When you’re diagnosed with diabetes your doctor will provide you with a lot of information and ask you a number of questions, including your eating patterns, weight history, blood pressure, medications you’re taking, whether you smoke or drink, any family history of heart disease and any treatments you have received for other health problems. If you’re a mother you may also be asked about your child or children’s health.
Your doctor isn’t prying. All of this information has a bearing on your diabetes and how to best manage it.
Your doctor will also want do a thorough physical examination, a careful look at your mouth, feet, eyes, abdomen, skin and thyroid gland (a gland at the base of your neck that releases hormones that help your body use energy) and possibly a cardiac (heart) work-up. You’ll have a range of tests, including blood-lipid test for cholesterol.
The initial assessment is important for your overall care. Your doctor will probably also introduce to you the other members of your diabetes team who will be a valuable and reliable resource for support, advice and follow-up assessments.
In this Section
How You Feel
Take Charge
Your Diabetes Team
Register with the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS)
Become a Member of Diabetes Australia
Being told that you have a chronic disease is never easy. One day it seems you have a clean bill of health (though you may have suspected that something wasn’t right) and the next day you have a condition for the rest of your life. Don’t despair, now that you know you have diabetes you’ve taken a major step towards being in control and on top of your health.
It can be tough to be optimistic initially. You’re possibly somewhere in the middle of the spectrum between panic and denial, however you may be relieved to finally know why you’ve been feeling unwell.
All of these emotions are normal. In fact, you can anticipate moving through several emotional stages after being diagnosed. It might be helpful to consider the following:
- View your emotions as progress. All your feelings are natural and an important part of an ongoing process. It’s an indication that you’re working through them and learning to manage and live with diabetes.
- Talk to someone. Sharing how you feel with a loved one, joining a support group or attending an education session about diabetes, in which you can meet others with diabetes, can help put your feelings in perspective and make you feel connected and supported.
- Think short-term. You may feel overwhelmed by the changes you need to make in your life, the new self-care skills you have to learn and the volume of medical information you need to absorb. Eventually it will all seem second nature. But for now, focus on an immediate goal (i.e. “Today I’ll meet my dietitian”).
- Take action. The key is not to let your diabetes diagnosis overwhelm you. The sooner you take action, the sooner you’ll feel in control of your diabetes and the sooner you will start to feel better.
Source: Taking Charge of Diabetes, Reader's Digest
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Until a cure is found, if you have diabetes you have it for life. The good news is that by controlling your blood glucose levels you can significantly reduce your risk of developing serious health problems associated with diabetes.
Bringing diabetes under control is key and there’s no one better qualified to do it than you. Taking charge of diabetes doesn’t have to be a full time job, but you do have to be mindful of it 24/7, whether you’re eating, working or going to bed. You’ll have a team of people to help you, including your doctor, Credentialled Diabetes Educator, dietician, podiatrist and eye specialist.
Source: Taking Charge of Diabetes, Reader's Digest
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Diabetes is a lifelong disease that is best managed with the support of a diabetes team. The team approach helps you to learn all you need to know about diabetes, treatment and management.
This following table provides an explanation of the medical professions that may be part of your team.
| Role |
How to Get in Contact |
| Your doctor has a central role in assessing your diabetes and helping you manage it. They can refer you to any specialists that you may need to see. |
Your family doctor is the best doctor to see first. If you don’t have a family doctor then any general practitioner will be able to help you in the beginning. |
| A Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE) will work with you to help you understand and manage your diabetes |
Your doctor can refer you to a CDE in your area, OR
You can find a CDE on the ADEA website, OR
Your local hospital, diabetes centre and community health centres which are listed in the telephone directory, may have a CDE. |
| A dietitian will work with you to develop a personalised healthy eating plan to suit your lifestyle, your type of diabetes and individual health needs. They can teach you how to read food labels, modify recipes and even how to order at restaurants. |
Contact the Dietitians Association of Australia on 1800 812 942, OR
Contact your local hospital (not all hospitals have dietitians), diabetes centre and community health centres which are listed in the telephone directory.
Note: Medicare may provide a rebate on dietitians’ fees if you have a chronic condition and are referred by your doctor. If you have private health insurance you may also receive a rebate, depending on the type of cover you have. |
| An endocrinologist is a medical specialist who can provide expert advice on the management of diabetes. They know how to treat conditions that are often complex and involve many systems within your body. |
You need a referral from your doctor to see an endocrinologist. |
| A podiatrist can help you care for your feet by checking the general condition and structure of your feet. They will look for changes, for a loss of sensation or a decrease in blood supply. |
Contact your State Podiatry Association.
Note: Medicare may provide a rebate on podiatrists’ fees if you have a chronic condition and are referred by your doctor. If you have private health insurance you may also receive a rebate, depending on the type of cover you have. |
| An ophthalmologist is an eye specialist who will monitor your eyes for any changes and arrange treatment if required. |
You need a referral from your doctor to see an ophthalmologist. |
| An optometrist but can also check for eye problems. |
Check with the Optometrist’s Association to find an optometrist in your area that has training in diabetes. |
| A pharmacist can give advice about how to get maximum benefit from your medicines and discuss potential side effects. |
Any local pharmacist can help you.
Your doctor can arrange for a pharmacist to do a Home Medication Review with you. |
You need to regularly see a dentist that knows you have diabetes so that they can regularly review your teeth and gums. Diabetes can affect teeth for a couple of reasons:
- Increased levels of sugar in the saliva can put people with diabetes at increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease
- Impaired circulation around the gums can prevent gums from healing when there is some injury or trauma.
|
Any local dentist can help you.
Note: Medicare may provide a rebate on dentists’ fees if you have a chronic condition and are referred by your doctor. If you have private health insurance you may also receive a rebate, depending on the type of cover you have. |
| A counsellor, psychologist, psychiatrist or a social worker can help you if you are having any kind of trouble dealing with the psychological side of diabetes. This is just as important as the physical side of diabetes as stress hormones aren’t good for diabetes. |
You can contact counsellors, social works (social workers generally work for community services, such as local councils, health centres and hospitals) and psychologists directly, OR
Talk to your doctor or community or youth health centre about a referral. You will need a referral from your doctor to see a psychiatrist, OR
You can access Diabetes Counselling Online.
Note: Medicare may provide a rebate on psychologists' or counsellors’ fees if you have a chronic condition and are referred by your doctor. If you have private health insurance you may also receive a rebate, depending on the type of cover you have. |
| An exercise physiologist/physiotherapist can help you determine the appropriate exercise/activity choices for you. |
Ask your doctor for a referral, OR
Contact the Australian Association for Exercise and Sports Science.
Note: Medicare may provide a rebate on physiotherapists' or exercise physiologists' fees if you have a chronic condition. If you have private health insurance you may also receive a rebate, depending on the type of cover you have. |
For further information: on these health professionals or other health professionals call Diabetes Australia on 1300 136 588.
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes you are eligible to register with the NDSS. It is free to register and provides subsidised products to people with diabetes. Back to top
You can become a member of Diabetes Australia. When you join Diabetes Australia, you become a member of your state or territory’s Diabetes Australia organisation. Diabetes Australia state and territory organisations have more than 180,000 members throughout Australia.
Membership provides access to many valuable services and benefits available only to people who pay an annual subscription fee to be a member of the Diabetes Australia organisation in their state or territory.
Contact your state or territory Diabetes Australia office to become a member of Diabetes Australia. Back to top