I have educated patients about how to check their bloodsugars and give themselves insulin.  I have reinforced with them the importance of proper diet and exercise and educated them about medication.  I have provided nursing care for  many patients with complications related to diabetes.   Despite my years of education and experience, I have learned alot more in the past 2 years since being diagnosed with diabetes.  I remember that I had difficulty understanding why patients frequently were noncompliant with managing their disease.  Despite everything I knew,  I was in denial at the beginning of my disease and have had episodes of noncompliance.   It's a difficult disease to manage.  You can't wish it away.  You have to live with it everyday.