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Healthy Aging By Sharon Johnson Exercise, diet help control diabetes It may start with fuzzy vision or a thirst that transcends that which is prompted by summer heat. There may be no apparent symptoms. Diabetes is like that. There are as many as 200,000 diabetics in Oregon. John Irwin is one of them. He is also a free-lance health educator - and a telecommunications expert/community developer. John has had diabetes for 10 years. In his way of thinking, managing the disease is pretty straight-forward: "Once you have an under-standing of the machine (the body), then you talk about fuel and main-tenance (food, nutrition and exercise)." I know something about diabetes and want to learn more. My father was a diabetic for 35 years. His understanding of "the machine" was always a bit questionable. But, because of the vigilant efforts of my mother to ensure his diet was monitored and medications taken, his diabetes stayed under control most of the time. My dad did not have a lot of knowledge about his condition, but he knew that when his blood glucose levels went awry, two primary areas were affected: the blood vessels and the nerves. Eventually, problems with blood vessels in his eyes (retinopathy) resulted in his severe vision loss. Nerve-related problems (neuropathy) caused numbness, pain in his limbs. It started with difficulty walking. First there was a walker, then a wheelchair. Ultimately, there was a kidney-related death at the age of 80. John Irwin knows a lot about his own diabetic condition. He watches what and how much he eats and walks regularly. New research suggests that walking is critical. He knows that the real issue with diabetes is not sugar, but carbohydrates. He knows diabetes can be devastating, but a diagnosis can also be the catalyst to a healthier lifestyle. Like my dad, John has the support of a caring wife. As a team, they manage his diabetes and their motto is, "knowledge is for sharing." John is a repository of knowledge about diabetes. John is the person you want to know if you receive the diagnosis of diabetes. He may advise you to check out one of many available Web sites on the subject. He might talk to you about educational sessions. He is one of the movers and motivators of the new Plate Method Training available in this area. It is a series of three free classes available to newly diagnosed (late onset) diabetics. The Jackson County Diabetes Coalition sponsors the training. (John is the co-chair.) Managing diabetes is no longer about avoiding forbidden foods or tightly following a diabetic diet. Managing diabetes is about taking ownership. This is where the knowledge part comes in. Ninety-four percent of people with diabetes surveyed by the Oregon Diabetic Coalition in 1999 believe that education about the disease is very important, but only an incredibly small 42 percent reported having any such education in the last five years. John Irwin intends to change that. I intend to help him. Knowledge is for sharing. Call 774-8038, the Jackson County Health Department, for information about diabetes programs and the Plate Method Training. John Irwin can be reached at [email protected]. Sharon Johnson is an assistant professor in family and community development at OSU Extension and a member of the Senior Advisory Council. Reach her at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.