8 Things Your Friend With Type 1 Diabetes Wants You To Know
Eight things your friend with diabetes wants you to know Eight things your friend with diabetes wants you to know As someone with diabetes, Im often asked questions about what that means and what its like to live with. While its a complicated condition, Im always happy to talk about it because the more people understand, the easier it is for them to help out when needed. Below are eight things everyone should know about type 1 diabetes. Once you understand a little bit about diabetes, there are many things you can do to help your friends, colleagues or family members who live with it, just like me. Around 140,000 Australians live with type 1 diabetes. Around six people are diagnosed with the condition every day, many of them are children. Here are eight things everyone should know: Surprise, surprise! I dont look sick, and you cant tell from the outside (aside from my scarred fingers, bruises on my stomach and needles in my handbag) that I have type 1 diabetes. I can do the same things as everybody else, I just have to approach things a little differently to make sure my blood glucose (a type of sugar) remains in a normal range. Blood glucose levels, also referred to as blood sugar levels, are pretty much exactly as it sounds the amount of glucose present in someones blood. In people with type 1 diabetes, their body produces either too little or no insulin, which means their blood glucose levels arent regulated correctly. Glucose levels that are too high or too low can be dangerous. 2. Its not because I ate too much sugar as a kid The cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. What is known is that its not due to lifestyle factors and it cant be prevented so stop asking me if its because my mum fed me (or I stole) one too many pieces of cake as a kid! 3. Theres a difference Continue reading >>
My Friend Has Diabetes. How Can I Help?
KidsHealth / For Teens / My Friend Has Diabetes. How Can I Help? Diabetes. Sure, you've heard of it. But how much do you really know about what it's like to live with it? Teens with diabetes often say they feel isolated and alone. After all, it's hard enough being a teenager with all the body changes and hormone surges dealing day-to-day with a health problem like diabetes can only make things harder. Having to test your blood sugar several times a day, keep tabs on what you eat, and give yourself insulin shots or other medicine is enough to make anyone feel self-conscious and different. As a result, some people may want to pretend that their diabetes doesn't exist. That's not a good plan, because it usually leads to poorly controlled diabetes. And that can be dangerous to your friend's health. As a friend, your understanding and acceptance are very important. The more you know about diabetes, the less self-conscious and alone your friend is likely to feel. And that's good for anyone's health! Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose. When you eat, glucose from the food gets into your bloodstream. Then, the pancreas makes a hormone called insulin that helps the glucose in the blood get into the body's cells, where it's used as fuel. When people get diabetes, the glucose in their blood doesn't get into the cells as well as it should, so it stays in the blood instead. This makes blood sugar levels get too high and can lead to symptoms like getting very thirsty or peeing a lot. Proper treatment of diabetes helps to control these symptoms. It also can help prevent long-term effects like kidney, eye, nerve, or heart problems that can happen in people who havehigh blood sugar levelsfor many years. The two main types of diabetes that can occur during child Continue reading >>
Supporting Someone With Diabetes
Helping someone with diabetes may often just involve being a good listener If you're the friend, relative or partner of someone with diabetes, you may wish to know what you can do to help support them. How you can best help is likely to vary depending on how your friend, relative or partner views their own diabetes. If your friend, relative or partner is motivated and reasonably well controlled it is likely theyll be receptive to new ideas and viewpoints. However, note that they may resist advice if they think youre trying to take away their control. With so much to take into account with controlling diabetes, it is quite likely your friend, relative or partner may want to talk about what they have learned lately. You may think theyre a bit obsessed but accept that needing to talk about their diabetes is a by product of their hard work in managing their diabetes . If its starting to get overbearing, let them know but try not to appear dismissive. Keep an interest in your friend, relative or partners diabetes. Should anything go wrong with their diabetes or a related area of their health, youll want your partner to feel they can discuss it with you. If your friend, relative or partner lacks motivation in controlling diabetes or struggles with controlling it, it can help to offer support in a way that helps your partner to feel in control. It may help to hear how your friend, relative or partner views his/her diabetes. Let your friend, relative or partner speak and try not to offer advice or solutions at this stage unless you can tell your partner is actively receptive to new ideas. Your friend, relative or partner may even need a bit of a rant and then a good nights sleep before being able to start looking for solutions. It can be helpful to know which areas of their di Continue reading >>
