Lifestyle change hardest for those with diabetes

May 8, 2014 | 1:02 AM

It was a day packed with informative material for those living with diabetes.

On Wednesday, more than 200 people from around the province took part in the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Gathering on Diabetes at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre.

Many people travelled long distances to hear the latest on diabetes and living a healthy lifestyle as an aboriginal person in particular.

Keith McCallum works in the diabetes program at the health centre in Pelican Narrows and said aboriginal communities face extra hurdles when it comes to diabetes.

He drove down to Prince Albert with six people who are diabetic.

“They are meeting a lot of people and are trying to participate as much as they can in each breakout sessions they have. They are having fun right now and they’re learning, they’re getting a lot of information,” McCallum said.

Diabetes is an everyday struggle that affects more than 200 people in his community, so he hopes this information will be shared with others.

“It’s tough, so whoever I bring down, like when they go back home they can this information, this experience to their family members and friends and hopefully learn and start managing well with their diabetes,” McCallum said.

Pelican Narrows offers a lot of programs, according to McCallum, but he said it’s up to the individual if they want to change and use those programs.

“That’s their struggle is changing their lifestyle.”

Elder Mike Daniels, 75, was at the conference as well and agrees the information is only useful if the diabetics put it into practice.

“What they want to get out of it is what they put into it,” Daniels said.

Daniels is from the Sturgeon Lake First Nation, which he said has a lot of people who are living with diabetes—including his partner of over 50 years.

His partner was diagnosed around 20 years ago and he said she still struggles with making healthy choices. “She’s still not listening, it’s very difficult.”

This has left him to take on the role of caregiver.

“I have to look after that woman in a certain extent. If I travel, I travel with her; I don’t leave her at home because what’s going to be happening is that she’s not going to be looking after herself and nobody else is going to be looking after herself,” Daniels said.

Daniels’ partner is basically blind in one eye and deaf in one ear because she doesn’t take care of herself, according to Daniels.

“It affects the whole family. It affects me and my children what my wife is going through,” he said.

“Look ahead for yourself, look after yourself. We as caregivers can’t be there all the time because we travel a lot … you as the patient, the person, should be looking after yourself.”

He explained she has been trying, and making, steps to make the right choices as a diabetic, but it still worries him when he’s not around.

“She’s weak. She weak, but I’m trying to be strong for her. I try to help her every day as I go along. I have been living with her for 54 years now. I’m still looking after her.

Now I’m looking after her in a sense trying to make her recuperate from her sickness,” he said.

Daniels’ sister is also a diabetic and has recently suffered a heart attack and is in a coma in the hospital. Those living with diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease and have more severe heart disease, according to the U.S.-based National Institutes of Health.

“We don’t even know if she’s going to be coming back or not. Those two young girls that are looking after their mom are not really looking after their mom, so you have to understand what people go through when they’re diabetics because they [could] eat and drink anything … that’s not good for them,” Daniels said.

He said this is why they have to be taught what’s appropriate and healthy and use it.

“I hope people take it home and practice it and make sure they understand what’s going on here today,” he said. “And I’m hoping things will work out good.”

The lack of communication on First Nations is also an issue for those living with diabetes. Daniels said it would be helpful for diabetes programs to be brought out of the office and to the doors of those who have the disease.

“We need some promotions in this community to be able to understand and be able to see what diabetes does to our people,” he said.

“Diabetes is not something to play around with, it’s a deadly thing.”

According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, 90,000 people are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes in Saskatchewan. Out of that population, those living in aboriginal communities have a three to five times greater risk of having the disease.

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84