Living with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes

Living with and the Challenges of Type 1 Diabetes Many of us know someone who has diabetes, but most of us don’t know what the disease is and the challenges that the person faces on a day to day basis. Diabetes is a disease that affects the pancreas. Your body produces too little or no insulin at all. It causes the glucose to backup in the bloodstream, which then causes the blood sugars to rise. (Joslin Diabetes Center) There are two types of diabetes; people often get them mixed up and confused as to which one is which. Type 1 often called insulin-dependent is when the body completely stops producing insulin. People who are type 1 diabetics have to take daily insulin injections to survive. It usually develops in children or young adults, but can occur at any age. Type 2 is often called non-insulin-dependent and is when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or is insulin resistant. This is usually regulated by diet and weight and occurs in mostly older adults. Statistics show that “5 percent of the 16 million Americans with diabetes have Type 1. This percentage imbalances and demonstrates why most people know about and understand only the more common Type 2 diabetes” (The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Juvenile Diabetes).
The signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes can come on quickly. They may include: increased thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, increased hunger and irritability. Type 2 diabetes has a lot of the same symptoms. If you notice any of these signs or symptoms you should consult your physician.
When a child is first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, they will get admitted into the hospital. During the hospital stay, the child and their family will learn how to effectively take care of their diabetes and keep it under control. Testing the glucose level is a very important part in managing diabetes, the person has to have a finger stick and a droplet of blood is put on a test strip that goes to the glucose meter.
The meter will count down and give you a reading of what the glucose level is. There is a monitor out now that is called automatic monitoring. The monitor is kind of like the insulin pump, only it does not administer insulin. It automatically monitors the glucose at all times of the day. This is a small device that hooks to the belt of the pants, it has a small needle with sensors on it and it attaches to your belly with a small piece of tape. It records the glucose level and stores it in onto the monitor for the doctor. The results will help the person and their doctor to make any changes in the dosage of insulin. This will help to know if the person’s glucose is having dramatic drops in their sugars, especially when they are sleeping at night. Hypoglycemic is when the sugar is low, and hyperglycemic is when the sugar is high. It is very important to recognize the signs of when someone is having one of those reactions; it can be a very serious, even life threatening. The person will have their glucose checked before they have a meal and before taking their insulin.
Insulin is to help lower the blood sugars in the bloodstream. Anyone who has type 1 diabetes has to take insulin every day. Insulin is injected through shots; there are different locations as to where you can give them. Most doctors will tell the person to rotate their areas so they are not leaving bruises and toughing up the skin. There are two ways to take insulin, they can self-inject with shots or they can wear an insulin pump, insulin does not come in any type of pill form. (Type 1 Diabetes. U.S. National Library of Medicine)
A person can give themselves shots one of two ways, they can take a syringe and manually measure out the amount of insulin or they can use an insulin pen. The pen is already pre-filled with insulin, you click the dial to the amount that you need. The insulin pump is a small device almost like the automatic monitor only this has a tube that is connected to the needle that goes into the person’s belly, tape also holds the needle in place on the stomach. The person puts in the amount of insulin they need into the pump. It will pump the insulin into the person’s body throughout the day and/or night. It can be adjusted at any time to give more insulin to compensate for meals or any other times. The insulin pump is very expensive if the family or person does not carry insurance, the pump can cost approximately $6,000. (Schultz, Erich Y. "Insulin Pump Price.")
It’s important for people with diabetes to balance their food, exercise, and take their insulin. Ed Banion, a dietician at Animas Corporation said “Many years ago, before the introduction of fast-acting insulin, a person with diabetes had to follow a stricter regimen. The treatment plan in diabetes required the patient to modify his lifestyle around a narrowly fixed insulin therapy. Now, research has resulted in our knowing a lot more about how to handle type 1 diabetes. New methods of assessing the effects of foods and newer insulins let us adjust insulin dosing around the dietary lifestyle we want to lead. "The method we use now--based on counting carbohydrates in the food we eat--not only offers more flexibility, but it forms the basis of intensive blood sugar management.” (jdrf.org)
Diabetics are trained to count carbohydrates, ("carbs," for short) are an ideal source of energy for the body. They include simple carbs, foods rich in sugar and complex carbs, foods rich in starch, such as rice, pasta, bread, and cereal. Carbs affect the glucose level and the person has to take so much insulin to make up for the carbs they have eaten. Lots of vegetables are considered “free” which means they can eat as much as they want without it affecting their sugars and having to take insulin to compensate. Diabetics can have fruit, but there are some fruits that are not good for them because they are high in natural sugar and some don’t have enough water in them.
There has been research conducted on different issues pertaining to diabetes.
What do researchers say about self-testing vs. automatic monitoring? Well it is said that “Children, teens, and adults with type 1 diabetes who use automatic monitoring have less hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and lower A1C levels than those who use self-testing.” ("Search for Research Summaries, Reviews, and Reports.")
What does research say about giving yourself shots vs. an insulin pump?
“Children lower their A1C levels about as much as those who give themselves shots.” ("Search for Research Summaries, Reviews, and Reports.") It was noted in the research that was written that “there is not enough research to know for certain.” ("Search for Research Summaries, Reviews, and Reports.") That self-testing vs. automatic monitoring and giving yourself shots vs. an insulin pump is going to give them the same quality of life.
Type 1 or type 2 diabetes can affect anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a very healthy person who exercises and eats well balanced meals every day. If you notice any signs or symptoms call your doctor and get checked, it could save your life.