Expenses can add up quick, especially when you have high costs due to diabetes. According to a published study in 2008, people recently diagnosed with diabetes spend on average $4,174 more each year on medical costs than people who don’t have diabetes. This can be overwhelming for any person, but here is the good news! There is help available and we are going to show you how and where to get it!

Nonprofit groups helping diabetes patients

A number of nonprofit organizations have been created to either help people find medical insurance, health care, and afford their supplies.  Some are even targeted specifically for diabetics!

• The Partnership for Prescription Assistance – offers access to hundreds of assistance programs for the uninsured individual.
  • www.pparx.org
  • 888.477.2669
• The Charles Ray Diabetes Association – provides blood glucose meters, strips, and other supplies to those who cant afford to pay for them.
  • www.cr3.org
• The Patient Advocate Foundation Co-Pay Relief Program – helps those with chronic illnesses who are insured, but struggle to pay for their co-payments.
  • www.copays.org
  • 866.512.3861
• The Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE) – available for those who are uninsured, recently lost benefits, or is struggling to afford insurance premiums. Helps these individuals find what private and public programs they are eligible for and their most affordable options, all for free!
  • www.coverageforall.org
  • 800.234.1317

Government Programs for Diabetics

• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – this group requires certain medical facilities to offer free or discounted care to people who meet low-income eligibility requirement. To find a directory of locations call:
  • 800.400.2742
  • www.hrsa.gov/hillburton
• The VA (Department of Veteran Affairs) – this group runs hospitals and clinics for veterans who meet eligibility requirements based on income.
  • 800.827.1000
  • www.va.gov
• Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – provided by each state, is a program for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private health insurance.
  • 877.543.7669
  • www.insurekidsnow.gov

Drug Companies and Diabetic Assistance

Diabetes medication can be expensive, so these are some manufacturers and pharmacies that offer free or low cost medicines and/or supplies to those who are in need.

• Pfizer – this website helps people in need find programs that offer medicines for free, at a savings, or provide reimbursement support services.
  • www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com
• Abbott – this website helps answer your questions about coverage, medicare and public health hospitals. They help you find the right coverage for your needs and what benefits you’re eligible to receive.
  • www.abbottdiabetescare.com
• Eli Lilly and Co. – this program assists uninsured patients with incomes less that 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. They help you fin access to affordable medications, reimbursement programs, certain health care institutions, and medical insurance.
  • www.lillycares.com

Diabetics have to be very careful when exercising or living life. If you cut or hurt yourself in any way you can’t just brush it off. You need to seek proper treatment. Here are some overall tips from Web MD to help you figure out why diabetic wounds cause problems and how to treat them.

Why wound can cause problems in diabetics

When you’re diabetic there are many complications and make wounds harder to heal because your body can’t use glucose or sugar the way it should. Some of the complications are:

• Nerve Damage- Nerve damage occurs when you have a cut or blister, but you don’t feel the pain until it has gotten worse or become infected.
• Weakened Immune System- If you don’t have a strong immune system, even the smallest cut can become infected.
• Narrow Arteries- If you have narrow arteries, your blood cannot get to the wound easily. Blood flow promotes healing so if you have clogged arteries your wounds are more likely to get infected.

Diabetic Wound Treatment

The treatments for wounds are simple. Take these steps and you can avoid an infection and start healing:

• Take care of the wound immeditately- If you delay taking care of your injury, bacteria can build up and cause a small injury to become a big problem.
• Clean the wound- You should rinse the wound under running water to remove the dirt. Don’t use anything like soap, hydrogen peroxide or iodine because this could irritate the injury. It’s best to put on antibiotic ointment after rinsing and put a band-aid over it. Every day after, you should wash the area around the wound, inspect for any signs of infection and put a new band-aid on.
• See your doctor- If you notice any skin problems or areas of redness, you should have your doctor check it out to avoid any serious problems. It’s better to treat the small things early rather than take care of the big things later.
• Keep pressure off the wound as it heals- If you get a wound on an area like your foot (the foot is a common area to get injuries, after all), try to stay off it as much as you can. You will have a better chance of the wound healing faster if you can stay off your foot.

Taking care of your wounds, especially the small ones, can be a hassle. But it’s better to take care of them now while you can before they get infected. Hopefully these tips will help you stay on top of your diabetes and make your life a little easier.

Most people agree: massages are wonderful things. If you’ve had a stressful week, tension in your body or are sore from work, then massages are just what you need. Massages are good for you and can do more than just remove the pain. Massage gives your body rest and a sense of well-being, and for diabetics, it can do so much more.

Diabetics get benefits from Massage Therapy

According to Diabetes Self-Management, diabetics can get many benefits from massage therapy. Here are some ways it helps:

• Relaxation- Diabetes is stressful and can bring a lot of physical pain to your body. You have to make sure you’re taking medication, checking blood glucose levels, worrying about what to eat and exercise and the list goes on. Add work, relationships or diabetic complications on top of that and you’ve created the perfect picture of stress. Massage brings a lot of relaxation to your body and can sedate your nervous system. Massage effects the body’s chemistry and decreases the production of stress hormones, resulting in lowering blood sugar levels.
• Increased circulation- Massage increases blood and lymph circulation which transports oxygen and other nutrients into the body’s tissues. Since diabetics typically have poor circulation because of the high blood sugar levels, improving circulation allows for more insulin uptake in your cells.
• Myofascial effects- Myofascial means muscles (myo) and connective tissue (fascial). Massage works directly with myofascial in the body and helps facilitate greater mobility in the body. This is crucial for diabetics because elevated blood sugar causes the connective tissue to thicken and that affects the mobility and elasticity of the myofascial system. Your tendons, muscles and ligaments will feel stiff or will have a limited range of motions in your joints. When your stress hormones kick in, they make chemical changes in the connective tissues, which cause stickiness between the layers of fascia. The best solution for this is massage therapy because it will counter this effect.

