We're pleased to announce another excellent book review in a new monthly glossy magazine called Diabetes Explorer. 

"Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes may well change your thinking about how you manage your diabetes," writes communications consultant and diabetes freelance writer Riva Greenberg.

"From chasing an impossible number on the scale to getting fit.  From thinking your blood glucose is all that counts to realizing the importance of blood pressure.  From feeling, woe-is-me overwhelmed by all there is to do, to zooming in on what counts.  Here, the Herculean task of managing diabetes is broken down into doable steps and given a 'why' and a 'therefore.'"
"I am a true believer in the old adage, 'You can't get where you're going if you don't know where you are.'  By taking these tests (described in the book) first, you will discover where you are. Second, you will better understand how these factors are important to your health.  Third, you will be better able to manage your diabetes."

You nailed it, Riva!   Dear Readers, please have a look at the full book review HERE.

Book News Flash from the blogosphere:

Christine Miserandino, who blogs about living with "invisible" chronic illness at ButYouDontLookSick.com has posted a

glowing review of Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes.

She recently discovered my blog, DiabetesMine.com, and has this to say:

"I found her writing to be easy to read and interesting (an unusual combination when reading health related writing) ... I was intrigued to see how her writing would read in book form.

"I was happy to read her book and have it contain the same style and 'voice' as her blog. This book has straight to the point facts that everyone dealing with diabetes and blood sugar issues should know.

"Dr. Richard Jackson and Amy Tenderich walk you through how to understand each of the five factors/ tests and then help you create a personalized treatment plan for optimum blood-glucose control, heart health, and general diabetes management and well being.

"I know that many of these medical tests, and numbers can be overwhelming, complicated and scary to many, especially to new patients dealing with this disease.

"This book helps you not only be more knowledgeable, but lets you know small things that you can do to improve your life, i.e.: exercise, food, and diet. It is great to have these two authors work together. You receive the medical expertise of a doctor, combined with the real life experience of a patient."

Best of all, she concludes her review this way:

"At 224 pages, this paperback book was a quick, but well worth the read. I would recommend this book for anyone you know who is living with diabetes or loving someone with diabetes."  (!)

Check out the book on Amazon, or order it with a free trial pack of ExtendBar slow-release glucose snacks HERE.

Kevin McMahon is President & CEO of Diabetech, makers of the GlucoMON wireless blood glucose monitoring system, the HomeCheck A1c system, and more.  He will be speaking on "remote diagnostics tools" at the upcoming

American Diabetes Association (ADA) Annual Conference in Chicago.  We're delighted to report that he has read Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes, and posted the following Amazon review:

"What a refreshing read! KISS for Diabetes might be an alternative title that describes this book and how people can approach their diabetes. As a healthcare technologist and provider of diabetes programs, we see patients all the time who don't know what to do and are standing in place with their diabetes. This is a progressive disease and if you don't keep up it can easily get away from you."

"Providing an easy to read guide that points out a few basic diagnostic tests (measure) and what those #s mean (understand), a person with minimal confidence and proficiency has a step by step guide for action (act)."

"I especially appreciated a key message on page 9, 'Learning to take care of your health is like learning to drive; with good driving skills you can successfully navigate your own road, and even take your own detours if need be. Taking control of your diabetes is therefore not a one-time deal but an ongoing program.'"

"My hope is that more people will pick up this book and understand that diabetes is about connecting the dots and making sense of your numbers as a reflection of where you've been, reorient yourself with that understanding and head off in a strategic direction. This book can help any person with diabetes to take that next step toward better control of their diabetes."

-- Kevin McMahon, President & CEO, Diabetech, LP
www.healthcordia.com

Wow!  And as if that weren't enough to make these two authors happy, the June issue of Costco's monthly member magazine, Costco Connection is out, with a nice write-up on the Know Your Numbers book on page 37.  Read the article HERE.

A little something for everyone connected to diabetes, ay?

Patricia Salber is a physician-blogger at The Doctor Weighs In. She's an MD, MBA, and board certified internist with

training in endocrinology. She's also an expert on the topic of obesity and its relationship to medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. She has just reviewed our new book, Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes, and has this to say:

"Yeah, I know, some of you hate the 'empowerment' word. But that is what this book sets out to do. It arms you with information. It helps you understand your particular needs and challenges. And it provides guidance on how to go, one step at a time, from where you are now to where you want to be in terms of diabetes health."

"So, there you go. If you have diabetes, if someone you care about has diabetes, or if you are a health professional working with people with diabetes, then buy (and read) this book. You will be glad you did."

In short: "Got Diabetes? Then Buy This Book." (Read the full review here)

Needless, to say, Dr. Jackson and I are delighted to receive such a hearty endorsement from such a well-respected source.  Now follow those doctor's orders, will ya? ;)

A few more endorsements for Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes to share with you today.  Needless to say, we are delighted that so many prominent diabetes educators and fellow authors find our book useful and easy to read!

