Today’s guest on When Everything Changed is Lisa. Lisa is the mother of two boys, and is facing the challenges of helping her oldest son manage type 1 diabetes. Zane was only 3 when he began to experience common diabetes symptoms: Always hungry Feeling tired Unusually thirsty Urinating a lot After ruling out a cold virus he also […]The postManaging Type 1 Diabetes: When Everything Changed Podcast appeared first onNW Health Blog.
Today’s guest on When Everything Changed is Lisa. Lisa is the mother of two boys, and is facing the challenges of helping her oldest son manage type 1 diabetes.
Zane was only 3 when he began to experience common diabetes symptoms:
* Always hungry
* Feeling tired
* Unusually thirsty
* Urinating a lot
After ruling out a cold virus he also had at the time, Lisa took him to the hospital. She and her family waited nervously for test results. They were devastated to learn his blood glucose level was much higher than normal. This diagnosis was a difficult moment, complicated by Zane being hungry and thirsty, and not allowed to eat or drink for fear of raising his blood sugar levels even higher. He was rushed to Seattle Children’s Hospital where he stayed for three days to bring down his blood sugar levels.
Building a Support System
There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, so families must learn how to manage the condition. Zane’s family also formed a support system with another family going through the same experience, and received assistance from Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF).
Although the diagnosis was scary, diabetes hasn’t prevented him 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. The coordinated care that he receives from Kaiser Permanente and our partners has enabled him to thrive despite diabetes. Zane 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 self-monitor its needs.
Thank you for listening!
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