Local Impact - Wisconsin

Wendell Waukau, Menominee

Menominee Diabetes Program

"I joined the DP to avoid taking insulin for as long as possible. That was 3 years ago and I’m still controlling my diabetes without medication."
- Wendell Waukau

I was somewhat disappointed when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in June 2007. Disappointed because I thought I knew enough about it, having watched family and others on the reservation deal with the challenges of living with diabetes. On the day I was diagnosed, there was one thing I new for certain. I knew I wanted to avoid taking insulin for as long as possible. It’s been three years since that day, and with the support of the Menominee Tribal Clinic’s Diabetes Program, I have been able to successfully manage my blood sugars without any diabetes medications. I’ve been successful so far, but I’m also very aware of the reality of this disease and know that I have to work to maintain the changes I’ve made with diet and exercise to remain free from diabetes medications. So, I have stayed in close contact with the diabetes educator, the dietitian and the fitness staff. Their positive messages, willingness to listen and nonjudgmental coaching have played a key role in my ability to successfully manage my diabetes.

I am a big believer that programs don’t change people--relationships do. The Menominee Tribal Clinic’s Diabetes staff have created an environment in our community and in our schools in which positive, healthy relationships are occurring. They have empowered me to take control of my diabetes and my overall health and they have also provided a strong foundation for many of the positive healthy changes being made in our people.

Diabetes in Wisconsin

According to 2008 CDC data, approximately 293,000 people in Wisconsin – 6.5% of the state’s population – had diagnosed diabetes, and many of them suffer from serious diabetes related complications or conditions. In addition to the human toll diabetes places on people in Wisconsin, the financial burden diabetes places on the health system in the state is staggering – in 2007, the direct and indirect cost of diabetes in Wisconsin was approximately $2.99 billion.

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