I Love Someone With Type 1 Diabetes
Growing up, I’ll never forget the first time I realized that other kids’ dads didn’t have diabetes like mine did. I’d just finished feeding my father a grape popsicle after his blood sugar had dropped. My mom started talking about when my dad had first been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Even though I was an older child by that point, it suddenly hit me for the first time in my life that this was not exactly a normal part of every child’s daily life. Suddenly my mind went reeling and I thought, “Wait, do you mean to tell me that not every kid feeds their dad grape popsicles from time to time?” A different idea of normal All at once, I realized that not every kid was trained about where the emergency stash of glucose is kept in the house (bedside drawer!). Not every kid thought it was totally normal to watch their mom feed their dad cereal when he couldn’t feed himself. And not every kid thought it was no big deal to watch their dad inject himself several times a day with medicine that’s keeping him alive. But I did. I can say now that growing up with a father who has type 1 diabetes influenced my life in tremendous ways. It’s impacted everything from the career that I chose, to how I see the world, to my own views of health and fitness. I’m impressed by my dad. He’s never complained that he has a lifelong, chronic disease that has stolen so much from him. I have never heard him say, “Why me?” He hasn’t given up or given in to self-pity because of his diabetes. Not once. Understanding diabetes Unlike type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes is not an illness brought on my lifestyle choices. Instead, it’s an autoimmune disorder that typically starts during childhood or the adolescence years, which is why it was previously known as juvenile diabete Continue reading >>
How To Help A Friend Deal With Diabetes (type 1)
Edit Article Three Parts:Being SupportiveHelping Them Deal with High Low SugarHelping Them Deal with High Blood SugarCommunity Q&A Finding out that your friend has diabetes can be scary. Diabetes can be a life-threatening disease, if not treated correctly every day. Type 1 Diabetes usually hits harder and noticeably faster than Type 2, because the pancreas in Type 1 stops working so that it can no longer make insulin—or makes far too little—of that hormone which is necessary to stay alive! If you have a friend with diabetes, you will want to know what you can do to help him or her, and how best to give your support. 1 This is an introduction. The Web sites at the end of this article will give you a good place to start from here. 2 Ask your friend what you can do to help. Some people are not comfortable with everyone knowing they have diabetes -- nor do they want everyone to try to help out. They may try to keep it very low-key. 1 For your friend using insulin: learn symptoms, when to treat, while following doctors' and parents' instructions for a low blood sugar attack -- be ready to help, if possible. Terms: (1) "gly·ce·mi·a" -- [glahy-see-mee-uh] noun -- the presence of glucose (simple sugar) in the blood. (2) "hyp-o-glycemia" -- low blood sugar ("hypo" means low). (3) "hyp-er-glycemia" -- high blood sugar ("hyper" means high, syn. super). 2 "Low" blood sugar (hypoglycemia) attack: realize it can quickly cause sickness, harm cells and organs, and become life-threatening -- when the patient needs to raise blood sugar. Why? The patient: (1) may have had too much insulin, and it keeps moving sugar out of the blood, into cells as sugar (or some sugar that was changed into fat was moved into fat-cells), (2) or because of "over-exercising" the body used available ins Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent diabetes, juvenile) is a condition in which the body stops making insulin. This causes the person's blood sugar to increase. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is attacked by the immune system and then it cannot produce insulin. In type 2 diabetes the pancreas can produce insulin, but the body can't use it. Causes of type 1 diabetes are auto-immune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells. This can be caused by viruses and infections as well as other risk factors. In many cases, the cause is not known. Scientists are looking for cures for type 1 diabetes such as replacing the pancreas or some of its cells. Risk factors for type 1 diabetes are family history, introducing certain foods too soon (fruit) or too late (oats/rice) to babies, and exposure to toxins. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes are skin infections, bladder or vaginal infections, and Sometimes, there are no significant symptoms. Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed by blood tests. The level of blood sugar is measured, and then levels of insulin and antibodies can be measured to confirm type 1 vs. type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin and lifestyle changes. Specifically, meal planning to ensure carbohydrate intake matches insulin dosing. Complications of type 1 diabetes are kidney disease, eye problems, heart disease, and nerve problems (diabetic neuropathy) such as loss of feeling in the feet. Poor wound healing can also be a complication of type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, however, keeping blood sugar at healthy levels may delay or prevent symptoms or complications. There is currently no cure, and most cases of type 1 diabetes have no known cause. The prognosis or life-expectancy for a person with Continue reading >>
10 Tips For Teenagers To Live Well With Type 1 Diabetes
Twitter Summary: @asbrown1 shares his top 10 tips for living w/ #T1D, straight from presentation to 100+ teens at #CWDFFL15 At the Children with Diabetes Friends For Life Conference this month, I had the incredible opportunity to speak to ~100 teenagers with diabetes. My talk, “10 Tips for Living Well with Type 1,” was a lot of fun to put together, and our team thought diaTribe readers might be interested in seeing it. I agonized over how to present this so that it wouldn’t come across as a lecture – even my teenage self would not react well to some of the advice (“Sleep seven hours a night? Hah! I have sports plus exams plus the next level to beat in Halo 3!”). I concluded that the best thing I could do was make this session a conversation, but ground it in lessons I’ve learned over time. Thankfully, I also had the amazing FFL staff by my side to help guide the discussion. The session reminded me of something that I intuitively know but often forget: each person’s diabetes is completely different, and what works for me won’t work for everyone. And equally important, what works for me may change over time – it certainly has since I was a teenager. I’m sharing the slides below in case they’re useful, but my biggest hope is that it gets you thinking about your own diabetes. What motivates you? What drags you down? What can you do better today? Who can you reach out to for support? Let us what you think by email or on Twitter. As the oldest of six kids, I had a lot of responsibility from a young age, and my Mom was also a very hands-off parent; both helped me take the reins of my diabetes from an early age. I hope everyone can find the right balance between taking care of their own diabetes, but also relying on their parents for support when needed. Continue reading >>
The Friends & Family Guide To Type 1 Diabetes
Maybe it’s the friend’s child next door or a member in the family who has Type 1 diabetes. Perhaps you’ll be in charge of care at some point or are simply interested in learning more about T1. Consider this guide to help you navigate Type 1 as a friend or family member. What is Type 1? Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that affects a person’s pancreas. The pancreas is responsible for producing insulin, a hormone people need to get energy from food. Our pancreas, for reasons that have not been identified, does not produce any insulin. As a result, we need to inject or continually infuse insulin through a pump and carefully balance our insulin doses with eating and daily activities. We must also regularly monitor our blood-sugar levels. Type 1 is a non-stop and 24/7 balancing act that we must maneuver every day. There is no way to prevent Type 1 and there is no cure (currently!). How do you manage it? We get by with a little help from our friends! These include our glucose meter, insulin, needles, and monitors. The glucose meter is a device that measures blood sugar. We use a device that pricks our finger and we put the blood sample onto a test strip. From there, the test strip is read by the meter and gives us a number on the meter screen. We can get insulin into our bodies through multiple daily injections or an insulin pump. Injections are delivered to our bodies through insulin pens and needles. There are two types of insulin that we use. Fast-acting insulin gives our bodies insulin right away and is taken with meals or to correct a high blood sugar. Fast-acting insulin is used multiple times a day, depending on when you eat. The other is long-acting insulin, which is given once a day. Long-acting insulin is a slow release insulin that is given to your Continue reading >>
How You Can Cope With Type 1 Diabetes
Intro Living with type 1 diabetes can be emotionally draining. It’s normal for people with type 1 diabetes to feel scared, angry, frustrated, or discouraged from time to time. But there are some simple steps that you can take to reduce stress levels and anxiety. These seven suggestions can also help you to live better with type 1 diabetes. 1. Manage your stress It can be difficult to adjust to life with diabetes. Making changes to diet and lifestyle, monitoring blood sugar, counting carbs, and remembering to take insulin and other medications are often sources of stress. As time goes on, these tasks will get easier. But everyone has days when they feel overwhelmed. Doctors call the stress, anxiety, and negative emotions related to diabetes “diabetes distress.” People who have had type 1 diabetes for a long time may develop “diabetes burnout.” This can happen when you start to feel burdened by your diabetes. Along with diabetes stress, you likely also have other sources of stress in your life, such as school or work. Getting a handle on stress can go a long way towards coping better with diabetes. Find an activity that you enjoy to manage daily stress. Some options include exercising, going for a walk, taking a long bath, or even doing the dishes. Breathing exercises can also be helpful for reducing anxiety. 2. Work with your diabetes care team Your diabetes care team often includes your diabetes doctor and nurse, general practitioner, dietician, ophthalmologist, and diabetes educator. Depending on your needs, your team may also include other specialists, such as a foot doctor, mental health professional, or heart doctor. These are the best people to ask if you have any questions about your condition. They can also give you some tips on coping with type 1 diabe Continue reading >>
