According to a 2009 PRC Community Health Assessment Survey, 31.3 percent of residents in Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties are obese, which is a leading indicator for diabetes. The number is nearly four points above the average for the state of Maryland, and is up drastically since 1995.
On Thursday, the Peninsula Regional Medical Center and its Diabetes Education Program will host a free education seminar, "Living With Diabetes — Making It a Bit Easier."
"I have had type 1 diabetes mellitus for 35 years, and have worn an insulin pump for 18 years," she said. "I am a family nurse practitioner that now specializes in diabetes care; I have worked with diabetics in that role for about 10 years — first with children, now with teens and adults."
Kundell said the purpose of the talk is in the title — making living with diabetes easier for those who suffer from the disease.
"My patients tell me that they really appreciate the fact that I have diabetes too, even if I have a different kind than most of my patients," she said. "They say that I get it, and I do; my approach is different than most providers, and my patients are more engaged because of that."
"They have, and they are very pleased with the knowledge they gain," she said. "Diabetes is a 'self-management' disease. Patients need the tools and education to do this."
The program begins at 6 p.m. with vendor displays. Kundell's presentation will begin at 7 p.m. An RSVP is required; call the Diabetes Education Program at 410-543-7061.
Free parking will be available at the Avery W. Hall Educational Center, located at the corner of Waverly Drive and Vine Street, in the lot directly across Vine Street or in the adjacent Garage B.
"I help my patients learn how to inject — pun intended — diabetes into their normal routine and life," Kundell said. "You should not have to change your life because you have diabetes.
"This problem is huge on the Shore, and hopefully everyone takes away some ideas that they can try themselves to make living with diabetes easier."
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