Living with Diabetes

What is diabetes?
Individuals who suffer from diabetes either do not make enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or improperly use insulin (type 2 diabetes). Insulin is a hormone that helps our cells absorb the amount of glucose we need. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood past normal levels, leading to diabetes.

How do I know if I have diabetes?
Common symptoms include:

• Feeling tired often
• Unexplained weight loss
• Feeling hungry or thirsty
• Urinating frequently
• Having blurred vision
• Getting skin infections
• Having slow healing cuts and bruises

Is there a cure?
Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be prevented! And once you have it, you can control it in most cases. For tips on prevention, go to diabetes.org.

What if I’m experiencing symptoms?
Talk with the Innovative Workplace Wellness Nurse Advocate, Erica Polaneczky. This free program is one-on-one with Erica to determine treatment plans, providing questions to ask the doctor, and goal setting for your health. For details, click here.