A diabetes nurse educator is a caregiver, a teacher, a coach and a counselor. The key to managing your diabetes is knowing enough to do it yourself and feeling supported in your efforts by your loved ones and your diabetes team. Studies over the last 10 years have shown that normalizing the blood sugar (as well as blood pressure and cholesterol) helps prevent or delay diabetes complications. This requires a great deal of hard work and needs to be kept up for the long-term -- diabetes control is a marathon, not a sprint. In order to normalize your sugar, you'll need to know how to monitor your own blood sugar and match your treatment to your food and exercise. Our nurse educators' goal is to teach you everything you need to know to take care of yourself and lead an active, healthy life. Even people with long-standing diabetes learn a lot of things they didn't know before.

You are the only one who can control your diabetes -- and you can't do it alone. Diabetes and nutrition education at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center involves not only you, but also your family or friends. We help everyone learn how best to offer support so that your diabetes can be optimally controlled. Often, addressing the fears and concerns of your loved ones about diabetes is critical to helping you do what needs to be done.

Our approach is individualized and compassionate. We teach you to be independent -- to focus on the diabetes only as much as is necessary for wellness -- and we're there for you if you need us.