“Being diagnosed with diabetes or knowing someone who is diagnosed with the condition can sometimes make you feel overwhelming.”
This is the view of a member of the Dominica Diabetes Association (DOMDA), Dr. Reginald Lafleur who was addressing the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) building in Roseau last week.
Dr. Lafleur who also was diagnosed with diabetes gave a testimony of this experience of the disease.
“There is no cure for diabetes but it can be managed,” he said. “Therefore you got to balance the food that you eat with your exercise and your medication.”
According to Lafleur one of the most difficult things to come to terms with, as a diabetic, is the fact that diabetes is for life.
“The weeks and months after being diagnosed with diabetes, emotions are sometimes pushed aside.,” he noted. “People react differently when they hear the news, some may be overwhelmed, some may be shocked, some may be afraid, others are angry and others are anxious.”
He mentioned further that some people go through a stage very similar to mourning, “as though they are grieving for lost health.”
“Some people, they hide their feelings, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are coping with difficulty…some people are afraid to tell you I am living with diabetes,” he noted.
However Dr. Lafleur indicated that with time it is likely the affected persons will become more confident in their ability to cope with everyday activities and the initial turmoil felt should start to fade.
He outlined how he copes with the disease.
“The blood sugar level helps me decide what I am going to eat for the day,” he noted. “Diet is very important, I eat regularly and I always ensure that my meals consist of proteins, lots of vegetables, carbohydrates or starch and fruits. I eat everything in moderation and I eat them in small portions. I eat a healthy balance diet that is low in fat, salt and sugar…”
He stated further that persons who are diagnosed and living with diabetes should own a kit.
“In this kit is a monitor, there are strips and there is the device you use to prick yourself,” Dr. Lafleur explained.
He said it is important to lose weight when suffering from diabetes.
“This will help control your blood glucose as well as your blood pressure and cholesterol,” he stated.
There are some things he warned against.
“Don’t smoke, if you smoke there is plenty of support available to help you to stop, reduce the alcohol intake, less stress, check your feet everyday…and remember to dry between your toes after bath. Always wear shoes but do not wear tight shoes.”
Royie, I wish you could give your full name and phone number that I could talk with you.
When did you commit your last sin, and what type was it? Have you ever taken a woman’s husband from her, and caused her hurt?
Jah Jah maybe you should leave your name and number, I would surely get back to you. With respect to your questions the answer is NO NO NO.
Its time that people know who Reggie really is and what he’s done.
You know the Bible teaches “fear the evil” and I have to say I fear most Dominicans, especially those I must call idiots who are wearing their Dominica badge of honor so proudly on their miserable forehead; you know the badge of honor of stupidity that the late Prime Minister Pirie Charles spoke about!
It would appear to me that these people are doing nothing more than expressing a tremendous amount of hate towards Lafleur. What has he done do to deserve such negative, and unfounded comments against the truth he spoke. What does pedophilia have to do with diabetes? There is no cure for the disease, and that ‘s the bottom line!
Now some women when they become impregnated, they suffer some form of diabetes, which comes on due to an increase in body weight, hence the body uses more insulin than the pancreas can secret. When the child is born, and the body weight drops the problem gets back to normal.
So if that’s what the idiots are talking about reverse; that has nothing to…
“He said it is important to lose weight when suffering from diabetes.”
That in the quote above is relevant depending on the weight of the individual, however not exactly the rule; because if someone is say; 135 Lbs, and a doctor suggests that person loose weight, depending on how much weight the person loose that could hasten death; so one has to be careful to maintain a certain amount of body weight; especially those of us who are Type II, diabetics.
Under normal circumstances; high glucose in the system will automatically cause lose of weight. I can verify that from my personal experience, and people I know, even relatives! Now before I hear “he does not know what he is talking about, because the doctor say!”
It is important to note, the body cells in someone who is hyperglycemic (diabetic) does not absorb the nutrients from the food they eat as a normal person; hence, over a period of time they loose weight, and if not properly treated that person will simply…
Hence, over a period of time they loose weight, and if not properly treated that person will simply die! Whereas it is essential to maintain levels of low blood cholesterol; there are other body chemicals which must be monitored also.
No need to comment on dietary intake of fats pattern of HDL, LDL, and VLDL, because one is limited on DNO. Nevertheless, laboratory testing of cholesterol in the blood is often used as a preliminary test for a disorder of blood lipids. Although the normal values for total blood cholesterol vary according to age, diet, and yes nationality, levels above 200 mg/dl indicate a need for further evaluation, and efforts to reduce the cholesterol level.
In general, as the total cholesterol level rises above 150 mg/dl, the risk for coronary artery disease gradually increases; persons with cholesterol levels above 260 mg/dl may require medication to lower their LDL levels, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
The contents of hemoglobin in the blood must…
The contents of hemoglobin in the blood must also be maintained at a certain level. Hemoglobin concentration of the blood varies with the hematocrit. The normal values for the blood hemoglobin concentration are 13.5 to 18.0 g/100 ml in males, and 12.0 to 16.0 g/100 ml in females; the normal mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), which the concentration within the red cells, is 32 to 36 g/100 ml. We are not concern with that at this point; however, we need to ensure that our hemoglobin A1c is properly controlled.
