What is it?
Type 1 Diabetes- something that sounds scary and something that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. And that is only in the United States. Worldwide, there are millions who are living with diabetes, and not just Type 1, but I will describe the other forms of diabetes in another blog.
What is it and how does it affect your body?
“An autoimmune reaction in which the body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas causes type 1 diabetes. As a result, the body produces very little or no insulin” (https://www.diabetesatlas.org/en/sections/worldwide-toll-of-diabetes.html). Sadly, this form of diabetes is found primarily in children and young adults. Why? There are multiple factors, but genes are the main reason, followed by ethnicity, where some people live, family history, and even some researches have found that there are some cases of Type 1 diabetes caused by viral infections (https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-1-diabetes/type-1-diabetes-risk-factors). Crazy right, that even some virus can cause diabetes to take place in your body when all you want to do is live a healthy life? You can most certainly live a healthy life even with Type 1 Diabetes, it will just take time to get used to the changes and for you to keep up with the changes. But there is always hope and help.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
Here are the symptoms that you should look for and as soon as you notice them, I hope you will listen to your body and go get tested by your doctor. Symptoms: increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unintended weight loss, mood changes such as irritability, fatigued, weakness, blurred vision, and when your child is suddenly bed-wetting during the night when they had never had an issue before. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20353011)
Like I said, if you or your children have any of these symptoms, please don’t wait. Go to your doctors, tell them what you are experiencing, and asked to be tested. The sooner you are tested and diagnosed, the better you have at catching it early and can start working on keeping it under control. There are complications that happen with Type 1 Diabetes but if you stay on course and stay vigilant with your treatments, then you will be just fine. Treatment, you ask? Of course, I will explain them in more detail.
Treatements
The treatments for Type 1 Diabetes are: constantly checking your blood sugar numbers (how high or low sugar is in your body with a glucose monitor), eating healthy foods, exercising and maintain a healthy weight, counting your carbohydrates, fat, and proteins, and of course the one treatment most people know besides pricking your finger to know your blood sugar, it is taking insulin. And sadly, since your body can not produce insulin, you must give yourself injections for the rest of your life. There are different insulin types that your doctor can prescribe to you, but it is 100% up to you to keep taking the insulin to help your body. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353017)
Don’t Give Up
Even though you may think that it is the end of the world now that you have diabetes and you can’t eat certain foods because of it, don’t give up. It isn’t the end of the world and all it means is you have to find an alternate healthier foods that you will enjoy more. Yes, having to take insulin for the rest of your life will not be fun or easy, and can be expensive, but you can do this. I am sure you have a great support team of family and friends. And now you can add me on there. I am a complete stranger and I am rooting for you. You will have a long, beautiful, adventurous life. Just don’t give up and keep moving forward.
I have also added links to my blog that have a lot more information about Type 1 Diabetes, which I truly hope you will take the time to read and look over yourself. I may have just skimmed the surface here in my blog, but I will always provide links to where you can find more information if you ever want to learn and read more about this topic or any health topic I may blog about.
Other Blogs
As I had said earlier, there will be another blog after this one where I talk about Type 2 Diabetes, what it is, treatment, and other information that I find interesting. I will also do an ongoing series after this where I have interviewed those with any of the diabetes I have blogged about or those loved ones who live with someone who has diabetes. I hope you enjoy this series and know that you are not alone. There are hundreds if not thousands who suffer from diabetes and they go through the same thing you have to everyday. I hope you will take in some comfort knowing that you are never alone.
Also, know that there are products out there that can hopefully help you out, especially if you are like me and a sugar fiend. One such product, VIANA Stevia, I have written a product review about and I hope you will read it and even consider trying it in your diets. I have tried it myself, as I have stated in my product review, and it has helped me to at least lessen my sugar intake. So please read my other two blogs and stick around for more information and interview blogs.