Your First Week Checklist

The first week can feel busy and a little overwhelming. You do not need to learn everything at once.

Start with a short checklist. First, book or confirm your follow-up appointment, a planned return visit with your care team.

Then write down questions as they come up. Keep them in a notebook or a note on your phone. Bring that list to your next visit so nothing slips your mind.

A tall fridge and Bindu. Kept in your head: the fridge door is empty and a thought bubble over Bindu holds three small notes that fade away one by one, with the words Easy to slip your mind, while Bindu looks unsure. Written down: three notes fly onto the fridge door and magnets hold them: Book your follow-up visit, Write down questions, Bring the list to your visit. Checked off: a tick appears in each note's box, one at a time, Bindu cheers, and the words Nothing slips your mind appear.

Ask your care team if and how you should check your blood sugar at home. Blood sugar, also called blood glucose, is the sugar in your blood. A blood glucose meter is a small device. It measures blood sugar from a drop of blood.

Tell at least one person you trust about your diagnosis. You do not have to share everything, or share it all at once.

Cards such as how often to check and who to tell sort into two piles: ask your care team, or tell someone you trust.

Key takeaways

• Book or confirm your follow-up visit, and write down questions to bring to it.
• Ask your care team if and how often to check your blood sugar at home.
• Tell at least one trusted person about your diagnosis.

Try it

Before bed tonight, pick one spot at home for your notes and visit papers.