Diabetes Fun Facts
The disease diabetes mellitus is from Greek diab etes "passing through," a reference to the disease's symptom of excessive urination.
* Diabetes is called diabetes mellitus, and the latter word is from the Greek word for "honey," because the urine of persons with diabetes smells and tastes sweet. Aristotle himself discovered the "taste" part!! Some cognates of mellitus are mellifluous and the name Melissa. Diabetes is from the Greek prefix dia- "through" and bainein "go" (related to English basis and, interestingly, come).
* Diabetes the word (and not the disease) was brought into the English from the Greek via Medieval Latin diabetes in the 16th century. Source:http://www.takeourword.com/Issue020.html
There's been a suggestion to rename diabetes, to livebetes, because people with the disease are encouraged to live.
Free Diabetes Identification Necklace and Educational Brochures Available
Helpful information is available from the Diabetes Research and Wellness, Foundation (DRWF), P.O. Box 96046, Washington, DC 20090-6046
To Order a Necklace: To obtain ID Necklace send name, address, telephone, and e-mail address along with a self-addressed first class envelope inside an envelope addressed to the DRWF.
To Order Educational Brochures: DRWF has free educational brochures on the following topics available in quantities of less than 25 or in PDF format on the Web at:http://www.diabeteswellness.net
* Looking After Your Feet
* Impotence and What You Should Know
* Managing Diabetes When You Are Ill
* Some Answers to Your Questions
* Looking After Your Eyes
* Injecting Insulin, Sites and Swelling
Contact DRWF (877) 633-3976 regarding mailing costs if ordering more than 25 brochures.
What Is a CDE, Anyway?
The Certified Diabetic Educator (CDE) credential is awarded by the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE). It recognizes that a healthcare professional (RN, RD, RPh, MD, psychologist, exercise therapist) has met specific clinical practice eligibility requirements and passed the Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators. Individuals who qualify for the CDE credential have demonstrated that they possess comprehensive knowledge and are capable of providing quality diabetes care and education.
The certification exam is currently offered twice per year at designated locations for a fee of $250. The credential must be renewed every 5 years. For additional information visit the NCBDE Web site:http://www.ncbde.org
Diabetes Teaching Tips
When using a stuffed toy to teach children or adults to prick their skin for blood glucose monitoring, remember to quickly remind the learner that the toy is stuffed and contains no blood.
Avoid being asked by a learner when nearing the end of a diabetes education class, "What is blood glucose?" An elderly lady was just discharged from the hospital. She was trying to inject her insulin and called the home care nurse in great distress. She had broken three expensive needles trying to draw up the medication like she was shown in the hospital. The problem? She had a new vial of insulin that had the metal cap on over the rubber stopper. The metal cap had already been removed from the insulin vial in the hospital. Remember, the information that's second nature for you is critically important to the learner!!
Diabetes Web Sites for Professionals
* The Michigan Department of Community Health, Diabetes Control Program, Michigan Diabetes Outreach Networks, Management of Diabetes Independent Study Module Series has eight different modules, each approved for two contact CE for RNs, and available for nonresidents of Michigan for $20 each. They can be accessed at:http://www.diabetesmidon.org/ISM/ISM.htm
* The Nutrition Education for New Americans Project is a program in the Department of Anthropology and Geography at Georgia State University. It is sponsored by USDA to assist low-income immigrants, refugees, and children in learning about healthy eating practices and provides information in 36 languages. Using the USDA food pyramid as the focus, materials and programs are designed to include both traditional foods as well as American foods. All materials at the site are copyright free:http://multiculturalhealth.org/
* The Diabetes Australia Multilingual Home Page has basic diabetes information in many languages (Greek, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, English, Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Turkish). Included is information about diabetes, sick-day management, medications, exercise, meal planning, and other topics:http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/multilingualdiabetes/index.htm
* NutritionData (ND) allows visitors to locate nutrition fact labels for foods and recipes. ND provides simple analyses of the positive and negative affect for various foods, and information about foods from fast-food vendors. Lists can be created at ND for foods that match specific dietary goals (e.g., those that are lowest in carbohydrates, highest in fat):http://www.nutritiondata.com
* Medlineplus of the National Library of Medicine offers an interactive, multimedia, diabetes education tutorial program available online. The program was developed by the Patient Education Institute:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/diabetesintroduction.html
* Free recipes that include carbohydrate, fat, calorie, and other nutritional information are available online in PDF format and can be copied and distributed to patients:http://ww.diabetic.recipes.com
* Encourage computer-savvy patients, friends, and consider signing yourself up with America on the Move. Members receive a free step counter and newsletter plus access to concrete suggestions for 100 ways to cut 100 calories per day, and 100 ways to increase steps and other information:http://www.americaonthemove.org
* For information about various Diabetes Identification Products such as watchbands, sneaker tags, bracelets, medallions, and keychains, visit:http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_06_700.htm