I think that sometime I forget how bad Rose's life could be if we don't keep on top of her disease. We go through our everyday routine and sometimes decide that Rose deserves a break form her diabetes. We give her a cookie or cake with insulin and hope for the best. I try not to do it everyday but sometimes I feel so bad about being so strict with her. So, I ease up on our food diet and then I come across the complications of what can happen to type one diabetics who do not take care of them selves. It re-dedicates me to be be better because in the long run missing a cookie or a piece of cake is not a big deal compared to the complications. Diabetes is a disease that will kill Rose. It is so hard to say that out loud. Just the thought of my child dying from a disease, makes me sick to my stomach. So here is the cold hard truth about diabetes and insulin. Giving her insulin only allows her to stay alive but it is not a cure. It does not prevent the development of serious complications either. According to JDRF's website...
" High blood sugar levels
eventually damage blood vessels, nerves, and organ systems in the body. Among
the potential complications of type 1 diabetes are:
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease, a range of blood vessel system
diseases that includes both stroke and heart attack, is the major cause of
death in people with diabetes. The two most common types of cardiovascular
disease are coronary heart disease, caused by fatty deposits in the arteries
that feed the heart, and hypertension, or high blood pressure. Research shows that
people with diabetes are more likely to have high cholesterol and hypertension,
both of which cause damage to the cells lining the artery walls. Researchers
think high blood glucose contributes to both of these conditions.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, is a dangerous condition for
people with diabetes. It can be triggered by not eating often enough, eating
too little food, too much physical activity without eating, or too much
insulin. People with diabetes can usually tell when their blood sugar is low.
But the more episodes of hypoglycemia you have, the harder it gets for your
body to detect the next episode. In severe forms, hypoglycemia can lead to
unconsciousness or even death. For patients with type 1 diabetes, fear of
hypoglycemia is a major obstacle to maintaining tight blood glucose control.
Nephropathy
Diabetic kidney disease, also known as diabetic nephropathy,
is one of the most common and most devastating complications of diabetes. It is
a slow deterioration of the kidneys and kidney function which, in severe cases,
can eventually result in kidney failure, also known as end-stage renal disease,
or ESRD. About one third of people with type 1 diabetes develop nephropathy.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy, or nerve damage, affects more than 60 percent of
people with type 1 diabetes. The impact of nerve damage can range from slight
inconvenience to major disability and even death. Diabetic neuropathy leads to
loss of feeling and sometimes pain and weakness in the feet, legs, hands, and
arms, and is the most common cause of amputations not caused by accident in the
United States. In one type of neuropathy, known as autonomic neuropathy, high
glucose levels injure the autonomic nervous system, which controls bodily
functions such as breathing, circulation, urination, sexual function,
temperature regulation, and digestion. Autonomic neuropathy may result in
various types of digestive problems, diarrhea, erectile dysfunction, a rapid
heartbeat, and low blood pressure.
Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common and serious
eye-related complication of diabetes. It is a progressive disease that destroys
small blood vessels in the retina, eventually causing vision problems. In its
most advanced form (known as “proliferative retinopathy”) it can cause
blindness. Nearly all people with type 1 diabetes show some symptoms of
diabetic retinopathy, usually after about 20 years of living with diabetes;
approximately 20 to 30 percent of them develop the advanced form."We changed out Rose's insertion again tonight. She is getting better at it. She still really dislikes it but she doesn't cry as bad afterward, which is nice. We have found that if we give her, her binkie than it hurts less. Yes she is three and a half and still has a binkie but there have been many times lately that I have been so grateful for the peace and comfort she finds from it. I took a picture of Rose's battle wounds today. Her poor little tummy. It has so many scars from all of the insertions and also the needles. Rose has been loving having Uncle Bryce in town. Right now she is stuck in between Bryce and Daddy and she is loving it.
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