A Chronic Disease Self-Management course for diabetics and their families, the first of its kind in Laredo, is being offered in a 10-week course by the Gateway Community Center. Classes meet at the center at 2309 Saunders. Funded by the Texas Diabetes Council, the classes were created by The Center for the Disease Control (CDC) and the University of Illinois.
Martha Stineff and Ottila García teach this hands-on course in Spanish.
Thes course, which is open to the public, teaches the difference between chronic diseases and acute ones, the importance of taking medications, and learning how to evaluate home remedies and alternative medicine.
"The course teaches how to make short-term plans by making an action plan or agreement with yourself by deciding what you want to accomplish," said Stineff. "You will set reasonable, realistic goals and look for ways to accomplish them. You will learn how to be pro-active in the management of your disease."
The benefits of a healthy lifestyle, which include a healthy diet and exercise, are promoted in the course as well as the basic principles of good nutrition, and how to keep a diary on what you eat and how much exercise has been done. "We will share ideas and recipes each week," Stineff said.
Participants will learn how to understand and relieve common symptoms and how to break the cycle of these symptoms by recognizing stress, how to deal with it, how to manage anger, signs of depression, and 13 things to break the cycle of depression.
"You can use your mind to manage symptoms through guided imagery, muscle relaxation, body scan, breathing exercises, distraction, positive thinking, meditation, and prayer," Stineff said.
"Each week participants share their experiences and their goals. If they have not been successful the group helps find solutions or alternatives to barriers. One of the most important aspects this course teaches is to recognize that you play the most important role in the self-management of your disease," she said.
A certificate of completion is given to participants who attend the entire course.
For more information about the course, call Laredoans Against Diabetes and Overweight (LADO a LADO) at 795-8130, ext. 70.