By Linda Wilson, www.articlerich.com

ONE of the most important things in taking care of yourself is understanding your doctor's advice well enough to carry it out. While that sounds simple enough, here in the United States studies have shown that approximately 90 million people don't understand their doctor's advice well enough to follow it at home.

And that can be dangerous, especially for the diabetic. For the diabetic, caring for their illness is a big job. There are lots of things to remember and lots of things to do. And just about the time you think you have it all figured out, you go in for your routine check-up. And wouldn't you know it!

When your tests results come back, you get a phone call from your doctor's office. You are told to change meds or take meds at different times, etc. It's no wonder we sometimes get confused.

However, not having a good understanding of your doctor's orders, whatever your illness, can be more than just confusing. Studies have shown that those who don't fully understand their doctor's orders are almost twice as likely to die within a five year period than those who do have a good understanding!

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