Diabetes & Children

Juvenille diabetes is diabetes that affects people 18 years of age or younger, and is most commonly Type 1. When I was first diagnosed, I found it extremely difficult and overwhelming to have to begin a totally new life style change. I caught on after a week or so, and it became like second nature. I always wondered though, what would I say to a child if they were to ask me what I was doing while taking my blood glucose level, or even my insulin injections. How would you explain that stabbing myself was actually helping me live without them getting freaked out? Explaining my sickness and how its okay to give myself needles is one challege, but how would a doctor or a parent explain to a 5 year old that they now have to take needles a few times day, and check their blood sugar? I personally couldn't imagine it. As a child, I was terrified of needles. Booster shots were my biggest fear. Of course they hurt a lot more than a 4mm needle in the stomach would, but still though, how would you explain to a little 5 that all of a sudden he or she is really sick and needs to take needles at school. They would either have to learn the sliding scale (so many units based on blood sugar levels), or learn how to count carbs at such a young age. Personally, I envy any parent that has had to teach their child things like this. As a 17 year old, I thought school was the hardest part when it came to my insulin because a lot of the time my meals were never at the exact time every day, but I couldnt imagine a little 5 year old giving insulin to themselves at school on their own, but it happens, everyday somewhere in the world. Diabetes effects those who we never ever thought it would. It is a silent disease that you cant see. Even though someone may look perfectly healthy apart from maybe bruises on their stomach, you would never be able to pick out diabetics from a crowd. Even the pump is usually well hidden and unnoticeable if a person doesnt want it to be seen.

Many people say to me on a daily basis "Oh youre way too young to have diabetes", but actually, some people are born with it. I think being born with it would be one of the hardest things because a child would have to grow up not knowing what it is like to have a pancreas that works, and not to have to worry about blood sugar or insulin. Believe it or not, diabetes is a big responsibility, and it absolutely amazes me that young children have such an amazing handle on it (with guidance from their parents of course). Its not an easy thing to stab yourself with a needle everyday a few times a day, and often times its a mind over matter sort of thing, but children so young can do it, some even better than me. Its phenomenal. There are a lot of factors that go along with diabetes, some I dont even have mastered yet, so I cant imagine a 5 year old that doesn't really understand whats going on to be able to, but they do. Our diabetic technology has definitely evolved and made it a lot easier than it used to be just 20 years ago when you had to fill a needle yourself, and I dont believe pumps were out yet. When people say that children dont understand something, theyre 100% wrong, and diabetes proves it. For such a complex disease, hundreds of thousands of children in Canada can understand it and take care of themselves, they just need a little extra explaining and a little extra guidance. Children are a lot smarter than you think, especially those with Type 1 Diabetes, but is their an easier way for them to understand? Ive been wondering about this for a while, and came to think: What if their was a diabetic doll, that you could give insulin to, check her blood sugar, or even change pump sites on? Maybe the perfect, pretty, slim barbie doll that looked flawless on the outside, but had a disease on the inside? Younger children with type 1 diabetes I'm sure would have a very difficult time explaining to other children in their class why they have a pump atatched to their hip, or why they have to give injections, and perhaps a doll of some kind, or a barbie would help with that. I believe it would be easier to explain to a child that they have diabetes using a prop of some sort such as a doll, of for them to explain to their classmates why they inject themselves every day. Apart from a little girl explaining to her classmates what it is exactly that she has using a doll, Im sure she would love telling all her diabetic secrets and telling the doll things she wouldnt tell anyone else, just because the doll is exactly like her. Like an imaginary friend, thats diabetic and not so imaginary.

Jenn :)