Hemoglobin A with a glucose moiety attached to the amino terminal valine of the beta chain. This type of hemoglobin is made at a slow constant rate during the 120-day life span of the erythrocyte. It accounts for 3 to 6 percent of the total hemoglobin in a normal person, and up to 12 percent in persons with diabetes mellitus. Increased levels of hemoglobin A1c correlate with glucose intolerance in diabetics; with good diabetic control the hemoglobin A1c level…
in diabetics; with good diabetic control the hemoglobin A1c level returns to normal range: periodic A1c assays can be helpful in evaluating effective control of diabetes mellitus.
Anyone who’s hemoglobin exceeds a 6, is as bad as someone walking around with about 300 mg plus glucose in their system daily, there are also other body chemicals which must be monitored, and kept in control, i. e. trigglyceride; lipid panel: T 4, TSH, Uric Acid, Folic Acid, and CBC is very necessary.
Now, it is one thing to advised diabetics to indulge in the eating of fruits, nevertheless, one should advised that eating a single ripe banana, can cause one glucose to rise, as well as eating a hole orange, apple grapefruit, or consuming a large amount of water melon. It should be advised to eat half of a ripe banana, half of a small orange, half of a small apple, ect, ect;, because some fruits produces high levels of sugar.
Where it pertains to treatment; the best, and most effective treatment…
Where it pertains to treatment; the best, and most effective treatment is insulin. Most people prefer to use some hyperglycemic medication in pill form which belongs to the sulfonylurea grope of medication, a class of chemical compounds that includes the hyperglycemic agents aceohexamide, chlorpropamide, tolazamide, and tolbutamide. Such medication only work for very short period of time, since the body usually develops a resistance to the those medication. Insulin is the only, and best alternative.
I comment one exercise that would diminish the trust in exercise, though good but also has it limits!
Will Diabetes Go Away?
There is no cure for diabetes. Neither type 1 (juvenile onset or insulin-requiring) diabetes or type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes ever goes away.
In type 1 diabetes, patients sometimes experience what physicians have come to call a “honeymoon period” shortly after the disease is diagnosed. During the “honeymoon period” diabetes may appear to go away for a period of a few months to a year. The patient’s insulin needs are minimal and some patients may actually find they can maintain normal or near normal blood glucose taking little or no insulin.
It would be a mistake to assume that the diabetes has gone away, however. Basically, type 1 diabetes occurs when about 90 percent of the body’s insulin-producing cells have been destroyed. At the time that type 1 diabetes is diagnosed, most patients still are producing some insulin. If obvious symptoms of type 1 diabetes emerge when the patient has an illness, virus or cold, for example, once the…
I am always applauded when I hear doctors say that there is no cure for diabetes and other ills. A large percentage of diseases can be reversed. The doctor did not mention whether his protein intake was from animal protein. This alone, will not help. We really put doctors on a pedestal, as if they know everything. They get little to no training in nutrition and lifestyle choices. For your information, diabetes can be reversed in less than 90 days with a plant based diet, exercise and having a stress-free life with a happy outlook. Please do your research and don’t believe everything your doctor tells you.
there is no cure for diabetes so you are wrong. It never goes away. Its a life style change that helps maintain and balance the disease. So you are wrong
That is one of the problems with you dunce Dominicans; this guy is a medical doctor who is a diabetic dealing with the problem everyday, don’t you think he would cure himself if there was a cure for the disease?
It is not easy to live with diabetes; which places you in a situation where one cannot eat what they wish on a daily basics.
I personally have to inject myself no less than four times per with insulin if I wish to live. Before each and every meal I have to monitor the level of glucose in my system, how many units of insulin I take before each meal depends on the amount of sugar in my blood.
When the night comes I have to take a long acting insulin to prevent glucose levels from rising to high. Unless people with diabetes take very good care of ourselves, we can go to bed and never wake up!
You are running off your mouth about this and that can be reversed, that is a very stupid notion since diabetes is caused by damage gene, can you whoever idiot repair a damage…
If you whoever idiot you are can repair a damage gene that means you have a cure for diabetes! If DNO post the pieces I submitted, read them you may learn something.
And by the everything I wrote can be verified, I learnt that when I was a medical student; you people talk so much nonsense, that is why your country is like that if that was a politician you heard that from you would have no difficulties running with it because he is government minister.
Yes, it can be reversed and so can many cancers….in a similar manner.
You are a damn fool, first of all cancer and diabetes are totally two different disease, some cancers can be cured with surgery, and radiation therapy. However, that is possible if the cancer is caught at an early stage!
Between stages one (1 and 2;) and two; chances are the person will survive, if the cancer makes it to stage three (3), maybe!
However, once it get to stage (4) four, it takes only a miracle from God to keep such patients alive. From the time a person is diagnosed with stage four cancer, they have between three, and five months to live, maybe less too!
Now if you know how to reverse diabetes, and cancer: I challenge you to inform the reading audience what treatment do you have, and what method you used to dispensed your treatments, which results in a cure!
