I understand the stress associated with diabetes

I grew up with aunts, uncles and family friends with diabetes and saw the discomfort in their lives. The restrictions on food they loved and daily injections of insulin or tons of medications they took have profound influence on me becoming a health professional. Some of my friends have type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and diabetes during pregnancy. I have felt the stress associated with diabetes by helping some of them through their tough times. The memories of those times bring tears to my eyes!

I have been a pharmacist for almost 20 years in Australia. I have witnessed the stress associated with diabetes and how it affected both the patients and their families. Through my volunteer activities, I have seen the devastating effects on the lives of people with diabetes. Two of the patients had to have their legs amputated after many leg ulcers and infections. It was heartbreaking for me to learn such results.

When I was a pharmacy student, I had even tried to followed the advice of a friend’s GP when she was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes just to see what it was like to be a “diabetic” (that’s what her GP called her then). Let me tell you, it was not easy at all. There was so much to learn! Trying to figure out what to do with the blood glucose monitor (Thank God, the technology has improved so much!), what kinds of food to eat more or less of, what to do with the readings and remember the symptoms of hypos and what to do when you were sick  was a HUGE challenge! It was very STRESSFUL for me so I could just imagine how much more it would be for my friend and her family.

I’m determined to deliver the ultimate Diabetes healthcare and achieve better health outcome for people with diabetes using my skills as a consultant pharmacist and a diabetes educator. Together we can improve it!!!

 

 

 

 

Viv Hsu
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