November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and Prowers Medical Center’s Sandy Summers, a Family Nurse Practitioner with a special interest in diabetes care, wants the community to know that she and her colleagues are eager to help people with diabetes (PWD) live healthy lives.

“Type 2 diabetes is a common condition in my practice and in southeast Colorado,” said Summers, who is a Prowers County native. “The good news is that you can have diabetes and still stay healthy if you take charge of your blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and weight. Our team at Prowers Medical Center Clinic will give you all the help you need.”

This team may include a primary healthcare provider, a diabetes educator and a nutritionist.  “The PWD is always at the center of our care,” Summers said.

Diabetes is a chronic illness of high blood sugar. It happens when the pancreas stops making insulin or when the body can’t make good use of the insulin it does produce. “High blood sugar can damage nerves in the eyes, heart, kidneys and limbs,” Summers said. “Common accompanying conditions include cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.”

Need Help Managing Diabetes?

To schedule an appointment with Sandy Summers or others on the Prowers Medical Center Clinic primary-care team, call 719-336-6767 or visit prowersmedical.com

If you’re diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes, the best thing to do is take quick action. “Research has shown that acting soon after being diagnosed can prevent complications,” Summers said. “Positive health outcomes for a well-managed blood sugar are abundant.”

One relatively new and highly effective tool for diabetes self-management is the continuous glucose monitor (CGM). This small, wearable device can nearly eliminate the need for finger sticks and help patients achieve tight blood-sugar control.

“Patients place the CGM sensor just under their skin, usually on the arm,” Summers said. “It continuously measures glucose levels and sends the numbers to your phone, which will alert you if your levels are too high or low. You can then take quick action to adjust your blood sugar before it gets too far out of range.”

Not only do CGMs help patients carefully monitor their blood sugar, but they also reduce treatment fatigue. “Healthy living with diabetes takes daily attention,” Summers said. “Patients understandably grow weary of this. But with advances like CGMs, insulin pumps and new medications, it’s a bit easier.”

Good food choices also support good health for PWD. “You need to set a goal and try to be active most days of the week as well as follow a diabetes meal plan,” Summers said. “Choose fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, beans, seeds and non-fat or low-fat milk and cheese. And avoid an excess of carbohydrates. They increase blood sugar.” Drinking plenty of water daily to hydrate your kidneys is also important.

Tightly controlling blood-sugar levels is worth it, said Summers, because it leads to much better long-term health. “If you keep your blood sugar on target and increase your time in range, damage to nerves all over the body decreases,” she said. “It’s essential for PWD to understand the causal relationship between elevated blood sugar values and health outcomes.”

Summers emphasized that good sleep and stress management are also key for PWD. “Consider joining a support group that teaches stress-management techniques, and ask for help if you feel down, sad or overwhelmed,” she said. “Sleeping for seven to eight hours each night can also help improve your mood and energy level.”