When getting a massage it is best to make sure your masseuse knows you have diabetes. You should describe the symptoms of hypoglycemia to them since massaging will change the blood glucose level. You should also bring glucose tablets, juice and your hypoglycemic treatment, just in case something does happen.

Massages can be helpful for anyone, including diabetics.  But, if you are looking for an excuse to splurge, you can always say the diabetes made me do it.

Can you tell a difference in your blood sugar after you’ve had a massage? Were the benefits worth it to you?

Having diabetes or knowing someone that has diabetes can be stressful. But what better way to fight against the disease, than to advocate on its behalf. Becoming involved as a diabetic advocate can do a lot of good and help move the process along of spreading information, supporting diabetics, and leading a way to a cure! To help you get started, we have listed some ways you can become a diabetes advocate.

Support Diabetes:

A great step to take for being an advocate is to support the cause. You could help with fund-raising for diabetes research, donate time, participate in an event, volunteer, and donate supplies or money to aid in the fight. The American Diabetes Association is a great organization to find ways to be a diabetes advocate. Visit the American Diabetes Association website to find out more information and locations of events near you!

Research and Learn:

Do research and learn about the types of diabetes, symptoms, causes, and myths to help spread the word about diabetes. How can we expect to make progress if the information isn’t out their for people to hear? The more you educate yourself, the more you can educate others effectively. Your passion to learn about the disease can be the start of inspiration in others to do the same.

Contact your senators and congressmen:

Write letters, emails, and make phone calls to your representatives! They are the connection to the funding that is a major part of research and improving the lives of diabetics. It is important to inform them of the cause you are advocating for, and how you need their help. The American Diabetes Association is one outlet that connects you to your representatives or you can sign up for email updates to stay alert with current bills being voted on that impact diabetes.

Use Social Media:

The world of social media is vast and constantly growing. Use this to your advantage and start a blog or website to gather followers, spread information, fund raise, or keep in touch with other advocates! The more outlets you have, the faster information can spread and the more lives we can impact.

Encourage others to join you:

They always say that strength lies in numbers, and in this case thats true! Recruit friends, family, co-workers, whoever to be a diabetes advocate! Ask them to volunteer with you, participate in events, join your blog or twitter account for diabetes, forward them sites where they can donate or participate in promotions. There opportunities are endless and can make all the difference.

Why be an Advocate?

By being a diabetes advocate, you can be apart of something that can not only impact a diabetic, but the nation as well. The numbers of diagnosed diabetics are growing and being an advocate can help slow down this rate, help people avoid developing the disease, and improve the lives of those already living with diabetes.

Did you know that there are certain herbs you can grow in a garden that lower blood sugar! You don’t have to be have a ‘green thumb’ to grow these in your back yard! Not only will these herbs lower your blood sugar, but the process of growing them can too!

What herbs to Grow to help with Diabetes

• Aloe Vera: More commonly known as Aloe, is a member of the Lily family but has the appearance of a cactus. Specifically, Aloe barbadensis leads the type of aloe that is best for lowering blood sugar. Research suggests that the best dose for results is usually 50 mg a day.
• American Ginseng: This popular Chinese medicine has shown helpful results for type 2 diabetics. The effects of ginseng on glucose appears to be related in part to the mix of ginsenosides (a specific type of steroid found in the plant). It is recommended to consume 3-9 grams and should be taken within 2 hours of a meal.
• Bitter Melon: This plant grows in tropical areas as a vine bearing green leaves and yellow flowers. The fruit looks like a cucumber and the extract has been referred to as vegetable insulin. At least 3 different compounds in Bitter Melon have been reported to have sugar regulating properties.
• Cinnamon Bark: Cinnamon has been shown to lower blood glucose levels as well as cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes. Specifically, Cassia Cinnamon (a Chinese Cinnamon) has been found to be the only cinnamon with this benefit. Research has shown that even a ¼ or ½ teaspoonfuls has the health benefit of lowering blood sugar.
• Glucomannan: This root is a member of the yam family. This herb is high in fiber and can help maintain blood sugar levels and relieve the stress on the pancreas.
• Prickly Pear Cactus: Specifically know as Nopal, has been shown to decrease blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics. A single dose has been shown to decrease levels by 17% – 46% in some patients.

Gardening Can Reduce Blood Sugar Levels

• Provides moderate daily exercise – gardening can get you out of the house, or out of a traditional exercise program. Its a fun engaging way to maintain your diabetes.
• Can help relieve stress – imagine gardening outside on a warm day with peace and quiet; time just for you. Sometimes we forget to take time for ourselves but your garden can be a reminder to step out for a while. Plus, stress can raise your blood glucose levels.
• Saves money – Its more expensive to buy these herbs than to grow them at home.
• Can teach children – children with diabetes can learn how plants grow, how its great for their blood sugar, and gets them outside and involved in an activity.

Did you know that gardening could be such a great thing for your diabetes? What other herbs or plants have you heard help lower blood glucose levels? Which are your favorite?