Your doctor has just diagnosed you with T2DM. Now what?
The first order of business should be to understand what being diagnosed with diabetes means for you
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are high enough to be diagnosed as T2DM. There may be no symptoms to T2DM, so many people don’t even know they have it. T2DM is typically associated with insulin resistance in cells of the body. Instead of sugar leaving the blood stream to move into cells, your cells resist and the sugar remains in your blood.
T2DM is diagnosed by the HbA1c blood test. A result greater than 6.5 or higher considered T2DM.
| HbA1c | Result |
|---|---|
| 5.6 or less | Normal |
| 5.7 – 6.4 | Prediabetes |
| 6.5 or greater | Diabetes |
Over 37 million American adults have T2DM. Of those, more than 20% don’t know they have it. T2DM puts you at increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and severe COVID-19 outcomes.
Don’t bury your head in the sand
Having your doctor tell you that you have T2DM is depressing, but now is the time to face reality. There are many reason why some folks choose to live in denial. We’ve listed a few reasons that might resonate with you below:
- Seems overwhelming
- Not feeling well
- Don’t know where/how to start
- Too busy
- It’s not urgent
- “I’m not a priority”
Let’s start by saying that living with your head in the sand will only cost you more in the future. More $ spent on medical expenses. More sick time off of work. More years off of your life.
The cost of T2DM
Living with a chronic illness is physically, emotionally, and mentally draining. It also costs a lot of money! It can require many more doctor visits than you may be used to completing in a single year. Life with T2DM may require quarterly blood tests, until your blood sugar is at a reduced level. In addition to your primary care provider, you may also have visits with a diabetes specialist such as an endocrinologist. You can also expect to have a yearly eye exam that includes a diabetes screening and eye dilation. All of these doctor visits and lab tests cost money as well as time away from work. It may also require daily medication which may or may not be fully covered by insurance.
The American Diabetes Association estimates that T2DM costs patients an additional $9601 per year in expenses1. The largest components of diabetes medical expenditures are:
- Hospital inpatient care (30% of the total medical cost)
- Prescription medications to treat complications of diabetes (30%)
- Anti-diabetic agents and diabetes supplies (15%)
- Physician office visits (13%)
Over your lifetime, T2DM is expected to cost up to $130,000.
| Age diagnosed | Cost ($) | |
|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | |
| 23-44 | $127,000 | $130,800 |
| 45-54 | $106,200 | $110,400 |
| 55-64 | $84,000 | $85,500 |
| ≥ 65 | $54,700 | $56,600 |
Manage your blood sugar level
The American Diabetes Association says that life doesn’t end with Type 2 Diabetes. It is time to get healthy again! Let the personal counselors at Halebee help you do just that. Halebee provides video education, interactive tutorials, and tools to help you lower your blood sugar level and reduce your HbA1C. Talk to certified diabetes educators! Learn how to naturally manage your diabetes using complementary and alternative techniques.
Strategy for treatment
All is not lost! You can reduce your blood sugar level naturally with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques in addition to your daily medication. Did you know that small behavior changes can make a big impact on your HbA1c and result in lifelong health benefits? Halebee can help you restore your blood sugar levels through small steps that you can take daily to increase your knowledge and allow you to unlock doors to your future good health. You can begin following these steps:
- Make a strategy for treatment with your doctor
- Educate yourself! Halebee offers online group diabetes classes which you can take from home
- Lower your HbA1c by practicing wellness techniques.
- Talk to a certified diabetes counselor. Learn how to naturally lower your risk of diabetes complications using complementary and alternative techniques customized for you.
Halebee.com has more resources to help you reengage with your health
Halebee.com introduces users to new natural, CAM techniques for improving your health. Decreasing your blood sugar with herbs, exercise, and mind-body techniques may allow you to reduce your diabetes medication or stop all together. Today is the day you can take charge of your health!
- Fun quizzes to help your learn about T2DM!
- Short informational videos that can be watched on the go.
- Read the latest diabetes research news from our diabetes library.
- Follow our expert nutrition blog
- Talk with others in the Type 2 Diabetic community (*coming soon)
- Look up recipes and get help with meal planning
- Find interactive tools to help you log your blood sugar levels (*coming soon)
- Learn about the importance of physical activity and benefits of mind-body work
References:
- The Cost of Diabetes
- Zhuo X, Zhang P, Hoerger TJ. Lifetime direct medical costs of treating type 2 diabetes and diabetic complications. Am J Prev Med. 2013 Sep;45(3):253-61. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2013.04.017.PMID: 23953350.