Happy Tuesday, friends!
I’m back today with another post for Diabetes Awareness!
Last week I shared the warning signs of Type 1 Diabetes and what to look for. Read that post here.
This week I want to share with you what Type 1 Diabetes is and what all is going on in Liz’s body with Type 1. Some of these things I’ve shared before, but it never hurts to share them again!
Type 1 Diabetes is a chronic, autoimmune disease.
Liz’s body <and other Type 1’s> attacked and destroyed all the beta cells that produce insulin.
Basically, this means her pancreas is dead! This attack of beta cells left her pancreas incapable of producing insulin. Insulin is what regulates blood sugar.
Because she can’t produce insulin on her own, Liz has to take a shot of insulin EVERY time she eats!
We have to act like her pancreas for her by giving her the insulin shots needed for the food she eats. All Day. Every Day. No time off or breaks.
Some other common answers about Type 1:
No, Type 1 Diabetes is not something she can “outgrow”. This is a disease Liz will deal with the rest of her life. The longevity of this disease is what makes me so sad sometimes.
No, Type 1 Diabetes is not contagious. Although it does usually run in families, it can not simply be “caught”.
No, Type 1 Diabetes is not something that could’ve been prevented. It is nothing Liz did wrong or Chris and I did wrong.
Type 1 is A LOT different from Type 2. A pet peeve of mine is when people aren’t educated on the subject and confuse the two. Here is a chart that shows the difference between the two.
I’m still learning new things about this disease every day. I don’t want to sound like I know it all, but I do want to bring awareness to what diabetes is!
Some of our own family members still don’t understand exactly what we go through every day. And until you live it day in and day out, I don’t guess you would.
I also realize there are many other people that are dealing with far more complicated things than diabetes and I don’t take that lightly.
I have learned through all of this that we, as a family, are STRONG and our Liz is even STRONGER. She makes us proud every day!
Hope y’all have a great Tuesday! I’ll be back next Tuesday sharing what Liz has to go through every day to keep her blood sugar regulated.
Oh! And P.S. Tomorrow is World Diabetes Day! If you want to wear blue for the many kids and adults that deals with diabetes every day, that would be awesome!
~Jen