Diabetes Bites Newsletter: August 2026

☯️ The Good, The Bad, and the Rest of Us

My mom passed away earlier this month at the age of 80, after fighting numerous serious illnesses for many, many years (diabetes was not one of them). In a way, it was a merciful passing, as she had been suffering for a long time. But it still leaves a hole in the lives of everyone who loved her.

Mom and I never had a particularly close relationship. Our personalities were quite different, and we disagreed on a number of fundamental things.

As her oldest child, I was asked to present the eulogy at her funeral. The first thing that came to mind was, “Guess I’ll have to dress up the story and put on a good act.”  But the more I thought about Mom, the more I came to understand that there are no “good” or “bad” people. We’re all just a collection of qualities that make up the whole person.

For everything negative that popped into my head, there was something positive to go along with it. Was she passive and unemotional? Most of the time, yes. But she was also steady as a rock in the face of crisis. Did she shower her children with affection? No, but she was unmistakably proud, always bragging about us to her friends. Athletic? Hardly, but she had pain tolerance and determination to rival the greatest endurance athletes. The list goes on and on.

What does any of this have to do with diabetes? Only that there are no “good diabetics” or “bad diabetics”. We all possess a mixture of qualities that influence what we do and the outcomes we achieve. And that’s OK. I really believe that all people are equal in terms of their talents and abilities – some just express it differently from others. You might be great at keeping your glucose in a tight range but not so great when it comes to finding health/fun balance. Or, like me, you might exercise religiously but eat way too much junk. The key, I think, is to see the whole person and not just focus on the negatives.

If you would like to receive some credit for the work, effort and sacrifice you put into your diabetes day after day, you’ve come to the right place. And while we’re at it, if you’re ready to smooth out some of the rough edges, we’re here for that too. At Integrated Diabetes Services, we see you as a complete person. And that person is pretty amazing!

Please enjoy this month’s edition of Diabetes Bites – chock full of the usual collection of news articles, clinician columns, practice updates, and fun stuff. And don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything we can do to support you on your diabetes journey.

– Gary Scheiner MS, CDCES, FADCES
Owner & Clinical Director
Integrated Diabetes Services