Is your head spinning yet? With all the information thrown at you, both in class and by well-meaning friends and relatives (who quite frequently spread misinformation rather than fact), being overwhelmed is completely normal. Take a deep breath and remember three things:

• You aren't in this alone — your health care team is there to help.

• You don't have to learn it all at once — control involves some trial and error.

• Reinventing the wheel is not necessary — others have gone before you, and you'll find getting through the physical and emotional demands much easier if you join a support group and draw on their wisdom.

In diabetes-care lingo, control is maintaining blood glucose levels as close to normal (nondiabetic) levels as much of the time as possible. The ADA recommends that people with diabetes aim for blood sugar levels of 70 to 130 mg/dl (3.9 to 7.2 mmol/l) before meals and less than 180 mg/dl (10.0 mmol/l) after meals (one to two hours after the start of a meal). The American Academy of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) suggests slightly different goals of less than 110 mg/dl (6.1 mmol/l) before meals and <140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/l) two hours after meals.

It is important to remember that these are general recommendations only, and you will work with your doctor to determine the blood glucose goals that are right for you and your particular health picture. And remember, while there are many guidelines and targets in diabetes care, just about everything about the disease varies by individual. A food that sends one person's blood sugar off the charts may cause barely a ripple for another.