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Endocrinology

“Once I started nursing school, I knew I had found my life’s work,” says Senior Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator Becca Davis. Even from a young age, Becca felt drawn to the nursing field. “My earliest memories are of when I was 4 or 5. My mom suffered from chronic migraines. I would bring her water, crackers, and cold wash cloths to make sure she was comfortable,” says Becca. Shortly after completing nursing school, Becca began her career at Nemours Children’s Health in Pensacola. She had visited Nemours as a student and knew it was on the top of her list of future employment goals. “I love our mission to make sure that no child goes without being taken care of,” says Becca. “The culture of compassion we have drives me to show up every day and give my best efforts for the children in our region.” While she moved to […]

Dining out is a fun, cultural and social affair that everyone should be able to take part in, including people with diabetes. It can seem daunting for those who need to count carbohydrates and administer insulin. But with preparation, guidance, and practice, dining out with diabetes can become a smooth process! Below are tips for before, during, and after dining to help ensure an enjoyable experience. Before: There is no need to change the types of restaurants frequented. Continue visiting your favorite ones and do not feel limited to ones that offer “healthier” options. In time, you may develop a list of preferred locations due to the helpfulness of staff and information made available by the restaurant. Search for the restaurant’s website online and see if the menu and nutritional information are available. If there is no restaurant website, try calling the restaurant and asking for the same information. If […]

I celebrated my first National Diabetes Awareness Month in 1990. I was twelve years old, had just started seventh grade, and was very aware of Type 1 diabetes – I’d just been diagnosed with it. Aside from the distinctive smells of insulin and alcohol swabs, I don’t remember much about the time I spent in the hospital after my diagnosis, or about those first few months at home. I do, however, remember the sense of bewilderment that accompanied my family home from the hospital, and how uncertain we were about how our lives would proceed with a chronic condition to manage. If I could go back to that November, there’s so much I would tell my younger self about the reality of living with diabetes. Unfortunately, I can’t – so I’m sharing what I’ve learned here. Don’t panic. It’s true that diabetes can (and will) infiltrate every part of your […]

You probably know someone who’s had gestational diabetes mellitus, or may have been diagnosed yourself. By any measure, it’s not rare. It’s estimated that about 200,000 cases of gestational diabetes—a condition that’s marked by glucose intolerance in pregnancy—occur every year. In fact, gestational diabetes may be present in up to 9.2% of all pregnancies. But the fact that gestational diabetes is pretty common doesn’t make it any easier to live with—especially when you’re dealing with all the other challenges of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes occurs when hormones from the placenta block the action of the insulin that the mother’s body produces. Insulin’s job is to help the body transform glucose in the bloodstream into useable energy. When the body can’t make or use insulin properly, glucose builds up in the blood, causing higher blood glucose levels that can be dangerous for a mother with diabetes and her baby. Women with gestational diabetes mellitus […]

People who live with diabetes need a lot of “extras” to live healthy, balanced lives. Most of those extras – testing supplies, insulin, and medical attention – can be costly. But there’s one thing that friends and family members of people with diabetes can help provide for free: understanding and emotional support. Here are some Dos and Don’ts for helping people with diabetes thrive with the condition. DO: Get informed. Diabetes can be a confusing condition, even for those who live with it every day. Take the time to learn the myths and facts about type 1 and type 2 diabetes by talking to your friend or relative with diabetes, your doctor, or relatives you know who have diabetes and by finding credible sources of information online. React calmly. For people with diabetes, high and low blood sugars can be common, even on a daily basis. Unless it’s an emergency, […]

Diabetes can be a confusing condition, even for the children, teenagers and families who live with it every day. Here, we separate some of the myths from the truths about type 1 diabetes and those who have it. Myth: Diabetes comes from eating too much sugar. Fact: The exact causes of diabetes – both type 1 and type 2 – aren’t known. What is clear is that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which means it results when the body’s immune system destroys its own tissues. In this case, the immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells located in the pancreas. What prompts the immune system to target these cells is unknown, but age, genetics, environment, and other factors all play a part. Overall, to reduce your chances of getting diabetes, you should reduce your sugar intake, eat smarter and perhaps consider looking into unify health reviews and others similar to ensure […]