Saturday, July 21, 2012

What is is like ...

To be a teenager with Type 1 Diabetes ...

I set out to get the views of everyone that is affected by the diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. I have gotten an amazing response from the teenage T1 community wanting to get their views heard.

Teenagers in my opinion get stuck in an interesting spot ... They are not children but they are not adults either, they are in this kind of in between ... They want the responsibility but they also still want help. They want to act like adults but do not have the brain function yet of an adult ... It comes down to a very fine line of communication and responsibility to manage diabetes during the teenage years.

Here is one of those teenagers thoughts :)


Q: First Name and Age:
A:  Alyssa 18 years old

Q: When were you diagnosed and at what age?
A:  December 1, 2004-- 10 years old

Q: What do you remember about your diagnosis?
A:  How in denial my dad was. Lol

Q: Are you on an insulin pump (if yes what kind) or are you on multiple daily injections?
A:  Yes-- animas one touch ping

Q: Do you like your current method of infusion?
A:  No-- I'm on silhouettes but I'm changing to one that goes straight in and is much more painless :D

Q: How comfortable are you managing your Type 1 Diabetes?
A:  Very comfortable. My mom helps me out just so that I don't get overwhelmed and tired of it but with going away to college in fall, I have to:)

Q: What is the hardest aspect of your diabetes management?
A:  Trying to eat at parties where there are no containers with carbs on them and no measuring tools... I'm pretty good at guesstimating but it just gets annoying.

Q: Do you have a Diabetes Alert Dog, if yes how does your D.A.D help you with your diabetes management?
A:  No

Q: Are you friends with any other Type 1 diabetics in your area?
A:  Yes-- I went to a camp for diabetics in my area and it has been the best thing for me!! I'm a counselor there now and I love helping kids that were going through the same thing as me!!

Q: Do you talk to other Type 1 Diabetic children/teens via facebook, twitter, or chat rooms? If yes:  Does that help your diabetes management and understanding of Type 1 Diabetes?
A: Yes... I talk to my fellow counselors and campers from above camp:)

Q: Besides a cure what 1 thing would you like to see researchers working towards and why? A: Insulin in the pill form for T1's... I don't care how many times I could have to take it or how many I would have to take... or an oral insulin that you would just drink or swallow

Q: What tips or advice would you give to other newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetic children/teens?
A:  It will be difficult at first... It will also be painful... But you can't give up or break down... It's okay to ask for help... Call your doctor or nurse practitioner.. They're there for you and also... Don't blow people off when they tell you stories about loss of eyesight or amputations... It can very well happen... That's why it is sooo important to take extra good care of yourself!!

I look forward to sharing even more thoughts and stories like Alyssa's, keep checking back for more :)

No comments: