21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes

Cheri Burbach captures the essence of a majority of people who know little or nothing about diabetes. Millions have been diagnosed with diabetes, and have been the brunt of a comment or situation with someone from the uninformed public. It not only comes from "the public", but family members and friends who take little or no time to understand this major health issue. The author simplifes the subject matter and has created a powerful checklist for the uninformed. It is an easy to read, easy to understand guide hitting on emotional, sensitive and practical situations that we probably experienced ourselves, or overheard in conversation at some point in our lives. Have you had awkward moments with a friend or family member that is diabetic? Could you have handled it better? This guide gets you there. More importantly, reading it can help you say the right thing rather than the wrong thing. Knowledge is power and kindness and understanding go a long way in any relationship. As a practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine I am happy to recommend this book. It sheds light on a topic that has not been addressed ...It educates and puts responsibility on others. It will help many friends and family 'step up" in the right direction. It offers a new type of "help" book...help for others!

Often writers say if they can touch just one life or change one person for the better by telling their story, that their mission is accomplished. Cherie Burbach hasn't used those precise words; instead she says that "21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone with Diabetes will point you in the right direction so you can truly support your diabetic friend." Her book has pointed me in the direction and I suspect has changed my life too--at least part of it. I was a prime target for this book; one of the guilty uneducated and judgmental non-diabetics with a friend who has diabetes. In easy-to-understand and well-organized words that don't drip with sentimentality, Ms. Burbach has awakened me to my thus far careless attitude and informed me of what I can do. I had no idea my support plays an important role in how healthy my friend is. Ms. Burbach writes, "This book is a source of encouragement, a prompt for education, and a starting guide to diabetic etiquette." Check. Source of encouragement? Yes. I'm looking forward to first apologizing to my friend for being missing in action in this regard, and then to talking with her and taking an active interest in this huge aspect of her life. How did I miss its hugeness--this thing she thinks about and manages every hour of every day of her life? A prompt for education? Yes. Ms. Burbach says, "The people in my life who really care about me understand things like an A1c test." I had no idea what an A1c test was, but I do now--thank you Ms. Burbach and Google--and that's just scratching the surface. I'll know now to stock both sugar-free and sugar drinks and juice. I'll ask about testing equipment and where she keeps it, I'll try to know the signs of low blood sugar, I'll get to know her diabetic numbers, I won't view insulin as the cure it isn't, I will be cognizant of meal times. Etiquette, you say in chronic disease? Yes, and I'm guilty of saying inadvertent hurtful things, being a member of the diabetic police force, holding certain judgments, and thinking I'm above the disease. We are reminded that diabetes can strike anyone at any time. This little book packs an informative punch to those who know little to nothing about diabetes. I highly recommend it.

Cherie Burbach's 21 Simple Things You Can Do to Help Someone with Diabetes is a brief guide that offers comprehensive information regarding diabetes. In the preface, the author explains that her goal is to help the reader both understand and support those with diabetes. Burbach's book gently explains to the novice the basic symptoms of the disease and shares some observations and suggestions for extending common courtesy to those with diabetes. For instance, a common fallacy is that a leading cause of diabetes is being overweight. While this is a mitigating factor in some people, Burbach explains that she was diagnosed with the disease at a relatively young age, when she was very active and thin. She offers some other myth busters as well. Burbach also explains how a simple cold or stress can wreak havoc on one's condition. She adds that while the discovery of insulin has helped control the disease, there still needs to be extensive research to find a cure. Burbach uses anecdotal stories based on her own experiences to illustrate her point, and this format makes the book easy and enjoyable to read. Burbach's anecdotes illustrate the unwitting ignorance on the part of those who do not know any better and sometimes say hurtful comments. Burbach offers answers and suggestions to help the uninformed person better comprehend the issues facing diabetics. Obviously well versed in the medical literature regarding diabetes, Burbach explains that sometimes even health care professionals have trouble offering constructive help. If you know someone with diabetes, or have just been diagnosed yourself, this is a helpful primer that offers reassurance and hope. Quill says: A simple, easy-to-read book that offers information and support to those interested in the topic of diabetes.