diabetes

Penny MacWhirter, LJI Journalist

HOPE TOWN – On March 4, 2021, when Emma Burton was only 8 years old she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes leaving the family in shock. Emma’s mother, Pamela Ross says that although she was in shock she was relieved to finally have answers. Prior to her diagnosis Emma was quite sick and had lost a significant amount of weight. 

Like many people with diabetes, the treatment Emma has received has evolved since being diagnosed. “I started out having to eat a specific number of carbs (60) at each meal. Then moved to ratios (that were different depending on the time of day). The first year I was MDI (multiple daily injections). After that I was transferred to a diabetic clinic and was able to get my insulin pump. From about month 2, I was able to have a Dexcom (so that I didn’t have to test my finger as much),” explains Emma. 

Emma tells SPEC that the first year after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes was rough and adapting to the pump took time. “My specialist doctor is amazing,” adds Emma. 

As far as side effects and limitations Emma says that when her numbers are low, she has to sometimes not participate in activities with friends. She also can’t have the same foods and treats as her friends. I always have to think and calculate before having a snack or meal. “I always have to verify my sugar before starting any activity, even as simple as going for a walk,” says Emma. In addiEmma says that although she has diabetes she doesn’t find she’s treated any differently at school or by friends. 

When her levels are too high she feels thirsty, hungry and might have mood swings. Emma does a correction “By doing a correction with Insulin, drinking more water, taking a shower, or exercising (if it isn’t too high – as that can make it go higher). 

If her levels are too low, she might feel shaky, weak, experience changes in body temperature, headaches and “I think everything is funny,” explains Emma. She treats low blood sugar by “Taking candy (3.5g of carbs) and sitting down to give my sugar time to come back up. If it is not back up in 15 minutes, I take another candy… I continue until my sugar is back up in the safe zone. 

Although Emma is quite young she is able to do a pretty good job at keeping an eye on her numbers and doing what is necessary, with the help of her parents. “I am able to manage most tasks on my own but prefer to have help. My parents want me to be able to be a kid and not have to think about it 24/7,” states Emma. 

Pamela says it was important to the family to teaching Emma that she can live and thrive with an autoimmune disease and that she can still lead a normal life. It was important down to give my sugar time to come back up. If it is not back up in 15 minutes, I take another candy… I continue until my sugar is back up in the safe zone. 

Although Emma is quite young she is able to do a pretty good job at keeping an eye on her numbers and doing what is necessary, with the help of her parents. “I am able to manage most tasks on my own but prefer to have help. My parents want me to be able to be a kid and not have to think about it 24/7,” states Emma. 

Pamela says it was important to the family to teaching Emma that she can live and thrive with an autoimmune disease and that she can still lead a normal life. It was important to Emma’s parents to teach her how to manage and calculate her meals and snacks. 

In fact the family has done such a great job at managing the condition they were able to get her pump fast tracked. “By showing them we knew what we were doing. When she had her first appointment with the specialist, they said it would be a year before we would be able to get an insulin pump for her. When we went to her second appointment only a few short weeks later we were able to fill out the paperwork and start the pump application process,” says Pamela. 

Emma also tells us that she has gotten much faster at carb counting and can estimate a meal, as well as being able to calculate the correct amount of insulin if she’s not on her regular schedule, such as if she’s slept in. 

Pamela, says the biggest challenge of being the parent to a child with Type 1 diabetes is “Being alert 24/7 and always having to be ready to jump when her Dexcom or Pump alarms. Always watching her numbers so that we can text her when she isn’t with us to do a correction or have something to eat if she is dropping to fast.” She also says that there aren’t many places Emma can go without a parent going as well. “Most people don’t know what to do and are nervous that something may happen, even though at this point she can mostly take care of herself with us via text messaging,”adds Pamela. 

As far as complications go, while Pamela is aware of the possibilities she says the family focuses on the present. “All we can do is focus on today and try our best to keep our numbers in check. Complications come from uncontrolled blood sugars over a long period of time. We just need to focus on keeping our numbers good to reduce or chances of complications in the future,” explains Pamela. 