How To Support A Family Member With Type 1 Diabetes
How to Support a Family Member with Type 1 Diabetes When your child or your brother, or your spouse has Type 1 diabetes, you sometimes feel like a waterboy on the sidelines of a big game, wanting to help (particularly when your team is in trouble) but unable to run on the field. But there are ways that you, as a family member or close friend to someone with living with T1D, can assist and really make a difference. Here are some ideas. Be an Exercise Buddy. For those of us with T1 just like anyone else developing and maintaining an exercise program can be a challenge over the long run. Even for seasoned athletes who love to be in motion, there are peaks and valleys, days (or weeks or months) when momentum flags and wed rather sleep in. For those times, having an exercise buddy can help. Knowing that someone is counting on us to be at the track, the pool, or the gym, gets us out the door. If you encourage us, during and after strenuous exercise, to check our BG levels, well love you all the more. Do the Work. The average person who doesnt have diabetes doesnt know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 and probably doesnt care. Youre not average. As a family member of someone whos been diagnosed, you know the difference and possess a rudimentary knowledge of the condition and how your loved one manages it. But when someone you love is T1, a rudimentary knowledge is not enough. Get some books, or spend some quality time with Google. Become an expert. Your loved one already is. Learn the Language Type 1 diabetes is like a small country, with its own language and dialect. Learn it. Master the acronyms and terms that people with T1 use when talking about their condition. Then, when your loved one starts talking about her basal rate and her bolus and her A1Cs, you dont have Continue reading >>
Dos And Don'ts: Supporting Loved Ones With Diabetes
Dos and Don'ts: Supporting Loved Ones With Diabetes Friends and family members living with diabetes need the right kind of support. Here's how you can offer help they'll really appreciate. Medically Reviewed by Farrokh Sohrabi, MD Sign Up for Our Living with Diabetes Newsletter Thanks for signing up! You might also like these other newsletters: Sign up for more FREE Everyday Health newsletters . Family and friends can be true life lines for people living with diabetes they can lend a helping hand or shoulder to lean on at just the right moment. Studies show that people are able to manage their diabetes better when they have support from loved ones. It helps them to know theyre not going through it alone. But it can be difficult for loved ones who want to offer diabetes support to know the difference between being helpful and being a nag. Theres often a very fine line between pushing and pestering, says Lawrence Perlmuter, PhD, a psychologist at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago. Taking an interest in your loved ones diabetes, whether type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, is one thing; taking control is another. If youre constantly telling them what to do or repeatedly admonishing them, theyll see it as a challenge to their control, Perlmuter says. A take-charge attitude is rarely the kind of diabetes help your loved one is looking for. Here are some dos and donts for providing diabetes support that works for everyone. Donts When Youre Offering Diabetes Help Dont play doctor. Unless diabetes is your field, you shouldnt be giving medical advice, especially if its unsolicited. You may mean well, but many popular beliefs about diabetes are outdated, and you could be offering bad advice. Dont bring up other people you know. Maybe your g Continue reading >>
I Have Type 1 – Diabetes What Can I Eat?
From the moment you are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes you are likely to be faced with what seems like an endless list of new tasks that need to become part of everyday life – injections, testing, treating a hypo, monitoring and eating a healthy, balanced diet. No wonder it can all seem so daunting and overwhelming. One of your first questions is likely to be “what can I eat?” But, with so much to take in, you could still come away from appointments feeling unsure about the answer. Plus, there are lots of myths about diabetes and food that you will need to navigate too. If you’ve just been diagnosed and aren’t sure about what you can and can’t eat, here’s what you need to know. I've just been diagnosed with Type 1 – what can I eat? In one word... anything. It may come as a surprise, but all kinds of food are fine for people with Type 1 diabetes to eat. In the past, people were sent away after their diagnosis with a very restrictive diet plan. This was because the availability of insulin was limited and the type of insulin treatment was very restrictive. As insulin treatments have been developed to be much more flexible, the days of “do's and don'ts” are long gone. The way to go nowadays is to try and fit the diabetes and insulin around the same healthy, balanced diet that is recommended for everyone, with lots of fruit and veg and some food from all the food groups. Is there anything I should avoid? Before your diagnosis of diabetes, it is likely that you experienced an unquenchable thirst. It is a good idea to avoid sugary drinks and fruit juices as a way of quenching thirst. They usually put blood glucose levels up very high and very quickly – which is why they can be a useful treatment for a hypo (low blood glucose levels). Instead, drink water, Continue reading >>
