Know your diabetes

Having diabetes is a balancing act. If you are a person with diabetes (PWD), you have to worry about things a person without diabetes does not, e.g., diet, exercise, medications, and more. You have to get them right.

The Bermuda Diabetes Association is here to help you improve your diabetes control. We now have all our services under one roof, providing Bermuda with a comprehensive diabetes education centre together with a fully functional pharmacy. We have exciting programmes all designed to help you better manage your diabetes. We are situated at 22 Princess St., Hamilton HM10 (on the corner of Dundonald and Princess streets).

Our pharmacy provides low-cost medicines – and for people with diabetes their medication. Book an appointment with one of our pharmacists, Melissa or Brock, for our “Know Your Medicines the medicines you are taking. Call 2978427 or email your prescription requests to pharmacy@diabetes.bm, and the medicines can be delivered to you for free.

Great news for people who do not have diabetes: You can also buy your medicines here. A number of other nonprescription products are available for purchase.

Physicians are prescribing a popular new product called the Freestyle Libre Glucose Monitoring System. This is a continuous glucose monitor you wear on your arm and scan with a reader to determine your blood The BDA team will teach you how to use this in the Freestyle Libre class. For persons with Type 1 diabetes, the Medtronic Insulin Pumps are available.

Our diabetes educator, Sara, teaches the “Know your Diabetes” morning education workshop to provide you with the skills to make informed decisions to promote your health and improve your diabetes control. Lunch and Learns, 12 topics including “Nutrition 101,” “Mindful Eating,” and “Stocking a Healthy Pantry on a Budget.” With lots more programmes to come.

Your physician can refer you to the diabetes educator for nutrition counselling and diabetes control. Making changes to your lifestyle will help you avoid the serious health complications of diabetes in the future, such as nerve, kidney, and heart damage.

Learn all you can about your diabetes, you are the most important member of your health care team.