One of the first things Joyce Burr did after she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2003 was to sign up for diabetes education classes at the Miles Campus of LincolnHealth.

Learning about the disease was Burr’s way of taking control of a diagnosis that can be scary and is all too common.

LincolnHealth Diabetes Services helps people with diabetes learn how to manage the disease through group classes and one-on-one sessions with certified diabetes nurse educators and dieticians. The Introduction to Diabetes course focuses on the disease process, the role of physical activity, diet, medications and blood sugar monitoring. Services are offered on both the Miles Campus and St. Andrews Campus of LincolnHealth.

“I like the classes because I believe I need to educate myself,” said Burr. “If I understand it, I can work on it.”

The American Diabetes Association estimates that more than 29 million Americans have diabetes, more than 9 percent of the population, with an additional 1.4 million Americans being diagnosed every year.

In Lincoln County, roughly 3,000 people or about 10 percent of the population have been diagnosed with diabetes and close to 30 percent have been diagnosed with prediabetes, which means their blood sugar is higher than normal but not so high that they have diabetes.

The vast majority of people with diabetes, both nationally and in Lincoln County, have type 2 diabetes. By exercising more, losing weight and controlling their diet, people with type 2 diabetes can often take control of the disease and prevent complications that can include heart disease, stroke, loss of vision and nerve damage.

After taking the course, Burr did so well in controlling her disease by exercising and eating well that her blood sugars were below the diabetes threshold for more than ten years.

This summer, however, after knee replacement surgery, her blood sugar was again over the limit. Burr returned to the LincolnHealth Diabetes Services for a refresher course and met Marilyn Finch, a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator.

Finch not only answered her questions, but when she learned Burr was a voracious reader, she sent her additional books on diabetes. Finch also checks in with Burr often to make sure she is doing well.

“She has made me feel very much like she cared about how I am doing,” said Burr.

Today, Burr has upgraded her exercise program with help from a personal trainer and found an app for her smart phone that allows her to keep a day-by-day log of her blood sugar, exercise and food intake.

Her blood sugar is well under control, thanks to healthy habits and a positive attitude, but if her blood sugar should ever begin to rise, she knows she has a partner in LincolnHealth Diabetes Services and Marilyn Finch.

For more information about LincolnHealth Diabetes Services, call 563-4442.