Diabetes conference comes to Monterey, Saturday
This Saturday, the Monterey Conference Center is hosting the “Taking Control of your Diabetes” Conference and Health Fair.
“To be able to get this conference to this community, its a pretty big deal,” Dana Armstrong, Director of Diabetic Services for Salinas Valley Medical Clinic, says. “Almost one out of every two people in Monterey County have prediabetes.”
Armstrong is speaking at Saturday’s conference about diabetic nutrition. Something too many ignore.
“‘I don’t need any education, I’ve read the book. I’ve done this.’ Well, the reality is your blood sugars are out of control, you’ve been in the hospital multiple times. We may be able to help you out,” Armstrong says.
This is a problem on the Central Coast.
“Its a little ironic that we live in the Salad Bowl and yet our diets really aren’t up to par that they should be to prevent these metabolic diseases,” Anthony Chavis, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, says.
I was diagnosed with type one diabetes in January. Until then I was in relatively good health and no family history, until I was hospitalized for four days, and informed of the disease.
“Sometimes we don’t know how it occurs. Someone can be in a normal weight, good health, exercise, and you can still get type one diabetes,” Chavis says.
It is a 24-7 lifestyle change and doctors aren’t always there.
“The patient is really providing, at home and at work, 98 percent of the care that they need to carry out to manage their diabetes,” Chavis says.
The technology is rapidly improving. Diabetes educator, Ashley LaBrier, is talking about insulin pumps at the conference – now able to pair with glucose monitors. Her knowledge is first-hand.
“As a patient living with type-one myself, its amazing to wear this pump and wake up with a blood sugar in range where I want it. Every morning you feel good,” LaBrier says.
Registration for the conference is at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, with the event running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“To be able to come to a conference where people can say ‘alright, here’s where I’m struggling, here’s where I’m having a hard time, I didn’t realize these were options, or I can look at something in a different way, there is other technology I may be able to use’,” Armstrong says.
