As time goes by, it surprises you to reflect on just how long you’ve been living with Diabetes.

Here, nine months into your journey, is another special milestone and an opportunity for us to connect with each other again. How are you feeling? Has life changed much, or are you resuming a large portion of your regular routine?

How do you know if you’re managing Diabetes properly?

Just like the time that led up to you being diagnosed, there are tell-tale signs and symptoms you can look for. You know that Diabetes can affect different parts of your body, so keep monitoring yourself for this. The most important part about managing your Diabetes is to monitor your blood glucose levels regularly, the intervals for which your doctor or clinic team would have outlined.

How do you balance managing Diabetes and your mental health?

Remember, three months ago when you last checked in with us, we discussed how important your mental health would be. What have you tried to do to look after yourself, when it comes to your thoughts and feelings? Are you following us on Facebook, so you can get tips for living your best life with Diabetes?

Depression is still largely ignored by so many people, and it’s so important that you know you deserve help. If you didn’t already know, our AllLife clients get access to a free 24hr Health Helpline. Our clients can confide in a qualified healthcare or mental healthcare professional and get sound advice, or just have someone to lean on in those dark moments. If you’d like to learn more about what else you could get as an AllLife client, take a look at our dedicated Diabetes website.

Can being Diabetic cost a lot?

Nine months in, and you probably already know the answer to this. Buying different food, or some exercise equipment (or a gym membership), your medication, and your blood glucose monitor – all of these things cost money, whether or not you use public healthcare facilities. Exercising regularly and making small adjustments to your eating plan are cheaper in the long run.

There’s also the reality that, if you don’t manage your Diabetes properly, secondary complications could set in. This could mean you’ll need to dip into your savings or go into debt to cover the costs of lifesaving surgery. This is why we’re focusing on how you can stay ahead by learning how to manage your money, starting today.

Have you started structuring your future around Diabetes?

We also discussed the seriousness of planning your future, so that your Diabetes status doesn’t disadvantage you or the people you love and look after. How’s that going – have you started yet? If not, that’s okay.

It can be scary facing the thought of financial planning, let alone trying to do it, all by yourself. This is why we’re going to focus on some tips and advice, just for you, so that you can see it’s easier than you might have thought it would be. Let’s keep it simple and just cover a few areas today: savings, investments and insurance.

What’s the best way to save money as a Diabetic?

The simplest way is to stop buying refined, sugary, processed foods, and start relying on fresh healthy produce for your nutrition. This may mean having a few family discussions, and it’s hard to stay disciplined, but it’s the easiest way to force your shopping bills down. If you don’t have the time to cook, look around your neighbourhood for home-delivered healthy meals, or ask a family member, friend or neighbour with some free time to help you prepare healthy meals for the whole family.

From a cash management perspective, this gives you more room to save from your salary. A healthy savings portion is 20% of the amount that comes to you as net wages, or your salary, after tax and deductions. You’re not able to save 20% a month yet? That’s okay. Start with 5% or 10% and work your way up. Even R50 a month that’s earning you compounded interest, through a reliable savings or investment, can serve you more than you realise.

Does Diabetes affect your ability to invest?

Yes and no. In rigid environments, your health status may affect your abilities as an investor. It depends what you’re investing in, and with whom.

This being said, being a Diabetic doesn’t directly prevent you from investing in property, buying shares, or setting up a business. There is, however, some complexity around what may be required for this, like accessing home loans or business funding. This brings us to our next topic: insurance.

Why is Diabetic life insurance important for you now?

Getting a specialised Diabetic life insurance policy is like a master key that unlocks a number of doors of opportunity, not just for you but for your loved ones too. Here’s how:

• Diabetes is a chronic condition that can shorten your lifespan if you’re not tested, diagnosed and on treatment (and being disciplined about it).
• Being Diabetic may make you a higher risk customer for products like traditional home, business and/or personal loans.
• Most traditional product providers, on the basis of you being Diabetic, reject your applications and offers outright, making it difficult to build the life you want, and deserve.
• A specialised Diabetes life insurance policy, like Alllife can help you get, takes your health status into careful consideration. AllLife administers policies valued at up to R10million each, and provides support and information for you to stay healthy, keep up to date with your blood tests, and emotional support for those dark days when you feel like you can’t get through it alone.
• The value of your life cover can be used to offset debts, in the event of your death. That means you may be able to buy that house, start that business or, pay for your family’s education. Your status as a Diabetic doesn’t reflect negatively on your ability to repay the loan.

If you get a Diabetes life insurance policy with AllLife, credit providers know that you’re being responsible by seeking support, doing your best to live a long and healthy life, and that you’re being sensible about the investments and debts you’re entering into. It lowers your overall risk profile, from a financial standpoint. If you’d like a quote, it’s as simple as leaving us your details so we can give you a call and talk about your options.

Where to, from here?

Your outlook on life may have changed drastically since you were diagnosed as Diabetic, but it doesn’t need to change the essence of who you are as a person. As always, the most important move is to make sure you take your medication every single day, exactly the way your doctor, nurse or clinic team has instructed you to. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, this is the baseline from where you can start all over again.

Taking your medication is the primary way to keep your blood glucose levels under control. If you can go back to this as a basic principle, and achieve it, you can rebuild your momentum. We’re so proud of you for reaching this milestone. We’re grateful that you’ve chosen us as a source of support and information. We’ll see you again and check with you at the one year anniversary of your life with Diabetes.

Sources

AllLife. 2020. How Much Does HIV Change Your Life In Six Months?. [online] Available at: <https://alllife.co.za/hiv/just-diagnosed/how-much-does-hiv-change-your-life-in-six-months/> [Accessed 28 October 2020].

AllLife. 2020. How Six Months With Diabetes Changes Your Life. [online] Available at: <https://alllife.co.za/diabetes/just-diagnosed-diabetes/how-six-months-with-diabetes-changes-your-life/> [Accessed 28 October 2020].

AllLife. 2020. What happens when you live with HIV for nine months?. [online] Available at: <https://alllife.co.za/hiv/just-diagnosed/what-happens-when-you-live-with-hiv-for-nine-months/> [Accessed 28 October 2020].

We believe all South Africans should have Life Cover.

Another first from AllLife who have always believed that all South Africans should have Life Cover, regardless of their health.

You are guaranteed a minimum of R 3 Million Life Cover without any medical test, but you could qualify for up to R 10 Million depending on your circumstances.

Life Cover to secure your family financially when they need it most.

• No medicals for Life Cover for up to R 3 million
• Life cover for people between the ages of 18 – 75
• Paperless application
• Unlimited beneficiaries

All it takes is one phone call, and you could be covered today.