Nutrition Reflection Paper

Ms. Jane Doe was lying in her bed when I walked into her room this morning. I asked her, how are you doing today? Ms. Jane Doe stated, “ I feel good today but yesterday I felt terrible.” Ms. Jane Doe was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 10 years ago, after she had her last child. During her pregnancy, she had gestational diabetes and was able to manage this but after having her child, she did not continue to manage her diet. Ms. Jane Doe is a Hispanic, 58-year-old woman, who appears well groomed and well nourished. The way Ms. Jane Doe found out about her chronic illness was because she was having pounding headaches for over 3 days, was urinating frequently and gaining weight. She decided to visit her primary care doctor, where she found out

Jane Doe is currently attending some diabetes self-management classes, where she is learning how to live with her illness. Ms. Jane Doe’s hemoglobin A1C has decreased after attending these classes and she feels better about her diet and exercise routine. In these classes, she is able to learn about nutrition and how to eat portion size meals. Ms. Jane Doe feels that these classes have been helpful in encouraging her to eat better and manage her blood glucose levels. Ms. Jane Doe has made friends in these classes and she shares her tips with other members who are struggling with this illness. Ms. Jane Doe feels that her culture plays a major role in her diet because she is accustomed to eating red meat. In these classes, she has learned about how red meat consumption should be reduced because of the high saturated fats and it has been challenging for her to decrease this item in her diet. Ms. Jane Doe feels that these classes have empowered her to approach her illness in a positive way. Ms. Jane Doe’s greatest fear of diabetes is to use insulin because she feels that this is the last treatment option for a patient with diabetes. Ms. Jane Doe was recently informed that if she did not reduce her hemoglobin A1C, that she would have to be placed on insulin. She feels that this encouraged her to take better care of herself and also encouraged her to exercise more frequently. Ms. Jane Doe also fears having a low blood glucose level because of the side effects it causes. Ms. Jane Doe has lived many years with her illness and feels that she has a better understanding of how to manage her