Type 1 Diabetes: Poem Analysis

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the pancreas not being able to produce insulin which regulates the levels of glucose in the blood (Bennett 17). People who struggle with this condition need insulin shots several times today to ensure their blood sugar remains in a healthy range. This often times is a burden on the diabetic's daily lifestyle. If unchecked, diabetes can cause severe weight loss, overwhelming tiredness, increased thirst and hunger, and excessive urination. Scientists and doctors have been seeking for ways to help diabetic's cope with this illness. After years of researching and testing, they have begun developing a method to help alleviate the problems of diabetes. This new method, islet cell transplantation,

Living with a chronic condition not only effects the individual, but it effects the entire family. An adolescent living with a chronic health condition not only depends on their family for support, but also on support from their friends, classmates, and healthcare team (Rostami, Parsa-Yekta, Najafi Ghezeljeh, & Vanaki, 2014). Supporting an individual with a chronic disease leaves an emotional impact and can be financially straining as well. Families living with a sick child must find strategies to cope. Whether the coping strategies utilized are positive or negative, they leave a lasting effect on the entire family, as well as the child living with the condition (Woodson, Thakkar, Burbage, Kichler, & Nabors, 2015). Involvement of the parents in this situation is vital to the child’s future success in managing their illness (Landers, Friedrich, Jawad, & Miller, 2016). This paper will explore one family’s story of living with, and coping with, a child who has recently been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).

I am 18 years old now, 8 years since my diagnosis, and I have learned many things from encountering diabetes. I balance what I eat, with an occasional sweet to satisfy my sweet tooth. I’ve learned management. I balance school, sports, and other extracurricular activities with my

Life sometimes presents us with events that frame our futures. For me, that event was the diagnosis of type one diabetes. I have always been a goal-oriented person, but faced with type one at an early age taught me the importance of goal setting, perseverance, and hard work. Diabetes has been a battle that has forced me to perform well under high-pressure circumstances; it has pushed me to become a stronger person. As a type one, I have learned how to successfully balance and excel as a student, employee, athlete, and leader. My diagnosis is, in fact, what has inspired me to become a doctor.

Diabetes is a disease where the body is unable to produce or use insulin effectively. Insulin is needed for proper storage and use of carbohydrates. Without it, blood sugar levels can become too high or too low, resulting in a diabetic emergency. It affects about 7.8% of the population. The incidence of diabetes is known to increase with age. It’s the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the US, and is the primary cause of blindness and foot and leg amputation. It is known to cause neuropathy in up to 70% of diabetic patients. Individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

Diabetes, Diabetes Mellitus, is a chronic illness this means that it has no cure and the symptoms persist over a long period of time. This illness is a result of an imbalance of hormones, insulin, produced in the pancreas. Insulin plays an important role in how the body uses food. Insulin enables the cells in the bloodstream to absorb and use glucose for fuel. If the pancreas produces too little or no insulin or if the insulin doesn’t work properly the person may become diabetic. Therefore, diabetics are not able to properly convert food into fuels needed by the body to function, which can seriously lead to physical consequences.

Type 1 diabetes, is an incurable but treatable disease which can occur at any age but is mostly found in children due to the high levels of glucose in the blood (Eckman 2011). Juvenile diabetes affects about 1 in every 400-600 children and more than 13,000 are diagnosed yearly (Couch 2008). Type 1 Diabetes means your blood glucose, or blood sugar, is too high. With Type 1 diabetes, your pancreas does not make insulin. Insulin is a hormone, which helps glucose gets into your cells to provide energy. Without insulin, too much glucose stays in your blood. Over time, high blood glucose can lead to serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, gums and teeth (American Diabetes Association). Previous research has suggested proper

Type 2 Diabetes is a disease that is found in a variety of age groups around the world. This disease is growing at a rapid rate and it is impacting the health of this generation and future generations to come. Diabetes is a disease that impairs the body’s ability to produce or respond to the insulin hormone produced by the pancreas. The insulin allows for the glucose to be effectively used as energy throughout the body. Diabetes causes carbohydrates to be abnormally digested, which can raise blood glucose levels. This means that the glucose is not being taken up by the cells that need it. The cells cannot take up the excess glucose that has accumulated in the blood, so it is excreted through the urine. This can lead to problems with the kidneys, central nervous system, heart, and eyes because high blood glucose can damage the blood vessels of these organs. This diseased is managed by adopting a diet low in fat and high in fiber, increasing physical activity, losing excess weight, and not smoking. If this

Helen Keller once said, “All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” Throughout life each person will face obstacles, but will only be defined by how they overcome or fail. In today’s society health and wellness has become such a challenge. Many things in our environment, social status, financial position, and culture can affect what we eat and our health status. Families in many countries are facing new onset of diseases and disorders, in which modern medicine now has the ability to combat to prolong good quality of life. Through research and education, families are now being able to understand juvenile diabetes. As a result, children are being able to live more normal lives.

Doctors and licensed dieticians recommend that people who are diabetic should watch or limit what they eat. Treating diabetes is complimented by a well balanced diet and lifestyle. With the good advice from a licensed dietician, a diabetic diet meal plan becomes easier to manage.

Type One Diabetics have to monitor very closely what they eat. The first year is usually the hardest for most since they are not used to monitoring things, as simple as, eating so carefully. They must count how many carbohydrates they are eating at each meal and adjust their insulin to adapt for the food. Sugar-filled foods are the “bad guys” for Type Two Diabetics. They have to make sure if they want to eat something that has sugar in it to only have a very small piece of it. Of course, they always have the option of eating sugar-free foods with no guilt attached.

It causes diabetic complications such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol which significantly increases the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. It also affects the eyes, kidneys, nerves and digestion. Living with type 2 diabetes can be a struggle because it takes determination and commitment. It affects people's daily lives. People with type 2 diabetes may not need insulin and might only need to check their blood glucose level just twice a day. But they still have to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and often take oral diabetes medicine. Diabetics need to plan ahead and think a lot more about everyday things. They have everyday responsibilities and have to deal with the challenges that occur daily, both for diabetics and their families. Fitting diabetes care into a workday is not always easy

There are many types of diabetes. The two I will be discussing are type 1 and type 2. Type 1 generally affects young people and requires treatment with insulin. Five to ten percent of Americans with diabetes have this type. People with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin and need regular shots of it to keep their blood glucose levels normal. People who are at risk for type 1 are those who have a family history of the disease,

Breathe in, breathe out. My lungs rattle as I gasp for air in the humid afternoon. The sun beats down on my forehead as sweat drips onto the blistering tar. My jersey sticks to my skin as I clench my fists. Breathe in, breathe out. My legs flood with lactic acid, but I march ahead. Coach’s voice interrupts the pounding of my feet, urging me to fight on. I feel a sudden burst of adrenaline rush through my body and I drive my legs up the hill. Breathe in, breathe out. Midway, my vision begins to blur. Numbness diffuses across my arms until I’m left paralyzed. I realize my blood glucose is dangerously low but I still push forward. My body stiffens and I collapse onto the dehydrated grass beneath me. I stare up at the sky and see the sun begin

This is a wonderful poem with many different themes and ideas. One of the biggest themes is not being afraid to take a chance. Some of the other themes include, not following the crowd, trying new things, and standing for something. This poem stated that the author "took the one (road) less traveled by, and that has made all the difference" so the author is telling the reader that we too should not be afraid to take another path.