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,
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.