Healthy Living Newsletter
On Stage Soon
Mercy Hospital Hosts Special Event: Take Charge of Your Diabetes
 In rehearsal...characters Mrs. & Mr. Sweet, played by (from left to right) Michelle Ashley and Jeff Hoomaian, rehearse for Take Charge of Your Diabetes, a play in seven acts with Sushma Reddy, MD, who will be featured in the production offering information about diabetes self-management and education. Special thanks...appreciation is extended to Bayer HealthCare & Key Diabetes Supply Company for helping produce this event.
You’re invited to meet Mr. & Mrs. Sweet. The Sweets are an average couple from St. Clair County. Recently, Mr. Sweet was diagnosed with diabetes. Like many newly diagnosed patients, Mr. Sweet doesn’t know much about diabetes and is resistant to learning more about his condition and how to manage it to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Watch as Mrs. Sweet steps up to the plate and helps encourage her struggling and often grumpy husband in a quest for information and understanding of the management of diabetes.
This delightful live stage performance, in seven acts, takes the Sweets and the audience through the American Association of Diabetes Educators’ 7 Self-Care Behaviors, in an easy-to-understand series.
Understanding Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association there are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States who have diabetes. The sad news is only 14.6 percent have actually been diagnosed, leaving 6.2 million Americans unaware of their disease.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into the energy the body needs. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.
Major Types of Diabetes
There are four major types of diabetes. They include:
Type 1 diabetes
Results from the body’s failure to produce insulin, the hormone that “unlocks the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. It is estimated that 5 to 10 percent of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes
This type of diabetes results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects about 4 percent of all pregnant women — about 135,000 cases in the United State each year.
Pre-diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. There are 54 million Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 20.8 million currently diagnosed with the disease.
To help area residents better understand the management and control of diabetes symptoms, the Mercy Diabetes Center is hosting a special program designed to enlighten patients regarding proper management through the American Association of Diabetic Educators’ 7 Self-Care Behaviors as well as providing access to a number of informational and educational booths. “Take Charge of Your Diabetes” will feature an interactive live performance by Mercy Hospital clinicians and two area physicians.
Diabetes patients and their family members who attend this enjoyable, one-time-only performance will learn about following these important guidelines:
- Taking medications
- Monitoring
- Healthy eating
- Being active
- Reducing risks
- Healthy coping
- Problem solving
In addition to Mercy Hospital diabetes educators, Sushma Reddy, MD, one of the area’s leading endocrinologists; and Robert Camara, DO, a local family medicine physician, will join this cast of delightful characters and provide indepth medical information.
The event will also feature a continental breakfast, lunch, and, of course, popcorn during intermission.
Mercy Hospital and its Diabetes Education and Management program have been providing services to area diabetes patients for 15 years. Recognized by the American Diabetes Association, Mercy’s program offers education services and meets the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education.
Mercy’s program offers indepth patient education and its self-management training program is certified by the Michigan Department of Community Health. Each year, Mercy Hospital participates and/or hosts a community education event such as “Take Charge of Your Diabetes,” designed for and dedicated to diabetes patients.
Cost: $10/person. Space is limited. To purchase your theatre tickets today, call (810) 985-1840. Saturday, November 4, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Mercy Hospital Cafetorium.
To find out more about the Mercy Diabetes Center, go to Diabetes Center under the Services section of this website.
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