Mike Krueger manages diabetes without medication

Mike Krueger was distressed when diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

He was determined, however, to manage the condition without medication.   

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way one’s body metabolizes sugar (glucose), the body’s important source of fuel.  With type 2 diabetes, one’s body either resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells — or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. There’s no cure for type 2 diabetes, but one may be able to manage the condition by eating well, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. If diet and exercise aren’t enough to manage the blood sugar well, one may also need diabetes medications or insulin therapy.

Mike’s journey began in March during a visit with Kelsey Nylander, D.O., Family Medicine, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Springfield.  At the urging of wife Bev, Mike made an appointment to get a pertussis vaccination to protect their soon-to-be-born twin grandchildren from whooping cough.     

Through routine lab work, Mike was found to have a high level of blood sugar. 

The good news, however, says Dr. Nylander, “We were able to pick it up early and it gave him a chance to succeed.   Sometimes what happens, if people don’t come in, we miss an opportunity to make it a good success. It was caught early and we can make the changes.”

See complete story in this week's issue of the Springfield Advance-Press.