Recently retired, Idie, age 65, spent 25 years as a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). She became a Registered Nurse in 1986. While working at an Atlanta area hospital a newly opened diabetes program was interviewing for a nurse-educator. “At the time I was working what is called a “Baylor Plan,” working 12-hour shifts on the weekends so I could be at home with my 8-month old son during the week. I never thought I would get the position, but I did and quickly learned all I could about diabetes. I took a national examination to become a CDE in just the second year the certification was offered, and I guess the rest is history.” After nine years in that position, she transferred to the Piedmont Atlanta Diabetes Resource Center where she worked for 15 years.
I asked Idie some questions about her career and how she applied what she learned to her own life.
What did you like most about being a diabetes educator?
“While I enjoyed clinical nursing, the opportunity to teach patients about the prevention
and management of diabetes was rewarding. When it comes to diabetes management, the patient is solely responsible for his or her health outcome and helping coach patients to better management is something I enjoyed.”
Lessons Learned
Many heath educators learn lessons for their own lives along the way, and Idie is no exception. “I don’t think I ever appreciated the impact of what you eat on diabetes management as well as overall health in general. When I became a nurse, food wasn’t much talked about as a management tool. But, as our understanding of diabetes has increased we’ve learned that diet and exercise are cornerstones of treatment.” Today there is more information than ever about nutrition and exercise, but as we’ve written about before, some of it is good information and some is not so good. “Many people want to live at the extremes when it comes to diet….no fat, high fat, no carb, low carb. Not only are patients confused, but many health care workers are too!” We’ve included some reliable resources on diabetes at the end of the post to cut through the confusion.
Path to Healthy Aging
We often talk about 3 components to healthy aging…eat well, move well, and be well, and Idie echoes those notions. “I think nutrition and food is critical to feeling good and as we age, we figure out what works for us. Everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you. But, for me, I don’t feel well when I eat a very high carbohydrate diet. So, I try to reduce carbs, but I don’t eliminate them. I eat a lot of vegetables, snack on fruit, and aim for balance in what I eat and feed my family.” She also enjoys cooking and trying new recipes and is a big fan of Ina Garten, better known as the Barefoot Contessa; I’ve been the beneficiary of many of those delicious meals, so I speak from experience!
As for activity, Idie used to be runner, but running and mild dehydration triggered migraines, something she’s suffered with her entire life. Add aging and knee pain, and running is in the past. But, she walks every day, enjoys cycling with her husband and friends, and has been a lifelong devotee of callanetics. And now that she is retired, she is taking a yoga and body sculpting classes.
Being well is a special challenge for those who are caretakers. Idie has six granddaughters and enjoys spending time with them and helping when duty calls. She also cares for her 87-year old mother, putting her in the sandwich generation for sure. “Being newly retired is allowing me time for me, managing my time and prioritizing what is important is my goal for 2019.” She also enjoys knitting as an activity that “is relaxing and occupies by brain!”
Facing Challenges
“Acceptance” is the word that first came to mind when asked about challenges to healthy aging. “It is helpful to tone down your expectations and accept aging, but it is equally important to not fall into the trap of thinking, ‘well, I’m 65 so I deserve to let myself go.’ That is exactly the opposite of what we should do to achieve optimal aging!” So, despite the challenges, eating well and moving well is good advice at any age.
Resources
For more information on diabetes, check out the American Diabetes Association and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
For a good resource on prediabetes, see this post on what to do if told you have pre-diabetes at this link.
Copyright © 2019 [Christine Rosenbloom]. All Rights Reserved.