Managing Diabetes
You can manage your diabetes and live a long and healthy life by taking care of yourself each day. Diabetes can affect almost every part of your body. Therefore, you will need to manage your blood glucose levels, also called blood sugar. Managing your blood glucose, as well as your blood pressure and cholesterol, can help prevent the health problems that can occur when you have diabetes. How can I manage my diabetes? With the help of your health care team, you can create a diabetes self-care plan to manage your diabetes. Your self-care plan may include these steps: Ways to manage your diabetes Manage your diabetes ABCs Knowing your diabetes ABCs will help you manage your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Stopping smoking if you smoke will also help you manage your diabetes. Working toward your ABC goals can help lower your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other diabetes problems. A for the A1C test The A1C test shows your average blood glucose level over the past 3 months. The A1C goal for many people with diabetes is below 7 percent. Ask your health care team what your goal should be. B for Blood pressure The blood pressure goal for most people with diabetes is below 140/90 mm Hg. Ask what your goal should be. C for Cholesterol You have two kinds of cholesterol in your blood: LDL and HDL. LDL or “bad” cholesterol can build up and clog your blood vessels. Too much bad cholesterol can cause a heart attack or stroke. HDL or “good” cholesterol helps remove the “bad” cholesterol from your blood vessels. Ask your health care team what your cholesterol numbers should be. If you are over 40 years of age, you may need to take a statin drug for heart health. S for Stop smoking Not smoking is especially important for people with diabetes beca Continue reading >>
The Dos And Don’ts Of Supporting Someone With Diabetes
This story was originally posted on April 13, 2015. Living with diabetes can be hard. Really hard. The constant blood monitoring, thinking about every morsel of food you put in your mouth, trying to avoid scary, life threatening complications. The stress can be exhausting. Then, just as you’re having an amazing day—your blood sugars have been nice and steady, you did an awesome job at work, you ate a super heathy lunch—you have to explain yourself. Someone sees your pump. You excuse yourself to bolus and someone spots a needle. You refuse the sugar-laden donuts in the break room. And you have to say it. “I have diabetes.” Cue the insensitive responses: “Do you have type 2 or the bad kind?” “It’ll go away if you just lose the weight.” “So does that mean you can’t eat cake?” “Diabetes isn’t that hard, you just have to be on a special diet, right?” “Your diabetes must be getting worse because you take insulin.” “You brought this on yourself.” “Since you take insulin, does that mean you’re type 1?” “You’re not fat, you can’t have diabetes.” And the best of all… “But you don’t look sick.” You wince. Perhaps you’ve heard it before, or maybe this is a new, creative dig at your illness. In a perfect world everyone would be educated about diabetes, but right now that just isn’t the case. Too many stereotypes and myths exist today that perpetuate misconceptions about both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. John Zrebiec, L.I.C.S.W., Chief of the Behavioral Health Unit at Joslin Diabetes Center, is no stranger to oblivious or downright rude comments aimed at those with diabetes. He suggests that if someone says something insensitive or just plain wrong to you, take the high road. Educate them on what it’s really like to l Continue reading >>
Diabetes Etiquette: How To Talk To Someone With Diabetes
When you live with a chronic illness like diabetes, living life sometimes can seem hard . The constant monitoring of your blood sugar, weighing and counting all your food can seem time consuming and overwhelming. Not to mention the constant worry about complications lingering in the back of your mind. The stress alone of living with diabetes can be exhausting. Then you have this amazing day where everything seems to be going your way. Your blood sugars have been steady all day and youre about to sit down for a lunch out in public and someone sees your insulin pump . Or you excuse yourself to go give an injection and someone sees your syringe. Or maybe you refuse the office birthday cake and say No Thank you, I have diabetes. Before we continue with this article, I wanted to let you know we have researched and compiled science-backed ways to stick to your diet and reverse your diabetes. Want to check out our insights? Download our free PDF Guide Power Foods to Eat here. From here you can cue the typical responses: Youre not fat, you dont have diabetes Oh, its just diabetes, at least its not cancer Youll be fine you just need to lose weight Youve probably heard these all before or it might be new to you, either way it wont be the first time you hear phrases like these when someone hears about you having diabetes. In a more perfect world, everyone would know everything there is to know about diabetes, but unfortunately that isnt the case in our world. There are too many different stereotypes that exist when it comes to diabetes . Most of which perpetuate the myths between type 1 and type 2 . This article isnt about how to handle these comments, people with diabetes are very strong and have thick skin. These are the types of things we get used to. This article is for those Continue reading >>
