Please provide some do's and don'ts for diabetic patients.

Always: Always make sure that anesthesiologists know your blood sugar level and medications taken.

Check: Check a1c's quarterly, check urine microalbumin yearly, see the eye and feet doctors yearly.

Don't: Don't skip regular eye exams even if you have no symptoms. You risk blindness.

Juice: Juice boxes work well to treat hypoglycemic episodes. No chewing needed to get the glucose up.

Quit: Quit smoking to reduce your risk of reduced circulation to your feet.

Take: Take your blood sugar diary to your appointments for review of daily readings to direct therapy.

Quite: Quit smoking to reduce your risk of reduced circulation to your feet.

Diagnosing: Diagnosing diabetes: blood sugar >140 fasting or >200 after a meal.

To: To decrease your risk of developing diabetes, keep your weight down with regular diet ; exercise.

A: A stressed mind makes unwise decisions: avoid alcohol, smoking, and sleep 7-8 hours a night.

Rhythmic: Rhythmic movements like walking, pretend jump roping, dancing, conducting improve blood flow.

Ask: Ask your doctor to review your personal risk for heart disease; diabetics are at higher risk.

Buy: Buy a nice medic alert bracelet or necklace for yourself or your loved one. May save the day!

Get: Get a "medi-set" to prepare your medications each week. You won't run out as easily.

Have: Have a good reason to check your blood sugar i.e. Making med changes, feeling shaky.

Keep: Keep blood sugars and blood pressures in control to prevent kidney damage from diabetes.

Take: Take your blood sugar monitoring, insuling therapy and diet seriously.

Those: Those with type 2 diabetes should avoid sugar and minimize carbohydrate intake for better health.

Never: Never perform "bathroom surgery" on your feet. Let a professional care for you.

At: At least yearly dilated eye exams are recommended for diabetic patients.

With: With challenging weather, be sure to have enough diabetic supplies at home & in an earthquake kit.

Know: Know your numbers - ha1c, ldl, kidney function and blood pressure.

Treatment: Treatment for diabetic retinopathy include laser, intravitreal injection, and/or vitrectomy surgery.

If: If you have diabetic retinopathy, it is best to see a retina specialist.

Once: A weekly Bydureon (exenatide) shots may give you better results than any other daily oral therapy!

Start: Start with metformin. Quickly move to add a second med to preserve the pancreas function you have.

Vitrectomy: Vitrectomy eye surgery is much less invasive these days (small gauge instruments).

Educate: Educate yourself to and limit foods high in sugar and carbohydrates, see dr. At least every 6 months.

Rub: Rub moisturizers on your feet daily. It helps keep the skin in good shape and you check your feet!

Diabetes: Diabetes can cause diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma.

Try: Try to avoid blood sugar spikes to prevent damage to the eye.

Do: Do not soak feet unless instructed to do so by health care provider.

Do: Do use a hand mirror to see the bottom of feet or enlist the help of another person to look at feet.

Avoid: Avoid use of powder between toes, a light dusting of non-perfumed talc may be used on rest of foot.

Do: Do wear socks to bed at night if feet are cold. Do not use heating pads/hot water bottles to warm.

Do: Do avoid tight fitting shoes, high-heeled shoes, open-toed shoes, and sandals, especially thongs.

Do: Do inspect and feel interior of shoes for foreign objects, nail heads, pebbles, or rough surfaces.

Excessive: Excessive thirst, excessive hunger, and excessive urination are the three warnings for diabetes.

ABCDE.: Abcde. A= a1c less than 7; b=blood pressure 120/80; c=cholesterol; d=diet; e=exercise (30 min/day).

Monitor: Monitor your blood sugar closely and treat as needed. Avoid sugars and starches.

Lose: Lose weight, carbs & sugar. Exercise more! control cholesterol, and high BP if present.

A: A daily foot exam, done by you, is important. Take care of small problems before they are serious.

Test: Test blood sugars daily. Before breakfast mwf; before dinner tts. Take diary to doctor for review.

When: When a diabetic is injured, they should check their glucose levels. Trauma often leads to hyperglycemia.

Metformin: Metformin can reduce the onset of diabetes by 40% and improve lipids, bp, and weight. Ask your doc!

Make: Make care of diabetes a habit rather than a chore.

Type: Type 2 diabetes can often be prevented by maintaining a normal weight and getting regular exercise.

Find: Find supportive peers or family. Join an advocacy group such as the ada or jrdf. Get involved!

Wear: Wear shoes around the house to prevent many foot ailments/injuries that result in trips to the er.

If: If you have been diagnosed, and are not on prescription meds, have your doc check fasting glucose/insulin.

