4 minute read

Tammy Rhodes

Did You Know?

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and Nov. 14 is World Diabetes Day. In 1991, World Diabetes Day was founded to raise awareness about the rising health threats associated with diabetes.

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There are multiple types of diabetes, but the two largest categories are Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 means that the body doesn’t use insulin properly. Some people can control their blood sugar levels with healthy eating and exercise, while others may need medication or insulin to manage it. Type 1 (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which insulinproducing beta cells in the pancreas are mistakenly destroyed by the body’s immune system. T1D has a genetic component and can be diagnosed at any point in life. There is currently no cure for T1D, and people living with it must take insulin to survive. Here is a list of signs for each. TYPE 1 www.jdrf.org • Headaches • Weight loss • Blurry vision • Extreme thirst • Frequent urination • Increased appetite • Fruity breath odor • Fatigue and weakness • Rapid deep breathing

TYPE 2 www.diabetes.org • Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal • Tingling, pain or numbness in hands/feet • Urinating often • Feeling very thirsty • Feeling very hungry • Extreme fatigue • Blurry vision

Mom’s Concern Led to Life-Changing Appointment

BY TAMMY RHODES

How did you know your child had diabetes? I have been asked this question many times. The answer is not simple; it is collective. A few weeks before her diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), my easy going, 4-year-old daughter Madison started behaving in ways that were very unlike her.

What I now recognize as red flags, were a variety of unusual behaviors. Suddenly, my daughter started to be very irritable over the simplest things. Madison was eating more than both of my older kids, and even more than me on some days. She began eating three different meals for breakfast, a snack or two before lunch, two lunches, another snack before dinner and a bedtime snack, or two. She seemed to cry for food a lot; it was like she could never get full. I chalked it up to a huge growth spurt. She asked for a bottle of water everywhere we went, but she would drink it all by the time we got to the car.

On occasion, the car seat seemed to bother her a lot, and when it did, there was no getting her to sit in it. There were a few times she would fall asleep without notice, mid-morning while we were running errands. One day, we were shopping, and she fell completely limp, asleep in the shopping cart. She usually was not a napper. Another time, I was at an appointment, and Madison had just eaten. She seemed to be so tired; she slept in my lap the whole time.

Mom’s Concern Led to Life-Changing Appointment

Beau Houchens, 8, of Woodstock, enjoyed Camp Kudzu’s Sprouts Day Camp last summer.

One of the biggest concerns was raised when we went on an eight-hour road trip, which we’d done many times before. We typically stopped once during the trip. Everyone knew the routine. We would get gas, food and have a restroom break, and then back on the road. The routine worked for us so many times, but this trip was different.

It was just Madison and me this time, and she cried, almost the entire trip, for food and drinks. She was so thirsty; she was begging for more and more to drink. I could not give her enough. While I was driving, I was handing her water and snacks to keep her from being hungry. We stopped nearly every hour for more drinks and restroom breaks. I began to piece it together and realized what was happening.

I had a well visit scheduled for Madison soon, and I knew I’d need to have a talk with the doctor about my concerns. During the visit, I learned my suspicions were correct. Madison was diagnosed with T1D in the pediatrician’s office, and we were sent straight to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

That day changed every aspect of our lives. We thank our pediatrician every time we see her for saving Madison’s life.

Editor’s Note: Madison was diagnosed on Halloween 2019. She is doing amazingly well as she and her family navigate the daily ins and outs of T1D.

Resources

• Facebook Group: Woodstock/Canton T1D

The local Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) meetup group will gather at the playground in downtown Woodstock, 1-3 p.m. Nov. 7, for an unofficial One Walk. Please join the Facebook group, or email leembr1@gmail.com for more details.

• Facebook Group: Parents of Type 1 Children in Georgia • Juicebox Podcast

• Camp Kudzu, which offers camps throughout the year so Type 1 diabetes (T1D) kids and families can join together and build a sense of community. There are three week-long overnight sessions at Camp Twin Lakes on Lake Allatoona, in Cherokee County. campkudzu.org. • www.jdrf.org. JDRF is leading the fight against T1D by funding research, advocating for policies that accelerate access to new therapies, and providing a support network for millions of people around the world impacted by T1D. For info on donating, visit the website and search for the local team, Cherokee County: United to cure T1D.

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