Type 1 Diabetes-
IDDM (Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus) or was known as Childhood or Juvenile diabetes
This is the diabetes you hear ALL the horror stories about- people dying in their sleep...not managing it well. Insulin shots, etc. In the "olden" days (think back to Steel Magnolias) it was not as well controlled as it is today. There have been many strides made to help control this life-threatening disease. The statistic of 1 in 20 kids will die from it before the age of 18, really makes you stop and think!
Type 1 Diabetics (aka Katie's type)- make little or no insulin. Insulin is needed because it's the keys that open the lock that is the on the door to your cells. Once insulin comes along and opens this lock- glucose can be utilized by that cell. Glucose (aka Sugar) is used or burned for energy. When it sits in our blood vessels these nick the vessel walls and can cause damage to organs and other tissues. So what makes insulin? Your pancreas. When the pancreas does NOT work properly- it cannot product insulin- which in turn regulates all the glucose (sugar) in your body. So in Katie's case- her Islet (eyelet) cells cannot make insulin or do and are attack by her own body. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder.
Type 2 Diabetes-
NIDDM (Non-Insulin Dependent Mellitus)
Prevents your body from using the insulin. Your body DOES make insulin but usually not enough. Most people with diabetes (about 95%) have type 2! This occurs in usually older, overweight people. 8 out of 10 people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. So that's why this type is considered controllable with pills and diet/exercise.
Katie cannot just change her diet/exercise and magically her pancreas will starting making insulin. Katie also cannot just manage her diabetes by taking a pill. (Yes I have gotten some messages from well meaning family/friends telling me she will be fine if she just changes her diet). It's ok because two weeks earlier I may have been one of those types of people! I had NO idea how serious type 1 Diabetes was - or I had blocked it out of my mind. I've had plenty of experience with Type 2 diabetes. It's on both sides of my family and I've dealt with it with both parents.
Myth 1- Not cured with diet and exercise (for that matter neither is type 2- it can go into remission but usually will return later in life)
Myth 2- Type 2 diabetics can't become type 1. This is simply not true..because a lot of times they WILL eventually need insulin to survive.
Myth 3- Type 1 diabetics can just take a pill. There is no effective way to give insulin in a pill. The acidic nature of the stomach would break down the pill before it could be absorbed across the stomach wall.
Myth 4- Diabetes is not contagious. I feel bad for Katie because some of her friends didn't know how to handle it. I explained that some friends just didn't know what to say to her when faced with their own mortality. There were some people who acted like they could catch it.
Symptoms of diabetes:
-Frequent urination
-Excessive hunger and thirst
-Weight loss
-Changes in behavior
Now all of this can be explained also by exercising, drinking more water, dieting, being 18 and moody, being a senior and so on and so on. We caught it early. We were lucky. We just keep repeating that to ourselves. Over and over.
If you have any questions on Katie or Type 1 diabetes- we are more than willing to talk to others!
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