* There is nothing they could have done to prevent it. T1D is not the same thing as Type 2 diabetes.
* They may have just been diagnosed, or they may have
had it for years. T1D can strike
at any age.
* If they are a child, their parents would have spent last night, and every night before that, waking up every couple of hours to test their blood sugar levels. And, if they are older, their parents are probably still waking up every couple of hours worried about their blood sugar levels.
* If you see them stumbling, confused, or finding it hard to speak, please help. They haven’t been drinking, they are experiencing serious and life-threatening hypoglycemia, and they need urgent medical attention.
* The insulin they inject up to four times a day is not a cure, it keeps them alive but it doesn’t mean an end to the disease. It doesn’t prevent the possibility of the disease’s serious side effects.
* They are one of three million Americans, and millions more around the world, who face T1D every day.
* They can’t have a holiday from T1D. It’s there every second of every day.
* They have to become mathematicians, dietitians, and nurses—and always be super organized. Life is a constant balancing act.
* They really are braver than brave.
* Each year, more than 15,000 children and 15,000 adults—approximately 80 people per day—are diagnosed with T1D in the United States.
TYPES OF DIABETES
Type 1 Diabetes (also referred to as Juvenile or Insulin-dependent Diabetes, but can occur at any age): The pancreas cannot make insulin or makes very little. Type 1 diabetes often begins in childhood; the onset is sudden. People with type 1 diabetes need daily insulin injections or an insulin pump.Type 2 Diabetes (also called Adult-onset Diabetes): The pancreas makes insulin, but it does not make enough or your body doesn’t use the insulin it makes.
Type 2 develops slowly; diagnosis usually happens after age 40. Eight in 10 people with this type of diabetes are overweight. In fact, type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in children and teenagers because of the increase in obesity in these age groups. Blood sugar levels are controlled through diet and physical activity. Oral medicines may be used to help your body respond to the insulin you make. Insulin injections or a pump may be needed.
Gestational Diabetes: The cause is unknown but may be the result of hormones during pregnancy blocking the action of insulin. Gestational diabetes often disappears after the baby is born. However, women who experience diabetes while pregnant have a much greater chance of having type 2 diabetes later in life.Courtesy of the American Diabetes Association.
– Written by: Black Hills Family