One thing in my life that usually goes unnoticed would have to be my diabetes. I was diagnosed with Type 1 on March 5, 2009. Most people tend to not notice any difference between me and others, due to the fact that I try not to let it hold me back from life. It is important to me because I will have to live with the diabetes for the rest of my life unless a cure is found. I wish others would notice what diabetes really is instead of a disease that only affects those who are overweight. Type 1 diabetes is important to me also because it has affected many in my family and I hope to someday be a part of finding the cure. My diabetes is the main reason my goal is to enter the medical field. I want to help others like me that are struggling through
The summer of 2004 is when I got diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, it was very shocking for my family except for me, I still didn’t completely understand what I had. All I knew was that the poking and pricking with different sized needles was painful. Eventually I began to learn what Type 1 Diabetes really was, and even though i had it, it didn’t slow me down, I focused on my academics and when it affected me I addressed and fixed the problem and went back to work. I also didn’t let it slow down my physical activities either, I would be outside every single day as kid non-stop, also in middle school I joined gymnastics as well and pursued it until the start of my junior year of high school. Diabetes affected my way of life, it made me different than everyone else and could’ve slowed me down but I didn’t let it, I still participated in different activities that everyone else did.
Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder characterized by an imbalance between insulin production, insulin need, and the bodies ability to use the available insulin. This imbalance can result from a total lack of insulin, from impaired release of insulin, inadequate or defective insulin receptors in body tissue, or from the production of insulin that is either inactive or destroyed before it can become effective.
My diagnosis forced me to become incredibly responsible at a young age because of how serious my disease is. I am an incredibly responsible person to this day because my survival has been and still is dependent on my management of my diabetes. My diabetes has helped me to become a much healthier person, as I now truly know what it means and what it takes for me to be healthy. I have also learned a remarkable amount about how strong I am due to this disease. I have been through so much because of this disease, including numerous near-death experiences, and the fact that I have survived it all proves my strength. Over the years, I have come to learn that, while diabetes is a large part of my life, it is not the only thing about me. This realization has allowed me to push past any fears that I have had because of my diagnosis, and focus on what I know I can do rather than focusing on all of the things I am unable to do. This is, in my own personal opinion, the most important thing that I have realized about my disease, because it has helped me realize that I want to inspire others and show everyone that my disease does not and will never limit my
During 2008-2009, 18,436 people younger than twenty years of age were diagnosed with type one diabetes. Because of diabetes, 18,436 people had to completely change their way of life for a disease that is currently incurable. Out of the U.S population, 9.3%, or 29.1 million people, currently live with diabetes. Each year, 40,000 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in the U.S. Between 2001 and 2009, the number of cases of type one diabetes in people younger than twenty years of age increased by 21%. The annual healthcare costs associated with type one diabetes totals $14 billion. Diabetes is a life-altering disease whose affects can be seen at all stages of life. If it is not well managed, diabetes can result in blindness, nerve damage, loss of limbs, cardiovascular problems, and death.
When I woke up on April 3rd, 2011, I didn’t expect that later in the day, my whole life would be changed forever. I was aware, however that something was wrong.
Being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at eight years old was a struggle for me, so at 10 years of age I became a youth ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and began attending support groups for parents whose children had been newly diagnosed with diabetes. My role primarily involved supporting other diabetic children, but I found myself supporting the parents who were 3-4 times my age. I also performed motivational speeches to participants at the Walk to Cure events and helped organize fundraisers. These experiences inspired me to pursue more support, mentorship, and leadership roles through a career in psychology. I became very interested in doing research after starting university, so I began volunteering in research labs as early as my second year with Dr. Jessica Cameron, who then referred me to volunteer in Dr. Marian Maorry’s lab
Farrar D, Tuffnell DJ, West J. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion versus multiple daily injections of insulin for pregnant women with diabetes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD005542.
The organ or organ system that this disease targets is the body’s blood circulatory system, as it has something to do with the amount of sugar that is in the body. There are a whole range of symptoms that come with the fact that your body has abnormally high sugar levels. One of the symptoms is that your urine will also have high levels of sugar. However, this is a mainly harmless symptom. Some of the more dangerous symptoms include, when not treated properly, blindness, heart disease, a higher chance of stroke, and vascular disease that often leads to even more serious effects. These effects include gangrene and because of that, lead to the need of amputation.
