Type 2 diabetics should check their blood sugar before and after every meal to make sure their levels are within a healthy range. In part one of this three-part series, we meet Charlene, whose fear of the needle prick kept her from checking for more than a year!
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Announcer: We're the Health Squad: Dr. Ali, Dr. Kara, and and Don Bashir.
Announcer: 6am: Charlene Yang's house in Pasadena, California. Charlene has type 2 diabetes which, combined with the way she lives, spells trouble.
Charlene: I don't really like pricking my fingers all the time, checking before, then eating, and then after. It's kind of a pain.
Dr. Ali: When's the last time you tested?
Charlene: Mm... a year or two ago, yeah.
Kara: You haven't tested your blood sugar in a year or two?
Charlene: Yeah.
Kara: Really?
Charlene: I think partly I'm kind of in denial, as well. I'm not taking it seriously.
Don Bashir: So what we're gonna do now is just have you test your blood sugar and see how it goes.
Charlene: Okay.
Charlene: I was a little apprehensive at first, because it's been a while.
Don Bashir: So how often do you normally check your blood sugar?
Charlene: Well, when I used to, I did do it after every meal to see.
Don Bashir: Okay.
Charlene: Ooh!
Don Bashir: If we were at the hospital, starting off with a blood sugar of 150, we'd probably give you two units of regular insulin.
Charlene: Okay. 153, that was surprising to me. I think that actually hit me hard.
Announcer: The wake-up call was easy. Getting Charlene to act on it was going to be tough.
Kara: Charlene, do you exercise?
Charlene: Yeah, like three to five times a week, usually, if I'm not busy.
Kara: Okay. How often are you busy?
Charlene: A lot.
Kara: I think we have a way that we might help you to up your exercise.
Dr. Ali: Charlene, there's someone I'd like you to meet.
Charlene: Oh, okay.
Medical Reviewers:William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS Review Date:08-13-2015