“The positive, person-focused approach presented by the authors was refreshing!  Rather than starting with

‘What is diabetes?’ this book immediately guides the reader through concrete ways of identifying their very own practical

strategy for ‘taking on’ their diabetes. The authors use numerical test results as an objective approach for guiding the person with diabetes to identify what self-care behaviors to tackle first. Self-care success is measured by using these test results to define personal actions that produce outcomes of health and well-being. This book is a must read for people with diabetes, their families, and all health professionals who need to understand that diabetes is about self-care!”

— Malinda M. Peeples, Immediate Past President, AADE (American Association of Diabetes Educators)

“Worrying about diabetes complications is stressful. But keeping the results of 5 essential tests in healthy ranges

should vastly reduce your risks of developing any complications. This book will help you to understand these tests and what your goals for the results should be, as well as what you can do to get them into healthy ranges. This should reduce your stress, and that, in turn, should make your diabetes easier to control.”

— Gretchen Becker, author of The First Year^® - Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes

This week we've had the privilege of being featured on two excellent authors' blogs, both praising Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes as "just what the doctor ordered" for people with diabetes everywhere.

First off, emerging novelist Martha O'Connor has hosted a lengthy interview with me, Amy Tenderich, all about how the KYN book came to be, what's behind it, and what the co-authoring experience was like.  (Writers eat that stuff up,

you know.)

Martha's interest in diabetes is highly personal, as one of her 9-year-old twins was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes about two years ago.  Among other things, she asks : "What advice would you give to us parents about getting our kids responsible for their own health without scaring them? How can this book benefit us and them?" which struck me right in the heart, being a mother of three myself.

Here's my reply: "... I think if it were my children, I’d want to send them off into the world with the clearest possible strategy for living well with diabetes and avoiding diabetic complications. That means in addition to checking their blood glucose before meals and fine-tuning insulin doses, they need to keep an eye on the “big picture” by monitoring these 5 key health risks regularly.

"I hear so many stories of kids that did well under their parents’ care, but then went into serious “neglect mode” for a whole chunk of years during college and young adulthood. As a parent, I would try to drum into their heads that they need to know their A1C, blood pressure, lipid, microalbumin, and eye exam scores at all times, and know what to do about it if something is out of range. Even if complications start to set in, all of the damage is treatable or in many cases reversible if it’s caught early."

All of these factors should be checked regularly in anyone with diabetes passed puberty. This book truly was meant to be the instructional guide to long-term good health with diabetes, so we do hope that parents can apply this knowledge to preparing their Type 1 kids for taking care of themselves down the road.  Thank you, Martha!  (Read the full interview HERE)

Next up, journalist and health author Connie Bennett welcomes Know Your Numbers to her Sugar Shock! blog. Connie's had a personal struggle with reactive hypoglycemia, and has become an expert on the topic. She calls herself the "ex-sugar-shrew," having eradicated refined sugar from her diet.

Connie is a big supporter of the hands-on-strategies approach of our book, and even remarks: "No longer can people with diabetes plead: 'Oh, I don't know what to do.' Neither will they be able to bemoan: 'I'm confused about how to manage my diabetes' ...

... (because) the new book teaches readers to understand, track, and prioritize their five most critical health factors -- A1c, blood pressure, lipids (HDL, LDL, triglycerides), microalbumin, and yearly eye exam.  What's more, patients who find that any of those five values are out of range, will find in the book "detailed strategies and doable action plans for improving them."

You got it, Connie!  Thanks for helping us get the word out.  Read Connie's complete KYN post HERE.

Our Virtual Book Tour for the Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes Book has begun!

Have a look at our first stop over at Healthy Concerns.com.  Elisa Camahort reports on "health care from the patient's point of view."  She features an interview with Dr. Jackson on a variety of topics, including:

* Don't patients know the symptoms of pre-diabetes?
* Do insurers cover the basic health risk tests?
and
* What about vegetarian and vegan diets and diabetes?

Check it out!

Next stop is at the interesting and highly influential Health Care Blog by Matthew Holt. This expert on the in's and out's of the health care system was kind enough to invite me to shed some light on diabetes care and why our book represents a turning point.

It's a do-it-yourself (DIY) disease, after all. 

Commenters have some interesting things to say:

"Physician-centered chronic disease care works poorly."  Yup.

"... the actual quality measures right now mean very little in regards to the actual day-to-day care of a chronic disease. Just a big disconnect."  Agreed!

"One thing this book won't do is change the junk food crap and industrial food crap causing diabetes."  Weeelll...

I responded to that last one by saying we actually do include a big, fat chapter on dealing with food (pun sort-of intended).  It's harder, of course, when people have grown up with unhealthy eating habits and are used to overindulging.  But we're working to chip away at this epidemic with some very practical advice.