My family has a long history of Type 1 Diabetes. One thing that has made me interested in biomedical engineering is how far the treatment of diabetes has come. When my grandfather was diagnosed, there was little anyone could do to treat it other than to tell him to take insulin shots around the time when he ate his meals. He did his best, but in 2008, he died of kidney failure due to the strain that diabetes had put on his body over his lifetime. However, when my cousin was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in the early 2000’s, there was new technology like the insulin pump which took almost all of the human error out of the equation. I find it amazing that in one generation, the life expectancy of someone with Type 1 Diabetes has increased to the point where it’s equal to someone without the disease at all. It makes me wonder if during my lifetime someone will create the technology that makes Type 1 Diabetes a disease of the past.
In each individual’s time on earth normally there is a great chance of some sort of tragedy to occur, possibly in many different ways. This could either be triggered by oneself or from another individual’s decision. There are certain situations that are out of one’s control. Leaving those affected the responsibility of taking charge of the problem and making the best of the situation. Some situations offer minimal risk to the health of an individual or others. There are specific cases that it is the opposite and the situation dealt is terminal or completely life altering. Health related issues and many other opportunities are now restricted just from a diagnoses like type 1 diabetes. This situation is all too familiar to a personal experience in my own life. I have been diagnosed with an incurable disease called, and now a type 1 diabetic.
Being diagnosed with type one diabetes it creates multiple situations that requires the patient to take responsibility to help control their disease. While also the diagnoses can restrict the opportunities for the patient. According to the American Diabetes Association, “In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. Approximately 1.25 million American children and adults have type 1 diabetes” (ADA. Par.1). Thus being diagnosed by type one
Hurriedly my mom packed me into the car and dashed to the hospital. Nobody knew what was going on, one day I was a sweet seven year old boy and the next I was as rancid as a rotten egg and grumpier than a cat. I don’t quite remember what happened when I got to the hospital because on my way there I lost consciousness. A few hours later I awoke and once again master of my senses. At that moment the doctor came in and told me the bad news. I had a lifelong and challenging disease, known as Type 1 Diabetes.
My family and I have managed diabetes for a considerable length of time are as yet managing this ailment. My grandmother had Type 1 diabetes, my dad has Type 1 diabetes, and I have Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where the measure of glucose in your blood is too high in light of the fact that the body can 't utilize it legitimately. This is on the grounds that your pancreas does not create any insulin, or insufficient, to offer glucose some assistance with entering your body 's phones – or the insulin that is delivered does not work legitimately. There are three principle sorts of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and Gestational diabetes. This article will manage what those sorts of diabetes are, what causes them, and
Living with a chronic condition not only effects the individual, but it effects the entire family. An adolescent living with a chronic health condition not only depends on their family for support, but also on support from their friends, classmates, and healthcare team (Rostami, Parsa-Yekta, Najafi Ghezeljeh, & Vanaki, 2014). Supporting an individual with a chronic disease leaves an emotional impact and can be financially straining as well. Families living with a sick child must find strategies to cope. Whether the coping strategies utilized are positive or negative, they leave a lasting effect on the entire family, as well as the child living with the condition (Woodson, Thakkar, Burbage, Kichler, & Nabors, 2015). Involvement of the parents in this situation is vital to the child’s future success in managing their illness (Landers, Friedrich, Jawad, & Miller, 2016). This paper will explore one family’s story of living with, and coping with, a child who has recently been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).
Breathe in, breathe out. My lungs rattle as I gasp for air in the humid afternoon. The sun beats down on my forehead as sweat drips onto the blistering tar. My jersey sticks to my skin as I clench my fists. Breathe in, breathe out. My legs flood with lactic acid, but I march ahead. Coach’s voice interrupts the pounding of my feet, urging me to fight on. I feel a sudden burst of adrenaline rush through my body and I drive my legs up the hill. Breathe in, breathe out. Midway, my vision begins to blur. Numbness diffuses across my arms until I’m left paralyzed. I realize my blood glucose is dangerously low but I still push forward. My body stiffens and I collapse onto the dehydrated grass beneath me. I stare up at the sky and see the sun begin