Your New Diagnosis: Diabetes
A short, plain-language guide for the first weeks after a diabetes diagnosis, when everything feels new at once.
A diabetes diagnosis comes with a lot of new vocabulary all at once: A1C, fasting glucose, carbohydrates, meters, maybe medication names you have never heard. Many people walk out of that appointment feeling like they were handed a second job. Your New Diagnosis: Diabetes is written to help make those first weeks feel more manageable.
Who this guide is for
This book is for adults who were recently told they have diabetes, and for spouses, parents, and adult children who want to help. It is also a reasonable starting point for people who were told their blood sugar is in the prediabetes range and want to understand where things could head. If the word "diabetes" is brand new in your life, this guide was written with you in mind.
Questions readers usually have
The questions I hear most often after a new diagnosis sound something like this:
- What does my A1C number mean, and what number should I be aiming for?
- Do I have to give up the foods I like?
- How much will exercise actually help my blood sugar?
- Will I need medication, and what if I need insulin someday?
- What are the warning signs of a blood sugar that is too high or too low?
The guide is written to help you understand questions like these in plain language so you can work with your care team with more confidence. Your targets and treatment plan should always come from your own doctor.
How it fits with the free articles
If you want to start free, diabetes-friendly meal basics covers practical ways to build a plate. Building muscle helps the body use glucose, so strength basics for busy adults is a useful next read once your doctor is comfortable with you exercising. More health articles are on the health hub.
The book brings these topics together in one short, organized guide.
A safety note
Call 911 for confusion, fainting, a seizure, trouble breathing, or chest pain. Very high blood sugar with vomiting, deep or rapid breathing, or extreme drowsiness also needs emergency care. If you take insulin or certain diabetes pills, ask your doctor how to recognize and treat low blood sugar before it happens.
Your New Diagnosis: Diabetes is available on Kindle. The full series is on the books page.
More books
Health / patient guide
Your New Diagnosis: CholesterolA short, plain-language guide for people who just got lipid results that worried their doctor.Health / patient guide
Your New Diagnosis: HypertensionA plain-language starting point for people who were just told their blood pressure is high.Health / patient guide
Your New Diagnosis: Coronary Artery DiseaseA plain-language guide for people who just learned that the arteries feeding their heart are narrowed or diseased.Health / heart health
Heart StrongA book about taking care of your heart over the long run, written for people who want to understand their risk and do something practical about it.Techno-thriller fiction
Swarm 700A techno-thriller, and a change of pace from my patient guides. Here is who I wrote it for.