ADK - Diabetes

ADK was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on November 16, 2010. He was not feeling well for a few days and was very week. I had been gone to St. Louis for training and when I returned I could tell he was not doing well. It turns out he had lost about 20 pounds in about a month. We knew he had lost some weight but figured it was because he was running cross country. I really noticed the weight loss after being gone for a week. When I took him into the doctors his blood glucose (BG) was 590 and A1C was 14. We were immediately sent to a specialist who then referred us to Spokane. ADK was checked into the hospital for 3days to get his BG under control and to get educated on diabetes. 

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Only 5-10% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys certain cells in the pancreas, an organ about the size of a hand that is located behind the lower part of the stomach. These cells -- called beta cells -- are contained, along with other types of cells, within small islands of endocrine cells called the pancreatic islets. Beta cells normally produce insulin, a hormone that helps the body move the glucose contained in food into cells throughout the body, which use it for energy. But when the beta cells are destroyed, no insulin can be produced, and the glucose stays in the blood instead, where it can cause serious damage to all the organ systems of the body.


For this reason, people with type 1 diabetes must take insulin in order to stay alive. This means undergoing multiple injections daily, or having insulin delivered through an insulin pump, and testing their blood sugar by pricking their fingers for blood six or more times a day. People with diabetes must also carefully balance their food intake and their exercise to regulate their blood sugar levels, in an attempt to avoid hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) reactions, which can be life threatening.


ADK accepted the diagnoses well and is doing great managing his diabetes. He has impressed the doctors and nurses on how quickly he picked up on what he has to do. After two weeks the doctor recommend we get him on a insulin pump. At first they told us it would probably be a year before he could go on a pump. The doctor said he was doing so well adjusting to the new lifestyle that we might as well get the pump sooner. The insulin pump has made ADK's life even better. No more shots. He was giving himself insulin shots about 8 times a day. Every time he ate. Just think if you had to give your self a shot every time you put something in your mouth. I think we would eat a lot less and lose some weight.