Published on June 04, 2010

Living With Diabetes

Patients transform lifestyle with help from Illini's Diabetes Care Center

Hazel Lundeen couldn't help but feel disappointed in herself when she received her diabetes diagnosis.

She was 100 pounds overweight; too often turned to food to relieve stress; and got very little exercise. After kicking herself for her years of unhealthy habits, she decided to buckle down and face the reality of Type 2 diabetes.

"It was a wake-up call to live healthier," Hazel Lundeen of East Moline says of her diagnosis in 2005. "I knew uncontrolled diabetes could lead to all kinds of health complications - from poor circulation to heart, vision and kidney problems. Diabetes runs in my husband's family, and a cousin had a kidney and pancreas transplant as a result of diabetes. My husband also has Type 2 diabetes.

"I knew diabetes was a serious disease, and I was motivated to completely change my life. You can't wish diabetes away. You have to dig in and work hard to manage it."

A New Life
Lundeen went to the Genesis Diabetes Care Center on the Illini Campus in Silvis. With the help of the center's Diabetes Self-Management Program and the Quad Cities' only Diabetes Support Group, she learned strategies to improve her health and make major lifestyle changes.

Five years later, she sees how her responsiveness to the disease has completely changed her life.

She lost 100 pounds and has successfully managed her diabetes for five years. She tries to exercise regularly, and in fact, is nearing her 900th visit to Curves for Women. She is controlling her diabetes without medication.

Illini's Diabetes Care Center taught her the importance of blood sugar monitoring, portion control and a consistent carbohydrate meal plan. The support group motivates her. Meanwhile, the love for her family - a husband and three out-of-town grandchildren - has given her reason to get healthier.

"It took me 16 months, and over two summers, to lose the weight," Lundeen says. "I did lots of walking, with the motivation to enjoy the outdoors and landscaping. When I got terribly hungry, I'd take off on a walk.

"I feel thankful I had the support of the Genesis Diabetes Care Center to keep me going."

Managing Diabetes Together
During a couple of visits to the doctor, Sylvester Hall was told he had "pre-diabetes."

Looking back now, he wishes he had heeded the health warning - particularly because African- Americans have a higher risk for diabetes. A year ago, he was officially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

In response, Hall went to the Illini Diabetes Care Center to learn how to live with the disease. With his wife, Eloise, at his side, he embarked on a new lifestyle at age 65. Even though he has always been skinny, he discovered that dramatic improvements in his diet could help him manage diabetes.

"I've eaten more vegetables in the past year than I have in my entire life," he says. "I've learned that 90 percent of the food in the
store isn't any good for you.

"Now, we buy lots of bananas, oranges and apples and focus on eating the foods that grow up from the ground. I stay away from the boxed, processed foods and have learned not to be tempted by all the cakes and candy near the checkout lanes."

All of his wife's healthy cooking has set a good example, too: Recently, Hall and his granddaughter sat down to enjoy a plate of broccoli. He's also learned he tended to eat more food than he really needed.

"Moderation is the key. Try eating half of what you've been eating... you might be surprised to find you don't need to eat so much," Hall advises. "I can eat about anything...just a lot less of it. Occasionally, I may have a pinch of a donut, not a whole one. If I have candy, it's just a little piece."

Learning healthy habits
The newly renovated center at Illini has taught Sylvester Hall and Hazel Lundeen they can eat an occasional treat - if they balance moderation and healthy food choices with carbohydrate planning. Consistently eating about the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal or snack from day to day also helps keep blood sugar levels steady.

"Hazel and Sylvester are two of our many success stories," says Carolyn Burke, RN, BSN, CDE, who facilitates the Diabetes
Support Group. "Their enthusiasm helps others who may be struggling. People don't get enough credit for the work it takes to manage diabetes. It's a daily, minute-to-minute process."

The support group is based around seven self-care behaviors: healthy eating; being active; blood glucose monitoring; medication; problem-solving; healthy coping; and, reducing risks.

Burke adds, "The support group provides a way for them to build their skills and apply and practice what they've already learned in our self-management program. When you're in a group and can develop some success around the tools you've received, then that leads to more confidence in managing diabetes."

Lundeen, a former assistant principal in Moline who taught Life Skills for 10 years before her retirement, remembers when she always was surrounded by food on the job.

"At work, I felt like I breathed in calories all day... from cinnamon rolls to pizza," Lundeen says. "Ironically, my philosophy on food and kitchen safety in the classroom was ‘Prevent your problem before you have it.'

You could say the same thing about diabetes prevention."

Hall believes too many African- Americans delay going to the doctor. With more regular check-ups, they can learn if their blood sugar is on the upward trend and work to reverse the risk factors that lead to diabetes.More than 52 million Americans have pre-diabetes.

"If you have pre-diabetes, take it more seriously and stop the progression. If you don't, diabetes can develop," he says.