Slm15 collate fa lores

Issue 15

Spring 2015

LIFE CAN BE SWEET, WITH DIABETES

Also

- Delicious dinner ideas - Kids exercise advice - Expert interviews - And more!

Diabetes Education

in schools

(what you need to know)

Free!

Take one now

PLUS: How to deal with the stigma of diabetes

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www.sweetlifemag.co.za

2015/08/17 12:21 AM

The Stigma of Diabetes Children with diabetes often experience stigma, and may not know how to deal with it. Here’s how to make life easier for your child.

WORDS: CARINE VISAGIE

When Njabulo Dlamini was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 16, he didn’t reveal his diagnosis to his friends. Fear of being called a drug addict, and standing out from the crowd, made him keep it a secret until the age of 19.

experience to break down some of the myths about the condition. But many other children with diabetes still have to deal with rejection and ridicule – so much so that their mental and physical health suffers.

After he met Jenny Russell from Diabetes South Africa’s Durban branch, this young man (also an Idols star) started using his

Is there something that can be done to eliminate this social side effect of diabetes? We asked the experts.

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Your child should always have their medical info and emergency contact details on hand: an ICE band or MedicAlert bracelet will do the trick.

Find out more at medicalert.co.za

When parents, teachers and other role models make a diabetes diagnosis and the day-to-day management a simple part of life, other children are more likely to accept this model as the norm. “Children don’t usually have preconceived prejudices, and they tend to follow models of behaviour set out for them,” says paediatric endocrinologist Dr Michelle Carrihill. “There’s no reason for children with diabetes to feel stigmatised if everyone is shown the right way to behave.”

Parents have a special role to play in this process, which starts with giving school staff and classmates the correct info. The more informed others are, the less likely it is that they’ll treat the child with diabetes differently.

How You Can Help: Not sure where to start? Here are some guidelines*:

• Learn as much as possible about your child’s condition and do a simple presentation to teachers and classmates explaining what diabetes is, and what blood glucose testing and insulin injections involve. This moves the kids’ response away from fear and suspicion towards acceptance.

• Provide teachers with written information about your child’s needs. Include: 1. A care plan for your child’s routine school day.

2. A plan for days when the routine isn’t followed (for example, during outings).

Special Feature

Red alert!

Don’t Make a Fuss

3. Signs and symptoms that could indicate a problem.

4. What to do in an emergency, including all necessary contact information.

* From Dr Carrihill, Jenny Russell and diabetes educator Kate Bristow.

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Special Feature

Make these plans with the teachers’ input, so that their roles are clear and accepted. A diabetes educator, dietician or diabetes specialist nurse can assist.

• Explain to teachers that blood glucose testing, additional trips to the bathroom and eating extra carbohydrates may sometimes be necessary.

No big deal should be made of this.

• Explain that your child can exercise and also take part in outings, just like the other kids: there’s no need to treat them differently.

• Some kids are okay to inject in front of friends, while others are not. Ask the school

to provide an area where your child will feel comfortable to test and inject. This could be the corner of a classroom or the nurse’s office, as long as the space is clean and quiet. They shouldn’t have to resort to the school bathroom.

• Ask teachers to provide positive support and encouragement, especially if your child seems anxious. Also ensure that a staff member is always available to them, so that they know who to ask for help.

* From Dr Carrihill, Jenny Russell and diabetes educator Kate Bristow.

Backpack checklist: Make sure your child’s backpack always has: • Testing equipment (a glucose monitor, lancets and strips).

• Insulin in a small cooler bag.

• A quick-acting sugary food or drink (like Super Cs).

• A glucagon emergency kit for severely low blood sugar emergencies: be sure to show teachers and older friends how to use it.

Join the Community: Does your child have diabetes? Come and talk to us about it at www.facebook.com/DiabeticSouthAfricans

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Partner’s Corner

This is your space…

“M

y son is a Type 1 diabetic, but I don’t want to be overly protective and make him feel he can’t do anything. Do you have any tips for parents of diabetic children, and how to make life normal?’ Sam Shongwe.

The first thing to do is make sure he is safe at school. Let a responsible person know what his diabetes involves so that they can keep an eye on him. By doing this you won’t have to keep phoning him or the school to make sure he is okay: this will only embarrass him and make him withdraw from friends and fun.

Remember, he can also play sports and take part in physical activities just like any other child: you just need to plan – first talk with his doctor, and then help him with the

routine of glucose testing, planned eating, and insulin. Work out a plan that he’s happy and comfortable with.

Encourage your child and allow him to socialise. Let him do parties, sports, sleepovers and camps if he wants to. Discuss a back-up plan with him when he does, but try to let him do his thing.

Most importantly, help your child to become more independent by getting him to take an active part in his diabetes care while he’s still young.

Encourage him to solve problems and make choices with you about adjusting insulin doses, for example.

Help him create a good lifestyle so that his diabetes doesn’t become too difficult to manage and hijack his life. Self-care is the key to developing any child’s independence and selfesteem: it’s important to get your child involved in self-care as soon as he is able to – with your supervision, of course.

Ask the expert: Jeanne Berg, Diabetes Educator “Self-care is the key to the development of any child’s independence and selfesteem. Remember: you are not letting your child go, you are letting him grow…”

Partners

Dear Sam, The first thing you must realise is that a child with diabetes is still a child. He should not be treated differently than a child who does not have diabetes. Granted, you have more issues to cope with – like good food choices, insulin and testing – but these things shouldn’t stop him from having a normal, happy childhood.

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FAQ: Exercising with Diabetes As a parent, you obviously want what’s best for your child – but what is really best when it comes to exercise and children with diabetes? Here’s what you need to know (adults can learn a little something, too!)

Work It Out

WORDS: RIEKIE HUMAN

Although experts agree that it’s crucial for kids with diabetes to exercise, you need to make sure they’re doing it safely. Thankfully, it’s easier than you think… We got all the answers from experts in the field.

What kind of exercise should my child do?

“The most helpful exercises encourage muscle contraction and increase the effect of insulin.” What does that mean? The exercise helps

more glucose to be transported out of the blood stream and into the cells to be used: body weight exercise and resistance training are particularly good at this. However, young children should take part in all kinds of exercise, particularly cardiovascular for the development and health of the heart, lungs and lipid profiles (cholesterol), and team sports to encourage skills and develop confidence.

Sarah Hall, biokineticist at Wellness in Motion, Morningside

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Top Tips

Ball sports are especially good for children with diabetes. “They involve a combination of exercises like jogging and sprinting, and research has found that this is best for stability in blood sugar levels.” Contact sports like karate can be tricky, especially for children with insulin pumps, as the pump could get damaged – and the same applies to horse riding.

Still possible, of course, but with some extra care taken.

Andrew Heilbrunn, head biokineticist at the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology (CDE) in Houghton

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• Don’t let your child exercise if their blood sugar is too high: over 16mmol/l or too low: under 4mmol/l, or if ketones are present.

• Make sure your child's blood sugar is in the target range before exercise, in order to avoid low blood sugar.

• Talk with your doctor about lowering your child’s insulin dose before exercise, if necessary.

• Inject insulin before exercise in a site other than the body parts about to be used. For example, if your child will be running, don’t inject in the legs.

• Watch for symptoms of low blood sugar for 12 hours after exercise, especially if it’s a new kind of exercise.

• Make sure your child drinks water so they don’t get dehydrated.

• Choose something fun for you and your child to do together and they’ll learn that getting active is just as enjoyable as relaxing.

You could go to dance classes, swim, learn to surf, take up yoga, go on hikes, play tennis or even join a soccer team.

There’s even something called laughter yoga if you really want to have a good time…

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