Date: 04/05/2023

Living With Diabetes

”Sometimes you would have low blood sugar and you might just wake up in a panic because you are dying, and you sit in dark drinking your juice box and that's okay. We all have the weird little things we have to do in order to stay alive”- Ashley Anne

The above scenario is common for diabetic patients across ages and gender. They need to stay aware or alert when it comes to their blood sugar levels. Diabetes, a metabolic disorder, affects all organs in the patient’s body.

Juvenile Diabetes

Juvenile Diabetes is also known as Type 1 Diabetes diagnosed mostly in children and young adults. This happens when their body stops producing insulin. At times, people tend to leave out the obvious signs of the disease. You need to look out for blurry vision, fatigue, slow healing wounds, especially cuts, weight loss, bruises etc.

Being diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes can be equivalent to a roller coaster ride with a wide range of emotions like shock, denial, anger, sadness, fear and guilt running through your veins. The period post-diagnosis can be quite challenging, and you need huge emotional support along with time and care to deal with the disease.

Managing Juvenile Diabetes

Dealing with diabetes isn’t always convenient especially when life gets busy but adding some simple strategies into your daily lifestyle can help you to stay healthy and live well. At its core, proper type 1 diabetes management is composed of a handful of elements: blood glucose control and insulin management, exercise, nutrition and support.

Self-Management Of Juvenile Diabetes

Morning: Rise, shine and check your blood sugar. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Take your medications and don’t forget to have a snack every 2 hours.

Afternoon: Eat a healthy lunch and get some exercise.

Evening: Eat a nutritious dinner and check your blood glucose before and after dinner. Relax and get some sleep

Planning ahead is the key to managing your diabetes. Do not forget to follow your daily diabetes schedule to make living with type 1 diabetes a little easier.

Managing Juvenile Diabetes – Parental Care

As a parent, watching your child grow can be a thrilling experience but you can naturally be traumatized if your child is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The weird thing about Type 1 Diabetes is that it reminds parents, minute by minute, precisely how much they love their child. The theme for this year’s Diabetes day which was celebrated on 14th November was, ”The Family and Diabetes”.   Since diabetes cannot be cured; the management of Type 1 Diabetes is totally dependent on patients and parents. Here’s just a few dos and don’ts:

• Do get involved: Don’t get mad over high numbers and figure out the problem. Address everything as positive as you can.

• Do suggest: Getting involved with a group of people who have been where you have been, is a good thing. They can give you suggestions on devices and means of diabetes management.

• Don’t give up: Dealing with diabetes can be a tedious task for both the child and the parents. Some days fluctuations in blood glucose can be more. Don’t give up on life and be a warrior.

• Don’t forget to celebrate: Anniversaries of the diagnosis date don’t have to be sombre occasions. Rather, think of celebrating living well, despite diabetes.

Be Cautious About:

Serious Lows: Talk to your diabetes healthcare team about handling a low blood glucose emergency.

Shots & Blood Glucose Checks: You might feel scared, anxious or guilty about giving your child a shot or checking blood glucose but remember, your child takes their cues from you, so take a few deep breaths, relax and be assured that it gets easier – for both you and your child.

Telling Others: Though your school nurse, teachers and principal need to know, it’s up to your child to tell his or her friends and others. Before spreading the news, ask your child how he or she feels. If he or she is not ready to share, respect his or her decision and help him or her to feel more comfortable about diabetes.

The Transition To Self-Care

There’s no fixed age to manage diabetes without help. The basic idea is to slowly involve your child more and more in food choices, tracking, listening to their body and other parts of care.

Being Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes is an overwhelming experience and living with it requires hard work, resilience, persistence and courage along with self-management and parental care to lead a normal life; that is something to be proud of. Today through this blog we do not celebrate the highs and lows rather the strength is shown by Type 1 Diabetics by dealing with it all day; ”You are amazing”. In this journey, you’ll find that the only way to deal with this disability is to embrace it and not let it define you because you are a Superhero!!

Until we don’t find a cure, live and thrive with it.

Need more information on diabetes and its related diseases? Ask Anya! Chat with Anya Bot here via Facebook and get more information on diabetes management.

Disclaimer: The above information has been prepared by a qualified medical professional and may not represent the practices followed universally. The suggestions listed in this article constitute relatively common advice given to patients, and since every patient is different, you are advised to consult your physician, if in doubt, before acting upon this information. Lupin Limited has only facilitated the distribution of this information to you in the interest of patient education and welfare.