Alpha-glucosidase: Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, which prevent starch conversion to sugar are underutilized. Ask your doc!

Eat: Eat properly, exercise daily and take your medication. If overweight lose some of it.

Prevent: Prevent the development of diabetes by controlling bp, cholesterol levels, and weight throughout life.

Education,: Education, diet, exercise, proper medication, good doctor, compliance, control blood pressure, lipids, prevention.

Diabetic: Diabetic patients must maintain an impeccable oral environment. Oral bacteria can invade your body.

Have: Have readily available protein shakes for breakfast & "blenderize" berries with it for a great meal!

Have: Have your quarterly check-up. Stay active & cut back on carbs. Attain ideal weight, blood pressure & lipids.

Check: Check your blood sugar two hours after eating! it will teach you what in your diet is bad for you!

Don't: Don't fear insulin. It works very well and is very easy to take. Needles today are very very small.

Attain: Attain an a1c near 6 or 7. Have your annual eye check. Ask your doctor if your kidney functions are ok.

Do: Do tight glycemic control. Do control your bp. Do listen to your md. Don't eat concentrated sweets.

Do: Do not put your feet close to a heat source, esepecially if you have neuropathy.

Diabetic: Diabetic patients cannot safely drink a lot of alcohol--it causes more nerve damage.

Do: Do not pick at a sore if one develops on your feet.

Do: Do reduce your Insulin if you are going to exercise.

Do: Do see your doctor immediately for any type of change in your feet.

Sticking: Sticking the side of the finger gives more blood with less pain.

Know: Know your abcdefs: a1c blood test, blood pressure, cholesterol, mdrd renal function, eye ; foot exam.

If: If you use an Insulin pump, be sure to be in close contact with a certified diabetes educator.

Insulin: Insulin pumps are designed to help mimic normal Insulin patterns for the body.

If: If you are diabetic, be sure to check your sugar both in the fasting state & two hours after a meal.

It's: It's hard to be perfect all the time. Tomorrow is a clean slate.

Diabetes: Diabetes is not a leading cause of blindness, it is uncontrolled diabetes that leads to blindness.

Regular: Regular exercise will help to prevent and control diabetes.

Losing: Losing 20 pounds can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes.

Healthy: Healthy lifestyle: 0 cigarettes, 5 fruits & veg., 10 mins relaxation, bmi < 30, exercise 150 min/wk.

Do: Do always wear a shoe or slipper in the house to prevent foot injury.

Wear: Wear diabetic socks to prevent sores on your feet.

Going: Going on Insulin is not a failure. About half of people with type 2 diabetes will need insulin.

Diabetic: Diabetic socks are better to prevent foot sores, since they are seemless and have no elastic.

For: For patients with bmi > 30 the best treatment to start with is metformin, 500-1000 mg a day.

Steroids: Steroids will raise your meal blood sugar so focus on these time points if you are put on a steroid.

Diet,: Diet, exercise, weight loss, metformin, sulfonylurea , thiazolidinediones, dpp-4&glp inhibitors, and Insulin t2.

Regular: Regular exercise, and no processed foods, only whole, never soda or fast food, 5 small meals a day.

Strict: Strict diet and exercise, regular finger glucose tests, regular checkups, group, and family support!

Group: Group and family support. Exercise regularly. Eat small whole-food, unprocessed meals regularly.

Regular: Regular exercise. Get a pedometer & walk 10, 000 steps daily. Helps with weight loss and lowers sugar.

Check: Check sugar daily. Just because you feel okay does not mean the sugar is controlled.

Call: Call your doctor if you notice side effects of meds. Don't stop meds without discussing first.

Do: Do exercise regularly & eat plenty of vegetables. Don't frequent buffets or over eat.

Regular: Regular exercise and losing weight if overweight helps prevent diabetes.

Check: Check the bottom of your feet everyday. A small sore left unattended can have dire consequences.

Stay: Stay active, exercise, watch less sports on tv, do play the sports yourself, eat less carbs!

Being: Being diabetic doesn't mean no good foods. Jut eat low glycemic foods to your hearts content.

Be: Be prepared to treat hypoglycemia. Carry a rapid acting carbohydrate at all times. Glucose tablets.

Do: Don't think that your blood sugar will be controlled with medicine alone without dieting/exercising.

Glycemic: Glycemic control is best achieved, when possible, through a combination of diet & regular exercise.

If: If you want to see how your body responds to a meal, wait 1-2 hours after eating to check your blood.

It's: It's easier to make lifestyle changes over months and years. Think of each small step as one piece.

Good: Good control of diabetes may reduce chance of retinopathy in the eyes.