|
|||||||||||
 |
December 2005
How the Insulin Pump HelpsLearn how one child manages her diabetes and can be like her friendsKids today feel constant pressure to fit in and have friends. For kids with diabetes, that pressure becomes even greater. “Taking blood-sugar readings and counting carbs sets kids with diabetes apart from their friends,” says diabetes educator Carole Stevens, R.D. Because hormonal changes can affect blood-sugar levels, puberty presents another special challenge to kids with diabetes. Just when monitoring blood sugar becomes even more important, teenagers are more distracted and don’t always test themselves as often as they should. “They’re more independent and don’t always make good decisions,” says Mary Ellen Cooper, R.N., Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network diabetes educator.But, she says, kids with diabetes should be commended for all they do in the face of these challenges. One stellar example of facing--and overcoming--the challenges of type 1 diabetes: 10-year-old Elizabeth Lamm of Schnecksville, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age two. At age five, when most children were adjusting to kindergarten, Elizabeth started using an insulin pump to better control her blood sugar—one of the youngest children in the region to do so at that time. She didn’t have to take insulin injections anymore – the pump provided a steady, adjustable flow of insulin, helping her parents feel comfortable she was getting the dose she needed. Today, Elizabeth still tests her blood sugar four times a day. She doesn’t have to worry about fitting in with other kids, because her pump is so small it fits under her clothing. The pump also allows her to eat meals when her friends do. “All I have to do is punch in the amount of carbs I’ve eaten and my pump figures out my insulin dose. I don’t even have to carry a calculator,” she says. And Elizabeth participates in all the same activities as her friends. “I play soccer and basketball, and swim,” she says. And for several years, she’s attended Camp Red Jacket, a free day camp for children ages 6 through 12 with type 1 diabetes. Kids at Camp Red Jacket swim, make arts and crafts, and go on field trips – they also learn about their condition from certified diabetes educators, registered nurses, registered dietitians, certified insulin pump trainers and certified registered nurse practitioners. “When I first started going to Camp Red Jacket, I was a little nervous because I didn’t know anybody.” Lamm says. “But now I love going because I have a lot of friends there.” Rather than feeling resentful of a lifestyle that requires constant blood-sugar monitoring, Elizabeth thrives. “I can do anything I want to, and my friends don’t think I’m different. Their parents even know how to help me if my blood sugar gets too low.” This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
ARTICLE TOOLS:
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
||||||
