Living with Type 1 Diabetes
Alyson Witt
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes is a chronic condition that is common in adolescents and experiences about 200,000 to 3 million cases a year. This disease occurs when the body does not produce insulin due to damaged cells from the pancreas. Insulin is required in order for cells to take in sugars, produced from the carbohydrates that we eat, from our bloodstream. When there is too much sugar in your blood, it's known as a high blood sugar, and a low blood sugar is when there isn't enough sugar in your blood. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can include increased thirst and hunger, fatigue, or blurred vision. Type 1 diabetes differs from type 2, which develops due to irregular eating habits, lack of exercise and a poor diet. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still produces insulin although it can produce less over time when compared to the pancreas of one without diabetes.
Is there a cure and what treatments are available?
Although there is no cure to permanently cure diabetes, there are many treatments available. When diagnosed, lab tests and imaging are required to develop a treatment plan suited to your needs. Treatments aim to maintain healthy blood sugars (ranging anywhere from 85-150 mg/dl), regular blood sugar checking (monitoring), insulin dosage, diet, and exercise. Insulin is given mainly through shots or through a pump. Shots are given whenever food is eaten in order to cover carbs or when blood sugar is high in order to bring it down to a healthy level. Also with shots, you must take a shot of Lantus, a type of man-made insulin, at night to stabilize you throughout the night. With a pump you take less shots and, therefore, have more freedom than if you used solely shots. The pump requires you to change a site every three days but it's also more reliable and easier to control than the shots.
What's it like living with diabetes?
When I was diagnosed in June 10, 2010, it brought about a major change in my life. I had to learn how to take care of my body in order to keep it healthy. Through many late nights and many visits to the doctors, I have gained a better understanding of how to manage my diabetes. Living with diabetes is hard, you're constantly fighting for your life and often you are limited to many things. Shots and site changes are painful and you're often asked to explain what you're dealing with to people, which can get tiring. But through all of it, you have to keep fighting and stay strong. This is my plan.
