Maryland's Health Matters - Midtown - Fall 2013 - (Page 9)

Harris discusses healthy meal planning with Marjorie Pennant, MD, an endocrinologist at University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology. I wasn’t producing enough insulin and there was too much sugar floating around in my bloodstream. They each prescribed me the same medication and sent me on my way. That was the extent of my treatment plan. My follow-up appointments were five minutes at the most. There was no real patient care.” IN CoNtRol Frustrated with the care she was receiving, Harris decided to go back to her previous primary care physician, who developed a more rigorous treatment plan. After a year with little success, she was then referred to May Alattar, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist at UMMC Midtown Campus. “Being referred to Dr. Alattar was the best thing that happened to me, ever,” Harris says. “She started by giving me a thorough educaMay Alattar, tion on diabetes. I saw MD diabetes educators for nutrition and for medication management all in the same day.” “The main thing that helped Tameka, and what sets our center apart from others, is that an entire diabetes team takes care of patients, giving them all the tools necessary to help them take control of their disease,” says Dr. Alattar. “We have a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care. With Tameka, her blood sugars were extremely high all day long. We made insulin dose adjustments and requested she send us her blood sugars on a daily basis until her blood sugars were finally controlled. Our diabetes educators were speaking with her on a weekly basis to identify which foods were causing her blood sugar to spike, so that she could lower her A1c level quickly and get her diabetes under control. The bottom line is, if you want to see results with your patients, you have to put in the effort. With Tameka, that meant daily contact.” Under the care of the diabetes team at UMCDE, Harris’ A1c level went from 13 to 7 percent in under six months. After she was denied an insulin pump, UMCDE was also able to work with her insurance company to get one. Harris no longer has to give herself insulin injections five times a day—the automated pump connected to her skin by a tiny catheter delivers insulin constantly and as needed with the press of a button. “The insulin pump allows me to live my life in a whole new way,” Harris says. “Before meeting Dr. Alattar and her team, my life was centered around my diabetes,” Harris says. “I basically had to plan all of my activities around meal times and injections. Now, diabetes just fits into my life. I have always been active, now I can stay out all day, travel and not have to worry about running home to test my blood sugar—I can do that on-the-go.” “I have never been happier with diabetes. I know it’s hard—it’s still hard for me—but if you get a great diabetes team, take your meds regularly and keep the faith, you can get your life back,” Harris says. Harris with Debra M. Nelson, RN, MA, CDE, diabetes nurse educator for UMMC Midtown Campus, discussing how to best monitor Harris’ blood glucose with an automated pump. which meets the second Monday of the month. Call 443-552-2960. umm.edu/midtown | Fall 2013 9 http://www.umm.edu/midtown

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - Midtown - Fall 2013

Maryland's Health Matters - Midtown - Fall 2013
Contents
Options After Mastectomy
A Healthy Start
Balancing Act
A Winning Trial
At a Glance
Foundation Halls

Maryland's Health Matters - Midtown - Fall 2013