Take a look at the topic of each chapter and start with the one that’s most important to your diabetes care.
Remember: Diabetes is a journey. You’ll learn to live with it every day, and some days will be better than others. This book can help you on those days when you need a reference to troubleshoot a problem or make meaningful changes to your health.