A Strong, Healthy Relationship
It wasn’t until she almost slipped into a diabetic coma during a cruise on the western Caribbean that Linda Nowak realized she had Type 1 diabetes. For months before the cruise, she had been drinking more water than usual and losing weight. She chalked both up to her new exercise routine.
“The first day of the cruise I felt terrific,” said Linda. “By the second day I started to feel nauseous and thought I was seasick, so I started drinking ginger ale to settle my stomach. Turns out taking in all the sugar in that ginger ale was one of the worst things I could have done.”
By the third day of the cruise, Linda was in the ship’s hospital in diabetic shock and close to slipping into a coma. Her condition was so life threatening the ship’s doctor was ready to fly her off the ship. Luckily, he was able to stabilize her and she made it back to Hayward where she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
Since her diagnosis, Linda has been put on an insulin pump. Linda’s pump is an alternative to multiple daily injections of insulin. It allows her to receive the intensive insulin therapy she needs for her Type 1 diabetes.
With Type 1 diabetes, the body produces little or no insulin, the hormone needed to convert sugar (glucose) into the energy needed for daily life. People who have
Type 1 diabetes are dependent on daily injections of insulin. Although
Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, it typically appears during childhood or adolescence. People in their 60s, like Linda, are usually diagnosed with Type 2, not Type 1, diabetes.
“Because of the calm and patient help I received from Darlene Shermo, my diabetic educator, and Dr. David Bleidorn, my primary care physician at the Duluth Clinic-Hayward, I was able to deal with my diagnosis,” said Linda. “It is a real shock to learn you have a disease that has no cure. Diabetes is serious and has serious complications if you don’t take care of yourself. I think I probably would have been depressed if
I didn’t have the help of these two great people.”
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Linda Nowak of Hayward, Wisc., keeps her Type 1 diabetes under control with the help of her primary care physician and an insulin pump. |
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Linda wishes that more people understood Type 1 diabetes.
“Many people think I should be able to control my diabetes with exercise and diet,” said Linda. “That can sometimes be done with Type 2 diabetes, but not with Type 1.”
To make sure she has her diabetes under control, Linda sees her primary care physician and his nurse at the Duluth Clinic-Hayward every three months.
“Besides my wonderful husband, they are my support system,” said Linda. “I can call or e-mail them anytime I have a question. The information from my pump can also be downloaded to my computer and sent directly to the Duluth Clinic-Hayward. If I’m experiencing any problems, they can look at my numbers and help me make adjustments.”
Linda hasn’t let her diabetes stop her from leading an active life. Although she retired six years ago, she finds it enjoyable to get out of the house and work part-time. She takes care of her five grandchildren (one at a time). She loves water aerobics, biking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and walking. She even took up snowshoeing this winter.
According to Linda, besides the commitment to lead a healthy life, which she was already doing, the only concession she has made to her diabetes is learning to plan each of her activities more carefully, including what she loves to do most—travel. |