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TRAVERSE CITY His father had it. His maternal grandfather had it. So Ross Sussman assumed his Type 2 diabetes day of reckoning would come.

"It was just a question of when," said Sussman, 83.

But prepping for the diagnosis does not make living with it any easier, Sussman said, after "when" became official 20 years ago.

"Like many people, I enjoy sweets. I had to cut way back, and I lost weight in maybe the first couple years, but then it kind of stopped," Sussman said.

It took a toll on his wife, Evy, too. She tried not to police her husband's eating habits, but cherished social routines like post-movie-or-concert dining changed unpleasantly, she said.

"Socially, it just felt funny when you're ordering a salad when everybody else ordered strawberry pie," said Evy, 75.

But Ross' diabetes class last summer empowered them both, they said, as it combined clinical, group and follow-up approaches to positive behavior.

"It really encouraged me in the way that nobody else can make me do what I'm supposed to screw up my mind or unscrew it to do," Ross said. "It's different from making promises to myself, where I'd probably keep half of them."

The couple lives part time in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and part time in Northport, where the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan offered a pilot version of LIFE with Diabetes last summer.

The agency will offer the program to Grand Traverse area diabetics over 50 this spring.

The program kicks off with a consultation with a nurse diabetes educator and registered dietitian, and spouses and caretakers are encouraged to attend.

"I liked being included, " Evy said. "As many conditions are, it's a family issue."

The program continues with six weekly group sessions, then wraps up with a three-month post-program follow-up session.

It's geared to promote self management and encouragement for those who need it, said Darcia Brewer, AAANM's registered dietitian and program manager.

"Once you're diagnosed, you get the initial education session. But life changes, conditions change and we face so much more than diabetes," Brewer said. "No one ever can be perfect 100 percent of the time. Even people who know all the information get busy with life, and lax with what we're doing at different stages of the process."

Munson Healthcare's Community Dashboard shows almost a quarter of the 5-county area's Medicare population (over 65) has diabetes a trend that shows no signs of slowing, Brewer said.

"Statistically, with increases in obesity and the number of diabetics who go undiagnosed, it's unfortunate, but that will continue to grow," Brewer said.

They hope to offer the program in low-income housing and apply to Medicare for future funding, she said. The agency currently is offering initial consultations May 8-10 with group sessions May 23 to June 27 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan, at no cost.

Ross compared living with Type 2 to living on a stagecoach.

"It's moving, and some people are driving, some are running behind it, and others are just being pulled along," Ross said.

For more information or to register please call 1-800-442-1713 by April 28.

Session dates/times: Individual consultations will be offered May 8-10. Group sessions on Tuesdays, May 23 to June 27 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan, 1609 Park Drive.

Requirements: 50 or older who have Type 2 diabetes (and family caregivers) living in the greater Grand Traverse region. Registration is required by April 28.

Cost: No cost to attend but need a primary care physician referral.

Read more:
Diabetes program combines clinical, group and caregiver approach - Traverse City Record Eagle

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