Pamela is a member of a support group on Facebook: Parents of Type 1 Diabetics – Canada. Pamela would like to have more local support and has reached out to several local organizations with little success. “I have messaged a local organization a few times about maybe starting a group for diabetics, however, even though I have messaged a few different people since her diagnosis the most I have heard back is that they would speak to someone else and get back to me, unfortunately nobody has ever gotten back to me,” states Pamela 

Emma’s advice to anyone who is newly diagnosed is to “Be patient, it will get easier as time goes on.” While her mother’s advice is “It gets better and easier to manage as time goes on. Take it day by day and don’t stress about what happened yesterday or what could happen tomorrow. Reach out to those around you for help. Join a group.” 

Pamela adds that eating in moderation is key. They use MyFitnessPal app to enter receipts “It will tell you the carb count if you enter the number of servings the recipe is for. We also use CalorieKing for when eating out,” explains Pamela. 

Pamela tells us that stress does have a major influence on sugar levels, but it is difficult to manage. “It can cause your sugar levels to increase or decrease depending on the person. You need to be careful when correcting sugar levels that care caused by stress. As when the stress goes away so does its impact on your levels. A good example of this is when my daughter has a big test or exam in school,” explains Pamela. 

Pamela would like the general public to know “Insulin is not always the answer like they seem to portray on TV. Type 1 can NOT, be prevented and is NOT caused by what the person ate or is eating. If a person is high, they need more insulin. If a person is low, they need sugar. If a person has passed out due to low blood sure they should be given glucagon. Emma carries a baqsimi nasal powder in her kit.” 

On a final note Pamela shares this thought: “They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. However, with diabetes doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same results is known as insanity. You can eat the exact same thing every day and have completely different results, because so many other factors can impact one’s sugar levels (food, stress, outside temperatures, etc.).” 

Penny MacWhirter, LJI Journalist

HOPE TOWN – November is diabetes awareness month in Canada and Diabetes Canada is asking Canadians to “Commit to making time to understand and support those who live with this condition every single day.” 

Diabetes Canada is also making suggestions of ways Canadians can make a difference. It is encouraging those who either have diabetes or care for someone who does, to go on social and “Spill the Diabetea.” You can do this by uploading a video of your experience with diabetes and use the #spillthediabetea and #DiabetesAwarenessMonth hashtags during the month of November. 

Did you know that every three minutes, someone in Canada is diagnosed with diabetes and that people living with diabetes are two to three times more likely to live with depression? 

There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes. During the month of November, The Gaspé Spec will have several articles relating to diabetes, along with interviews with individuals living with diabetes. 

The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes 

Type 1 diabetes happens when the immune system destroys your pancreas’ beta cells. This causes them to stop producing insulin. According to Health Canada Type 1 diabetes usually develops in childhood or early adulthood, and there is no known way to prevent it. Known risk factors include genetic predisposition and certain environmental factors. About 5 to 10% of people living with diabetes have Type 1. 

Type 2 diabetes happens when the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t respond well to the insulin it makes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type. About 90 to 95% of people living with diabetes have type 2. People usually receive a diagnosis after the age of 40, but it’s now becoming more common in younger people too. 

Amanda’s Story

Living with diabetes can be quite time-consuming, as individuals are faced with managing a complex and often invisible condition. 

Amanada Kennedy, from Hope Town is a Type 1 diabetic. She was diagnosed in 2008, initially with Type 2 diabetes’s but after proper testing it was revealed that she is actually a Type 1 diabetic. “Initially I was shocked with the diagnosis as I had blood work done a month previous and there were never any symptoms or reason to think I was diabetic,” says Amanda. She adds that her family was rather surprised as well. “They are very supportive and helpful when needed,” says Amanda. 

When Amanda was first diagnosed with diabetes she started on a pill form of treatment until she became pregnant, then doctors switched her to insulin for the duration of her pregnancy. “Once I gave birth, they took me off insulin and gave me half a pill a day. My glucose levels went haywire and my weight plummeted to 98 lbs, as a heavyset person, I was greatly concerned and asked the doctors if maybe I should be put back on insulin. The doctors tried different pill form doses but after pleading with the doctor for several months about six months late,r I was returned to insulin as a form of treatment. With trial and error and different doses we were finally able to get the proper dose that my system was happy with,” explains Amanda. 

