Health Information Centers > Diabetes > Diabetes Pathway

Your Path to Living Well with Diabetes

You have just learned that you have diabetes.

While this might be overwhelming for you, the good news is that diabetes can be controlled and complications can be prevented. Once you know how to keep yourself healthy while living with diabetes, making a commitment to do that each and every day becomes less of a challenge.

Important Milestones

This toolkit has been created to help you get on the right path to control your diabetes. It is your pathway for the year. The toolkit includes printable checklists for important milestones – what you should know and what you should be doing at specific times throughout the first year. We encourage you to pick a prominent place to post your current checklist, updating it with each new one as you complete the objectives listed. Bolded words or phrases on each checklist link to additional web resources to help you on your journey.

• Your first month (pdf)
• Months 2-3 (pdf)
• Months 4-6 (pdf)
• Months 7-9 (pdf)
• Months 10-12 (pdf)

Tips for Daily Self-Care

As you progress through these milestones over the course of a year, it is also essential to keep your daily care in mind. Post a daily reminder in your bathroom or kitchen, near your computer, or inside your planner to help you remember the importance of daily care in your diabetes management.

• Daily reminders (pdf)
• Quick food tips (pdf)
• Testing your blood sugar at home (pdf)
• Troubleshooting tips for self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) (pdf)
• ABCs of Diabetes: Learn them, lower them (pdf)
• Blood tests to help you manage your diabetes (pdf)
• Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose chart (pdf)
• Diabetes Self-Care Checklist (pdf)

Plan for Success

While it might seem like you need to make a lot of changes at once, making small changes and setting reachable goals can help you stick with these life changes for the long run. Learn how to create a plan for success  (pdf). 

Resources

Our diabetes health information center lists several resources and places to get help with managing diabetes, including diabetes management programs offered through specific health plans. If you have questions or feel you need more information or support, please contact Member Health Improvement toll-free at (855) 644-4764 or complete our contact form.

More information

Download a printable copy of this toolkit (pdf) 

Set a self-care goal and create a plan to reach it   (pdf)

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