A sweet life, carefully measured: Pam’s path to thriving with diabetes
In a hotel room Up North, Pam Sundsmo, 73, savored a bite of fancy fudge – a treat she picked up while enjoying a getaway. Ten minutes later, she checked her blood-sugar levels using the sensor on her arm: 300 mg/dL. Too high. She wrapped the fudge up.
“I have to be really careful about what I eat in order to keep my numbers where I want them,” she said. “It's difficult every day, but I choose to be extremely focused because I'd like to be here for a very long time.”
Pam has lived with type 2 diabetes for nearly 30 years. Managing it has been a lifelong learning process.
When it comes to blood-sugar levels, it’s not just sugar consumption that counts. Sleep, exercise, and stress all affect your levels. Every choice adds up — sometimes as many as 180 small health decisions each day, said Kayla McClanahan, RDN, LD, a diabetes educator at M Health Fairview Woodwinds Specialty Clinic in Woodbury.
“It’s one of those disease states that you're always thinking about,” McClanahan said. “But that doesn’t mean people have to give up the foods they love or feel limited by their diagnosis.”
Finding balance through small choices
Diabetes educators help people find what works best for them.
“There’s a misconception that you have to overhaul your entire lifestyle to get healthy,” McClanahan said. “But really, it’s what you do most often that makes the biggest impact. A single ‘off’ day won’t make or break your progress.”
She encourages people to approach food with flexibility and strategy.
“Eat what you want — but add something you need,” McClanahan said.
She recommends adding protein and/or fiber each time you eat. That could mean putting peanut butter on your whole wheat toast (protein and fiber), or adding a big salad to a meal (fiber), or meatballs (protein) to your pasta.
“When you include both protein and fiber in a meal, your blood sugar responds more evenly,” she said.
Finding support when things get hard
For Pam, diabetes management has come in phases. “Sometimes I feel like I have it all figured out — and then something changes,” she said.
That “something” happened in fall 2024, when her weight-loss efforts stalled and her blood sugar levels climbed “frighteningly high.”
With help from McClanahan and her primary care provider, Pam found a new medication that has her feeling better than she has in decades.
“I’ve been lucky to have two women who are open to suggestions and always up to date,” she said. “They’ve put me in a place where I’m thriving.”
Pam’s go-to strategies:
- Enjoy smaller portions. “Now one or two bites of dessert is enough.”
- Speak up. Advocating for herself and working with a team who listens has been a game changer.
- Lean on others. Connecting with others in a diabetes support group helps her stay motivated on hard days.
Finding empowerment
Pam’s journey is a reminder that managing diabetes takes persistence — and the right care team can make all the difference. The diabetes care team with M Health Fairview wants people to feel empowered.
“We tailor each plan so it fits into your life, not the other way around,” McClanahan said. “The goal isn’t perfection — it’s progress you can live with.”
To learn more or meet with a diabetes educator, ask your provider for a referral to M Health Fairview’s diabetes education team.