At the beginning of her diagnosis she found it very frustrating only seeing a family doctor whom had basic knowledge about the disease. “She worked out of the book that sadly sometimes was not in my benefit. Once I started seeing an endocrinologist in Rimouski who specializes in the diabetic field I was more at ease,” says Amanda. 

As far as limitations to her lifestyle she says that generally she doesn’t experience many. However, she explains, “If I happen to have a low glucose drop my whole day is finished. It plays havoc on your system and I just feel defeated and played out for the rest of the day.” 

Amanda finds stress, illnesses, even a cold or minor infection can affect her glucose levels. So, she tries to stay healthy and well in order to keep her glucose within range. 

As for how often she needs to check her glucose levels, Amanda explains “I use the Dexcom glucose monitoring system, which is a sensor that’s inserted under the skin, and a transmitter. The sensor tracks glucose levels every five minutes and sends the readings to my phone. The system translates the readings into data to help users manage their diabetes.” A typical reading for her is between 5 and 9, anything lower or higher than a 12 and she feels quite unwell. 

As for symptoms, when her levels are high she becomes quite thirsty, experiences brain fog, is irritable and tired. To treat high blood sugar, she finds things like drinking lots of water and exercise helps. She says that finding time to exercise daily isn’t easy, but that’s something she’s working on, especially walking more. She also says that when she’s having a rough day, she tries to tell herself to “Breath and get through it!” 

Amanda says diabetes has affected her entire life. “It has become a whole new daily life, when first diagnosed picking my finger eight times a day was draining mentally as I was thinking is it always going to be this way? As time passed, it has gotten easier the Dexcom has become very beneficial for me.” 

“Personally for me, the hardest part of being a diabetic is the unexplainable lows, sometimes in the middle of the night or randoms times during the day when I have not done anything to explain a low and it just comes on with no justification,” says Amanda. 

Amanda is trying to incorporate meals with less carbs and more protein, but adds that when you’re cooking for a family, it takes extra effort to make such meals. 

When travelling, she explains, “It is important to stop frequently to walk and stretch your legs to keep the blood flow running. I also make sure to have extra medications, supplies and items to help me in the event I should have a low or high.” 

She is aware that if not properly maintained there are many complications that can arise. “You can get diabetes in your eyes, nerve damage, heart attack and stroke, kidney problems. It is very important to try to maintain your levels as best as possible,” states Amanda. She adds that she goes for an annual eye exam to in order to catch such side effects early. 

As for support, “Living in a rural community I have not found many support groups,” she’s part of several facebook support groups that have helped her immensely. 

She would like non-diabetics to know, “Losing weight will not magically make your diabetes go away. In addition, sugar does not make you a diabetic, the lack of insulin being released from your pancreas does. I hear so many people say to others stop eating that sugar you will become diabetic. Nobody diabetic or not should consume an over abundance of sugar. Everything in moderation.” 

Amanda would like anyone who is newly diagnosed to know “You are going to be ok. It may seem like an inconvenience at the beginning. You may think ‘oh my how will I ever pick my finger or inject insulin daily? Maybe it will just go away.’ For a Type 2 diabetic, yes it may go away with the right diet and exercise and lifestyle changes, but for a Type 1, it will not just go away. You are a warrior and you can get through it just as I did and continue to do!” 

“It will be tough, you will have trials and errors on what works for you. What may spike my glucose may necessarily not spike yours. Each person is different and although it is a big adjustment for you and your family, with the right mindset and support you will and can lead a long healthy life,” adds Amanda. 

In closing Amanda leaves a powerful message, “Do not judge someone by the way they look. Just because a person is overweight or having a dessert, it does not mean that is what caused their diabetes. I was once 98 pounds and my diabetes was at its worse ever! We are all here for a short time. Embace each other and be kind to everyone, even diabetics, they have to deal with enough finger pricks daily.”