A gathering was held 6 p.m. on Tuesday night at the Kishwaukee Community Hospital, where a three attendees shared their experiences with diabetes.

During the discussion, the group talked about both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and how people who have been diagnosed can manage their health. Melissa Romano, registered dietician and certified diabetes education, said one possibility is through exercise.

“Exercise has an effect on blood sugar,” she said. “You can go to the Great Western Trail. I sometimes walk or run and it takes you all the way out to St. Charles.”

Other methods of exercise include going to the YMCA and walking around the track or even exercising in front of the TV on days with bad weather, Romano said

Despite the gathering’s low turnout, Romano said the discussion went well.

“It’s a very informal environment, so it’s not very intimidating,” she said. “Typically all support groups are informal and we try to keep a very open environment. It creates an environment where people give each other ideas and talk about how they get their exercise in.”

Susan Clifford, registered nurse and certified diabetes educator, said she agreed with the benefit of the group being informal. She said this way, the people feel much closer.

“They feel more like family,” Clifford said. “They can relate their stories and feel like they’re together.”

Another part of the get-together was the food sampling. Romano said this food was healthier than its counterparts.

For example, Romano offered PB2, which is powdered peanut butter.

“It’s dry form of peanut butter that you mix with water,” she said. “While most peanut butters are fatty, this has only 1.5 grams of fat.”

Other samples offered included a sugarless Instant Breakfast Essentials and Oykos yogurt, which Jean Nellans of Sycamore, said she enjoyed.

“I liked the yogurt better than the ones I tried before, which were sour,” she said.

Romano said the reason she is in this field is because she likes seeing her own patients succeed, and give her feedback during their experiences with diabetes.