Today’s guest on "When Everything Changed" is Lisa. As the mother of two school-age boys, she juggles the demands of a busy family life. She also helps her eldest son manage his type 1 diabetes, and empowers him to live his life to the fullest. The post Managing type 1 diabetes: When Everything Changed podcast appeared first on NW Health Blog.
Today’s guest on When Everything Changed is Lisa. As the mother of two school-age boys, she juggles the demands of a busy family life.  She also helps her eldest son manage his type 1 diabetes, and empowers him to live his life to the fullest.
Zane was only 3 when he began to experience common diabetes symptoms:
* Always hungry
* Feeling tired
* Unusually thirsty
* Urinating a lot
Lisa knew something was wrong and took Zane to the doctor. Tests showed dangerously high blood glucose levels, and their doctor told them that Zane had type 1 diabetes. He was rushed to Seattle Children’s Hospital where he stayed for three days.
Building a support system
There’s currently no cure for type 1 diabetes, but with the right tools and support, families can learn to manage the condition and help their children adjust. Zane’s family formed a support system with another family going through the same experience, and received  mentoring from Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) a diabetes research charity.
Diabetes hasn’t prevented Zane from living life to the fullest. Lisa says they have learned to “roll with it.” “He can do anything he wants — just with a couple of added steps,” she says.
Zane is now 9. He checks his blood sugar 10-12 times throughout the day, but this hasn’t stopped him from being active. He does the same things that other kids his age do, including lots of soccer. With the help of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that measures his blood sugar level, Zane is learning to listen to his body and monitor his needs.
Thank you for listening!
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