The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (Marlowe Diabetes Library)

Many of the reviews written here diss this book for not covering this or that, especially the emotional rollercoaster that can attend this or any other lifestyle changing condition. The "negatives" can also be interpretted as "matter-of-fact". She does not talk about how to get rid of the condition, but neither does she bring false hope that all of us who are type 2 diabetics can somehow be cured. It's true that some can control the condition with diet and that some who lose enough weight and are careful can reverse the diagnosis. It's not the norm, however. Most will live with diabetes and all of its possibilities, some controlling their levels with diet and pills, some with diet and insulin injections. Some will never be able to control it; some will not be willing to try. The author is not trying to bring doom and gloom or to touch every single variation on the theme. It is a refreshing dose of reality in fairly concise language.The two most important statements in the book are that I am in charge of my health care and that if I am a smoker, one of the simplest and best ways to help my treatment is to stop smoking. Taking charge of my health care made a monumental change in the level of attention that I received from my physicians and the quality of information that I received. I was suddenly treated with much more respect, and as more of a participant rather than a mere receiver of instructions to be blindly followed. My appointments changed from 8 minute data sessions to 30-45 minute discussions of how things worked and what could be tweaked to make things work better. Very important change in relationship with my main doc; it was good before, but now is great!Also remember that this is an INTRODUCTION to this condition, not the be-all and end-all of information. It helps the reader to formulate good questions to bring to their physicians and other members of their health-care team--questions that might otherwise go unasked and thus unanswered. Most of us are not well enough informed about this or any other subject when we first start learning about it.I've purchased three of these and given two of them away to newly diagnosed folks who have thanked me profusely for the great info that they've received and the hope that this book brings. It is a reality check that shares both benefits from good self-care and dangers from ignorance and neglect with this thing called type 2 diabetes. Lots of folks saw the horror stories, some folks saw the offer of light at the end of the tunnel. Look for the light. It's in there!

Out of the massive number of diabetes books available, I ordered this book chiefly on the reviews here. According to Amazon readers, The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes seemed to contain the most pertinent info a stunned newly-diagnosed diabetic needed to read before attending the first Diabetes class with my HMO. And they were dead-on correct.Halfway through reading it, the light bulb came on, and boy was it flashing (not quite code red, but more caution yellow). After 5 or 6 years as pre-diabetic, with a new diagnosis of the Real Thing (thanks to an A1c of 6.6), author Gretchen Becker showed me there's no time to waste. We pre-diabetics and newly-diagnosed diabetics have precious beta cells in our pancreas that need protecting, like, YESTERDAY. Get ready to think of them with the love and concern of a mama bear, because without their tireless functioning, the path ahead can offer some rather dire outcomes.Becker lines up the information in a way that addresses the emotional jolt of a diagnosis as well as providing clear descriptions of choices we all will have to make. Get this book!

My husband has Type 2 Diabetes, almost lost him with in the first 2 weeks of being diagnosed, but thankfully he has been given a chance to turn things around. There is a enormous amount of things to learn, to understand, to change, to do. This book has been a great help. Well written, easy reading, relatable situations, better understanding of what to expect, just page after page of unjudgmental help, it is a valuable aid for the person who has diabetes and for people that care about them.

The diagnosis of my Diabetes Type 2 came less than four months ago. It came just 3 days after my dad entered the hospital. He suffered a heart attack; the next day, my diagnosis was confirmed, 5 days later, my dad passed away.The urgency of my doctor, calling me at 6:30pm on Friday evening, as she was reviewing test results for several patients, struck me like a ton of bricks. I was in a hospital lobby, just having finished visiting my dad's bedside.I sat down and explained my situation (as it had evolved since my office visit), and added that my girlfriend's dad was also in the hospital, having suffered a major heart attack. He would pass away 3 weeks later.My Monday doctor's appointment would confirm the diagnosis. I had a fasting glucose level of 282. An in-office test (much like I now perform several times a day) showed a level of 410. These numbers were so high, that a cholesterol reading was impossible.The education process had begun over the weekend on the Diabetes.org web site. I'd also purchased Diabetes for Dummies.As many reviewers describe, the wealth of information and professional opinion is overwhelming and often, in conflict. It seemed to me that treating and coping with Diabetes is much like dieting. First, what works for me, may not work for you. Second, in dieting, if you're 50 pounds overweight (for example), losing the first 20 pounds is usually a snap. Losing the rest is not a snap, and keeping it off is tough.This book comes from a solid perspective. It acknowledges the complexity, and reduces it to lay terms, as much as humanly possible.When describing what internal emotions a newly diagnosed Diabetic might be feeling, it resonated with me. For example, I like my doctor's style. She listens. She looks me in the eye. We are able to have a discussion. She talks about the possibilities, and the different paths my treatment may take.I asked her, flat out, 'Are you qualified to treat me, or should I being seeing a specialist?' Rather than be threatened, she clearly outlined where her expertise began and ended, and let me know under what circumstances she would recommend a specialist. This gave me great confidence.Then, when reading the book, it was refreshing to see that my instincts were confirmed - seeing a personal physician that knows you can often be better than seeking a perfect answer from the ultimate specialist.No matter how smart one is, the deeper you investigate the complexity of Diabetes Type 2, the more confusing it can become.I found that this volume has a distinct advantage by focusing only on Type 2. For me, it has begun to clarify and help me understand what will be a lifelong challenge.Needless to say, I highly recommend it.

Pelo preço que paguei, eu pensava que estava comprando um livrinho, mas esse livro tem 374 páginas, com informações preciosas para quem já tinha diabetes ou acabou de receber o diagnóstico. Eu não sou diabética. Pelo menos, ainda não. Recebi recentemente um diagnóstico de que sou pré-diabética e isso me abalou bastante. Marquei consulta com endocrinologista mas não aguentei ter que esperar quase três semanas para ser atendida. Resolvi procurar informações na internet e encontrei esse livro na amazon. Se você lê inglês e o assunto lhe interessa, eu SUPER RECOMENDO esse livro. Escrito por uma autora que convive (muito bem) com o diabetes desde 1996, o texto parece mais uma conversa com uma grande amiga, que oferece um apoio em um momento difícil. Comprei também outro livro da autora, que é mais adequado ao meu caso em particular: "Prediabetes: What You Need to Know to Keep Diabetes Away". Ainda estou esperando pela entrega, pois se tratou de uma compra internacional. Como eu gostaria de ter tido acesso a essas informações há mais tempo! Diabetes é uma doença com um forte componente genético, mas eu nunca soube da existência de alguém com diabetes em minha família. Portanto, você que está lendo essa avaliação, fique atento, faça exames médicos periódicos e mantenha um olho atento à sua glicemia.

Interesting book

The book explains very good all you need to know about Diabetes 2

Really appreciate

Ein sehr fundiertes Buch. Hab' nur die Hälfte gelesen(es soll als Referenzbuch jemand begleiten) aber ich bin sehr beindruckt. Verständlich und sehr einfühlsam. Es hat mir sehr viele grundsätzliche Fragen beantwortet.