Before you talk fart, in regards to cancer; learn about proliferation of cancer cells, of which you have the cells in body right this minute.
why don’t you tell us what credible medical journal you got your information from ANONYMOUS2 with this ish you talking about.
Dominicans to Stupid and like to bring down people….Look asset of people wi…Here you have a good man speaking on health matters some big imbercile posting about molestation…WE MUST LEARN TO STOP OUR DIRTY HARBIT….LETS BRING UP OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS SPRIT instead we fight and give each other bad name..if I was Dr La Fleur I will send a sprit on all you to make all you know the true feeling of molestation…… man
Hey Vernice, the spirit already exist on all those he victimized. Last year when an article was sent to DNO about the victims it never got posted and now he comes out about being diabetic and it is a featured article.
We should feel sorry or care? Does he feel sorry or care about his victims, if so, he would have apologised.
I guess this is the way to deal with child abuse in Dominica.
I really dont see why some dominicans are so idiotic (Stupid is too much of a nice word for some of you) did the man ever ask anyone to feel sorry for him because he is diabetic…we are so quick to see others and not ourselves eh. The message portrayed is more important than the messenger. I hope all of you people commenting here are as CLEAN as Jesus Christ himself…I was thinking Virgin Mary but then some ignorant might say she is a sinner too….Lord how i am tired with persons and their stupidity
Vernice they are not only stupid, they are dumb!
All these waste of time no good for nothing uneducated people are good for is dabbling into politics, getting their butt kick all over the place in poverty, while making the politicians rich, and will not pay any attention to what the man said which is vitally beneficial to their personal health.
I wrote a few comments, If DNO print them look and see how many thumbs down I will get, they will give me the thumb down though they may not have any concept of what I conveyed, rather than ask some questions and try to understand it.
I bet anything if it was a Cuban born Doctor, or some white person who wrote the same information, everyone would be giving plenty of thank (tank) you doc!
Our people are so sick and disgusting, it is not funny! What does the Bible teach: A prophet has what?
No honor in his country!
i surely do not see the need for abusing the man . for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God!!!!
It is really unfortunate that we are unable as a people to listen to the message without attacking the messenger. Quite frankly DNO, I can understand your need to balance the responses, but wouldn’t the reading public be best served by including only the medical points of view? After all, the article does not contain any reference to child abuse. It must be a slow beff week.
How you manage diabetes, really? Why not how you managed to abuse so many children and got away with it all those years. Discuss what evidence caused you to be dismissed and why you never appeal.
You preached about honesty in the church for so many years but you refuse to tell the people the truth.
Don’t you think its about time people know the truth about you? One of your many victims who provided evidence to the Bishop will soon release her evidence to the public. An apology is long overdue.
Shut up you bloody idiot!!! You sound so stupid you don’t even know! That wasn’t the point here. Get work to do man!!
Get out Jahcure
You should first apologise to the country and all of the victims that you abused.
Wrong forum. I hope you got the message that he shared.
To the editor,
Your lack of professionalism continues to open DNO up to slanderous behaviour and a possible lawsuit. Keep it up.
You are correct Doctor. There is no cure for diabetes, just as there is no cure for pedophilia.
Some of you are so demented……absolutely no need for your comment!
Get out
Agree we need to get off the flesh. Our body is a temple of the lord.
There is no cure for diabetes, is an untruth,the disease can be reversed if there is a total change from a flesh food diet,,refined foods and fats, to a plant base diet and exercise.
I don’t personally know if there is a cure or not but I have to accept the doctor’s statement. I have had it now for 5 years…… I contracted mine from complications with kidney disease. The key to management is to set up a routine for taking blood sugar and medication. Diet really isn’t a problem but you do have to give up sugar, especially high corn fructose (no soft drinks}, and as little salt as you can manage. You need to become a label reader. I have a goal of keeping mine between 75 and 100. For the past year, I have succeeded. But it took me 4 years of inconsistent readings to accomplish this. The other problem is with the feet. They dry out and hurt so every night you have to apply Eucerine, Gold Bond diabetic, or a generic…….. Just make
Sir/Madam there is no cure for diabetes: as the doctor said; it can only be controlled! One of the doctors who treated me here, he was an endocrinologist, such are specialist who’s training in dealing with hypoglycemia, and hyperglycemia patients exceeds that of a general practiontioner.
One one night I became so sick, I called Jonathan Prevost, a colleague of mine Dominica born, doctor lived at 35 A River Street in Roseau, he is in New York, I told him my situation, he said to me I cannot help you where I am, but I suggest you go to see an endocrinologists, and let him treat you.
I went the next day in Hollywood where I visited one; a month after he got to know me better he told me that he also is a diabetic, and he has been living with the disease for more than sixty years. If there was a cure for diabetes wouldn’t that man cure himself?
Boy our people are screwed up! How are you going take someone down into the gutter, when I am sure that idiot is beneath that man…
In areas like Dominica where these lotions/cremes are not available, Aloe will work also or even banana peels.
You are a damn fool!