Also see my latest column on dLife.com: "Good Health by the Numbers: A DIY Approach."  This pretty well sums it up.  Stay tuned for more Virtual Book Tour. 
 

Last week, Forbes reported that a good half of the estimated 21 million adult Americans with diabetes now rate themselves as having only "fair" or "poor" health, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

"People with diabetes are three times more likely than others to say their health is flagging," the CDC report found.  Which means, of course, that a great number of people in this country are headed toward a future of diabetes-related complications, including blindness, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, and lower extremity amputation.  Ouch!!

Why should this be the case in a World Power nation like the USA?  Poor quality and in many cases poor availability of health care are certainly issues.  And perhaps more importantly, the fact that our health care system is focused on the treatment end, rather than prevention.  HMOs stand more to gain from patients once they've developed kidney disease or retnal damage than they do from educational programs to prevent these problems.  Crazy!

This brings me to why we wrote this book.  Dr. Jackson, in his decades of patient interaction at the legendary Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, has seen thousands of patients struggling to get a handle on their health with diabetes. He has a lot of practical advice for them, starting with determining and understanding their own biggest health risks -- a simple matter of taking 5 standard lab tests.

Trouble is, many of the patients Dr. Jackson sees have had diabetes for years and have already developed complications by the time they've either discovered Joslin's program, or gathered the motivation to go there.  The damage to their bodies is already done.

How much better off these people would've been if they'd just had some very basic health instruction early on!  Why not package this golden preventative advice into a book that will serve as a hands-on guide?

Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes helps you chart and understand the 5 most important values (your personal “Essential Health Factors”) for living a long and healthy life with diabetes. That makes them pretty darn important!  They are:

·        Hemoglobin A1c—a measure of the average amount of glucose in your blood over the last several months

·        Blood Pressure—a quick, painless armband test to determine the force of blood flow through your body

·        Lipid Profile—a group of blood tests measuring your cholesterol and triglycerides (another type of fat), which is used to determine your risk of heart attack or stroke

·        Microalbumin—a urine test that is an early indicator of kidney damage

·        Eye Exam—a yearly exam that consists of dilating your pupil, allowing the doctor to see the back of your eye

Now, be honest.  If you have diabetes, or are newly diagnosed, when was the last time you had these tests? Do you know the result numbers?  Do you know what they mean?  One thing you can be sure of: If everyone tracked and acted on these values regularly, those depressing CDC results -- as reported by Forbes -- would look a lot rosier today.

Stay tuned for more tidbits from the book. 

 

So you all know we've been working on a "mystery book" for a while.  Well, it's time for the wrapper to come off! Even though the publication date is still a few months off.

I've been privileged to co-author this book with Dr. Richard Jackson of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.  We're calling it the "first-ever, hands-on guide to achieving a long and healthy life with diabetes." It actually tells people in plain language what they need to do to get a handle on their own personal key health risks. 

In essence, this book is meant to address the great number of people with Type 2 diabetes who might not have access to the best information or care.  But this do-it-yourself guide can be useful for all of us, who often neglect to get our test results regularly or do anything about the numbers even when we know them.  The book also includes very useful chapters (in my no-BS style) on exercise, food, traveling with diabetes, how to scour the Internet, foot and mouth care, complementary and alternative medicine, the newest diabetes devices and more.

Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes will appear in book stores in January 2007.

Click here to reserve your copy now.

Five Essential Health Factors You Can

Master to Enjoy a Long and Healthy Life

From our initial book brochure:

The first-ever guide to 5 crucial tests that everyone living with diabetes needs to have and monitor on a regular basis—by an MD at Joslin and Harvard Medical School and a diabetes patient-expert.

Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard University professor Dr. Richard Jackson and diabetes patient-expert and blogger/journalist Amy Tenderich walk readers through how to:

    * understand each of these factors
    * determine which are the most important for you to focus on (based on your family history and other risk factors)
    * create a personalized treatment plan for optimum blood-glucose control, heart health, and general diabetes management and well-being.

This is a path-breaking book that will be required reading for every single person with diabetes aspiring to manage his or her condition as successfully and fully as possible.

Five tests are the cornerstones for monitoring one’s diabetes and developing a daily management plan—yet few of the more than 21 million people in the US living with diabetes know their results on all five of these. In April 2006 USA Today reported that just under 42% of adults with diabetes had had these tests.

The five factors are:

    * A1c
    * Blood pressure
    * Lipids (HDL, LDL, triglycerides)
    * Microalbumin
    * Yearly eye exam

“Often people focus on the stuff they feel guilty about (usually weight or food), when that may not even be their most critical health issue.

“What people don’t usually do is get the hard facts on where they stand in terms of their own diabetes health risks. They either haven’t had the five essential diabetes health tests, or they have no idea what the results are or what they might mean. But these five tests — your A1c, blood pressure, lipids, microalbumin and eye exam — provide the essential information you need to understand and manage your own health with diabetes.”                     — from the Preface