Always for Support

     College students with diabetes can feel alienated from their environment because of the incongruous lifestyle choices that they have to make in order to maintain their health. These students can alleviate those disparaging feelings by attending events held by the American Diabetes Association that are local to their respective schools.

     The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a national organization with the sole purpose of supporting people afflicted with the disease.

     “Our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all the people affected by diabetes,” according to the About Us page on the organization’s website. “We lead the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes and fight for those affected by diabetes.”

     The website of ADA is filled with a plethora of information for people currently managing diabetes, at risk for developing the disease, or simply for those that are interested in learning more about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

     One of the features on the website is the “Your Local Office” tool under the “In My Community” tab on the homepage, which has information on local activities sponsored by ADA.

For those with diabetes that are interested in meeting peers just like them, check out the link to ADA’s website.

http://www.diabetes.org/ 

Student Health is Lacking

     Campus clinics are tempting facilities for college students to receive their primary healthcare during their semesters. While these facilities are usually equipped to handle the most rudimentary health-care concerns, it would be unwise to trust them completely with more difficult health matters.

     On the George Mason University campus, the resident campus clinic known as "Student Health" receives many criticisms from its student population for inadequate care for their major health issues.

     David Derby, a sophomore at George Mason University studying pre-medical science, is one of the many students that are dissatisfied with "Student Health".

     “The clinic is understaffed, and is overzealous with simplistic diagnoses of colds and flues,” he said in an interview. “A close friend of mine visited the clinic for help with a sore throat, and was diagnosed with a cold and prescribed amoxicillin.”

     “It turns out she had mononucleosis, and was rushed to the hospital two days later, because mononucleosis reacts terribly with amoxicillin.”

     This is not a smear campaign against college health clinics, but a cautionary tale to take charge of your own medical care by seeking out the best possible support you can when you begin to feel sick.

     Campus clinics can be sufficient in caring for your illness, but make absolutely sure that is the case through your own research.

Exercise is the key

     “Of all the secrets to being successful at living long and well with diabetes, exercise is the one that came up the most consistently as one of the top ones, regardless of how long people had been living with the disease.”

     That excerpt is the very first sentence in the exercise section of Dr. Sheri Coldberg’s book, “The 50 Secrets of the Longest Living People With Diabetes.” This opening speaks a truth that that applies to anybody reading this blog, whether that person has a chronic health condition or not.

     The truth is that exercise is the key to a healthy living. For people with diabetes, it is specifically the key to better blood sugar control. I have personally experienced how regular exercise can have a positive effect on my blood sugars, and I assure any skeptical readers that the results will astonish you.

     Recently, for example, my blood sugar two hours after my breakfast was 271 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) according to my blood glucose monitor. In response to this reading, I exercised on the elliptical for thirty five minutes, burning over 400 calories in the process. My blood glucose reading at lunch after this workout was a much-improved 61 mg/dL.

     For more information, check the following link to a recent article that details the benefits of exercise for people with diabetes. 
http://www.oaoa.com/articles/exercise-86700-diabetes-body.html

Book of Secrets

     It is crucial for people with chronic diseases to learn as much as they can about their respective conditions so that they can effectively and manage their health issues.

     My brother, Allen Perry, understands this just as much as I do. It was because of his interest in my health that he acquired a copy of "50 Secrets of the Longest Living People With Diabetes" by Sheri R. Coldberg, Ph.D., and Steven V. Edelman, M.D. .

      I discovered that the book was tremendously useful for understanding the dangers of potential diabetic complications, and yet reassuring through its dozens of tips for managing my blood sugar. These tips were organized into sections that included dietary, medicinal, and exercise.

     In an email conversation with co-author Dr. Sheri Colberg, I was given the following advice on managing my Type 1 diabetes as a college student:

     "The trick always is to live life first and be diabetic second, but if you don't manage your diabetes well, that will not be possible. So, you have to find a way to keep your blood sugars in control so that you can focus on other (more important) things!"

     I recommend this book for anyone living with diabetes, as well as other books by Dr. Sheri Colberg. For more on these books and the author herself, check the following link to her website.   

http://www.shericolberg.com/

Your Office for Disability Services

 

     College students face a number of challenges during their university studies, and those challenges are even more arduous for people with disabilities. In response to this issue, almost every university in the United States has made an effort to reasonably accomodate students with disabilities. At George Mason University, that is the Office of Disability Services

      

     According to their official website, The Office of Disability Services (ODS) is an on-campus department that is trained to assist students that qualify for aid. This qualification is based on the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation  Act.

      

     “A person has a disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment," according to the Eligibility for Services page on the website.  

      

     Students that qualify can receive a wide range of benefits from the department, such as housing and academic accommodations as well as priority registration for classes.

     Sarah Vasilakos is a sophomore at George Mason University who has had a gastrointentinal disorder her whole life. She was granted both priority registration and housing accommodations for her condition, and since then she says her student life has greatly improved.

     “I have a single room in Northern Neck, and I have later classes so that if I am having a bad health-spell I don’t have to wake up early, therefore comprising my health even more,” she said in an interview.

     Like Sarah, I also received priority registration for my Type 1 diabetes, and my student life has greatly improved as well. For others that have similarly chronic conditions, I would highly recommend visiting your disability services on-campus.

     For students at George Mason University, the following is a link to the ODS website.   
     http://ods.gmu.edu/

Counting on Campus

     Counting the amount of carbohydrates in every meal is one of the most important goals in managing control of blood sugar levels.The situation is even more drastic for Type 1 diabetics like myself that are dependent on insulin dosages based on those carbohydrate counts.

    This routine is difficult in stressful environments that foster unhealthy eating habits, such as college campuses. 

     Lois Durant, the resident dietitian with George Mason University dining services, understands this and does her best to keep the students informed on what they are eating, such as the advertisement of nutrition facts in major dining areas.

    "It is the best point of contact to have the information," she said in an interview. "Labels on the front of packaging are also coming soon, but that is only part of the puzzle. The other part is customer participation."

    Lois Durant has been the resident dietitian with GMU dining for the past eight years. Before that, she was a food service director at the Laudon County Hospital of Virginia.

    Having this information available is a huge asset for the many students on campus that endure dietary restrictions.

    As for tips on between meal snacks and such, here is a link to a helpful list of diabetic-friendly, low-carb snacks.

http://diabetes.ufl.edu/files/2009/08/Low_Carb_Snack_Menu_12.081.pdf