A Better You Today and Tomorrow Living with Diabetes is the theme of the 22nd Annual Jim Cook Day of Hope for Diabetes taking place Saturday, February 25, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower.

Yuri Krochmaluk, RN, CDE, and Eisenhower Diabetes Program Educator will speak on “Insulin: Mastering its Use.”

The public is invited to attend this free event sponsored by the Desert Diabetes Club and the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation which includes a product fair showcasing the latest technology and treatments for persons with diabetes and many speakers and presentations.

“Education is key when it comes to having diabetes,” says Melinda Read, popular television personality and Day of Hope emcee. This year, attendees will learn stress reduction tips from keynote speaker and stress management expert Kiran Dintyala, MD, MPH, ABIHM.

Rodolfo Batarsé, MD, Nephrologist will speak on “The 3 Ms of Behavioral Modification.”

According to the American Diabetes Association, stress results when something causes the body to behave as if it were under attack. Sources of stress can be physical, like injury or illness, or they can be mental, like problems in your marriage, job, health, or finances. When stress occurs, the body prepares itself appropriately in what is called a fight-or-flight response. In the fight-or-flight response, many levels of hormones become elevated for the purpose of creating an abundance of stored energy like glucose and fat that are then available to cells. These cells are then primed to help the body escape from danger. In people who have diabetes, the fight-or-flight response does not work as efficiently and glucose can pile up in the blood.

Day of Hope will also feature experts from Eisenhower Medical Center, Eisenhower’s Diabetes Education Program and Walgreens speaking on the latest research and information on various diabetes-related topics such as insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring (cgm), insulin, medications for diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure management, nutrition, kidney health, and current trends in diabetes treatment.

Attendees will also hear from Eisenhower Physical Therapist Bill Carlson who became the first person with diabetes to finish an Ironman championship. Learn all about his incredible journey battling diabetes during this massive achievement!

Free A1c testing will be available for those with diabetes and other free screenings will be available to all attendees. Snacks and coffee will also be available. Enter for a chance to win one of several gift baskets with a value of over $100 each! Drawing held at 12:30 and one must be present to win.

For more information about the Jim Cook Day of Hope for Diabetes or the Desert Diabetes Club, please call (760) 773-1578, or visit emc.org/ddc. Reservations are not required.

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