The Certified Diabetes Educator explains to patients, who are newly diagnosed, and frightened, about what their disease means to them and their lives and futures. The Certified Diabetes Educator illustrates with visual aids and personal expertise what causes diabetes, what the risks were and how their blood serum glucose could be controlled, allowing most of them a better than even chance of living full and productive lives.

The patients are empowered to control their future health through self-monitoring, diet and exercise and in some cases, the self-delivery of medications and or insulin.

Not being diabetic myself, I objectively viewed the class. I learned much about diabetes and it's effective care. I learned that in a normal healthy state, we consume carbohydrates in some of the foods we eat such as starches and sugars, and this carbohydrate is converted to glucose (sugar) and enters the bloodstream. That glucose then enters the cells of the body, aided by insulin, which comes from the pancreas. The insulin serves as a "key" to unlock the receptor cells of the body so that the glucose can enter and provide fuel for the body to function.

Patients learn that diabetes mellitus is the term used for the condition in which either the pancreas no longer produces insulin, the insulin produced is not healthy or plentiful enough, or the cells are not able to respond to the insulin (insulin resistance), therefore the cells are not able to use the glucose they need for fuel. The body literally starves. I learned the symptoms and risks of diabetes, what happens when there is a low glucose level in the blood, and what happens when this level gets too high.

Patients learn about the two main types of diabetes mellitus. Type 1 diabetes is the case where no insulin is produced by the pancreas, or the insulin produced is not usable. In this case, insulin is required through injections or a special insulin pump. Without this outside source of insulin, the diabetic patient could not live. Type 2 diabetes is the condition where some insulin is produced, but either it is not enough, the insulin is not healthy or the patient is insulin resistant, as mentioned above. In the case of type 2 diabetes, sometimes diet and exercise can bring the balance of glucose and insulin under control. Insulin resistance can also be lowered this way in some cases. In other cases of type 2 diabetes, medications are needed to stimulate the pancreas into producing more healthy insulin, or to "unlock" the receptor cells so that they can receive the insulin and glucose they need as fuel to function.

As the name states, the diabetes self management classes teach patients to monitor and control their diabetes themselves. They learn to count the carbohydrates they intake and what that means to their blood glucose levels. They learn to balance the sugar in their blood, and therefore live, in many cases, healthy and normal lives.

If you are a sufferer of diabetes, and are fortunate enough to attend the Marshall Diabetes Center, you are sure to get the best care and training available.