Support groups provide a non-threatening environment to ask questions.

Even though millions of people have diabetes, when you’re the one receiving the diagnosis you can feel very alone. Joining a diabetes support group, either in person or online, can help you see the many resources available to you, and that you’re far from alone in your battle to control diabetes.


When you meet other people who have diabetes and share your common experiences in a diabetes support group, it can be comforting as well as educational, says Ruth S. Pupo, RD, a diabetes educator at the East Los Angeles Center for Diabetes at White Memorial Medical Center.


The Benefits of Group Support


Participating in a diabetes support group can provide social support as well as ideas and strategies for better diabetes management and more effective diabetes care. By joining a diabetes support group, you can:


Get solutions to common diabetes care problems. People in support groups often have good suggestions for diabetes care issues, like counting carbohydrates and eating without raising blood sugar levels. Someone in your group might know of a great place to buy fresher foods or great gyms for exercise. People with the same health issues as you can often be invaluable resources.


Find out about the latest in diabetes management and treatment. Diabetes research is ongoing, and at a diabetes support group meeting you will often hear about the latest developments. Pupo says professionals as well as people with diabetes and their family members attend her support group meetings, and the professionals can help sort out the rumors that may start when a member hears of a new treatment or drug.


Ask questions you may hesitate to ask your healthcare provider. “I can’t stress enough that it’s a nonthreatening environment,” Pupo says. The people there feel comfortable asking questions they may be afraid to ask their doctor or diabetes educator for fear of looking stupid. 


Explore topics or issues you might not have thought of. People in your support group may bring up an issue or problem they're dealing with — something you realize you hadn’t thought about but probably should, Pupo says. It could be anything from managing your co-workers’ attitudes toward your condition to how to handle holiday meals.

Want to help someone quit smoking? Don't nag...

Consider the five “R's" — talking points and advice for encouragement and motivation:

Relevance - talk about how important it is to quit, relating information to your loved one’s life.
Risks -talk about the risks of smoking with COPD.
Rewards - talk about the benefits of quitting.
Roadblocks - identify things that can get in the way of quitting.
Repetition - deciding to quit is a process and can require repeated attempts, so be patient.

Repeat your motivation each time your loved one tries to quit.

Help them identify smoking triggers and encourage your loved to plan for them to help avoid a smoking relapse. The following are a few ideas to help your "special person" to quit smoking:

Tips to keep your loved one's mind of of smoking:

Keep your home smoke-free and remove lighters and ashtrays that may serve as triggers.
Celebrate success, recognizing that every day without smoking is a victory.
Expect and accept some grumpiness during the nicotine withdrawal phase.
Recognize that an occasional slip is common and doesn't mean failure.

Smoking continues to remain the leading cause of COPD. The more a person smokes, the more likely that person will develop COPD. There is no cure for COPD. However, there are many things you can do to relieve symptoms and keep the disease from getting worse such as to stop smoking.

Having a loved one with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) who can't or won't quit smoking can be very frustrating and frightening. Smoking is not only the main cause of COPD — quitting smoking is the most important part of treatment. COPD symptoms will continue to get worse and COPD exacerbations are unavoidable unless your loved one can quit smoking. What can you do to help?

Nagging, scolding, and preaching are the worst approaches. Start by recognizing how difficult and frustrating it is to quit smoking. Accept that the decision to quit smoking has to be their decision, not yours. The best way to help is to let your loved one know that you are there for support no matter what.

Part of a smoking treatment plan is behavior modification. That means avoiding situations that lead to smoking and learning other behaviors to deal with stress or boredom. If you go out together to a place where people are smoking, plan ahead and have a signal for when the temptation is getting too high.

Smoking treatment may also include medications and support groups. Encourage your loved one to ask for help and to take advantage of employee wellness benefits that often include smoking cessation prorams.

What to do now to feel better at 100

by Jane E. Brody
Columnist, Your Personal Health - New York Times

Many changes take place in physical abilities as we age. Try as I may, I simply can’t swim as fast at 69 as I did at 39, 49 or even 59. Nor am I as steady on my feet. I can only assume my strength has waned as well — I’m finding bottles and jars harder to open and heavy packages harder to lift and carry.

But in August, I hiked in the Grand Canyon, prompting my 10-year-old grandson Stefan to ask, “Grandma, how many 69-year-olds do you think could do this?”

The answer, of course, is “a lot.” And the reason is that we work at it. For my part, I exercise daily, walking three miles or biking 10, then swimming three-quarters of a mile. In spring and summer, heavy-duty gardening strengthens my entire body.

Read full article...