Type 1 Diabetes affects Community High students

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:24:12 GMT

By Brett Mattmiller

Brett Mattmiller
Cheyenne Dingman smiles as she prepares to test herself with her One Touch Ultra. "It hurt in the beginning, but now it's not as painful," she explained.

How much do you really know about diabetes? Type one diabetes can occur at any age, how ever it is most often diagnosed in small children, adolescents, and young adults. Insulin is a hormone produced by special cells called beta cells. The pancreas is behind the stomach. Insulin is needed to move blood sugar (glucose) into cells where they are stored and later used for energy. In type 1 beta cells produce little or no insulin. Without insulin glucose builds up in the bloodstream instead of going into cells. Therefore, the body isn’t able to get energy. The exact cause of diabetes type one is unknown. It is most likely an autoimmune disorder. Some kind of infection or something else triggers it and causes the body to mistakenly attack the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. It can be passed on through families. Symptoms include, being very thirsty, feeling hungry, feeling tired or fatigued, having blurry eyesight, losing the feeling or feeling tingling in your feet, losing weight without trying, urinating frequently. Some symptoms of having a low blood sugar are having headaches, being hungry more often, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, shaking, sweating and weakness. Because type one diabetes can start fast and hits hard, it could have you laid up in the hospital and be a deadly case. If you have type one and you know that you have type one you should check up on it every week until you get your blood sugar levels on track. My girlfriend Cheyenne Dingman has type 1 diabetes. She has suffered since she was 11 years old. In the time since then, she has lost 112 pounds and gotten her diabetes under control. However, in November 2011 Cheyenne found out that she had a really serious case and almost died. Cheyenne was rushed by ambulance to Bronson Methodist hospital in Kalamazoo, where she was held in the pediatric intensive care unit. Cheyenne’s organs were dying and shutting down. She was cared for and looked after carefully for days and she was getting treated and on her way to getting better. When Cheyenne was released from the hospital, she found out that she had to take insulin shots and to take metphormin again. Cheyenne suffers from type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, along with Scleredema Diabeticorum. Cheyenne’s comments on her stay are described below: What was the scariest thing about being in the hospital? I would have to say everyone I didn’t know that kept coming in to look at me and touch me. There were days I would wake up and see random people I didn’t know in my face looking over me. Who kept you strong when you knew that you were dying? My family and friends, if it weren’t for them I don’t know what I would have done. Especially my dad, while I was crying he stayed strong and didn’t cry telling me everything would be ok. What is your most hated thing about being a diabetic? That im not like a normal “teenager”, I can’t be irresponsible about decisions because I could get sick or get hurt easily. How does diabetes affect your daily life? Well I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is check my blood sugar. Then I eat my breakfast and take my meds. Being a diabetic I can’t eat “normal” foods I can’t eat pop tarts or sugary foods like most people can. I have to go by the food pyramid… literally. What is the effect being diagnosed has on you? Well it has defiantly made me a stronger person. I don’t take life for granted; every second of life is a gift from God.

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Type 1 Diabetes affects Community High students