“Zach is nine years old. He was born in Newport, Arkansas on June 8, 2000. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in January 2007.  Zach had several febrile seizures as an infant. He spent his first Christmas at Harris Hospital in Newport. He failed kindergarten due to unknown poor eyesight in his first year of school. His poor eyesight has been linked to his diabetes that went undiagnosed for five and a half years. He now has a learning disability that requires a personal tutor. He goes through five to six pairs of glasses a year because of childhood mishaps. We have tried contacts, but they were irritating to his eyes.
He also has been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). We suspect this condition could be the result of five and a half years of type one diabetes that went unchecked. I had initially noticed that he was drinking an unusual amount of fluids, and asked the doctor to check his glucose level. The doctor was hesitant about checking, but with Zach’s maternal and paternal grandmothers having diabetes he went ahead with my suggestion. That day, Zach’s glucose levels was in the upper 600’s, and was immediately sent to Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Most days he has to go with me through the week because of the difficulty of finding a babysitter willing to take on the responsibility of caring for a diabetic child. However there are a few friends willing to take care of him when they can.
Zach’s blood sugar must be monitored constantly. Every time he eats, drinks, or chews anything that has carbohydrates he must check his blood sugar. He can’t have a single candy corn without taking insulin. Any time his blood sugar goes high it has a negative affect on his eyesight. He is close to being legally blind. He misses class time at school because of his blood sugar fluctuating. It is difficult coordinating his breakfast diet during school because we have only had a breakfast menu in the last two months of his second grade. We have no way to know what he has been served without the school giving a daily menu like they do with lunches. The breakfast menu can change without notice like is done with lunches. When Zach was first diagnosed with diabetes, he thought it was cool and fun to check his sugar. He thinks it is boring and repetitive. Now he has calluses and sores on the tips of his fingers. He has the same perspective on taking shots of insulin. We encourage him to calculate the amount of insulin he needs for the carbohydrates he needs and to give himself shots of insulin on a daily basis.
Zach’s peers at school think he is given preferential treatment over them for his illness. He just wants to play and be treated like he doesn’t have a problem. This will never be an option for him. If there is a field trip, I must go or he has to stay home depending on my schedule.
We give Zach insulin every time he consumes carbohydrates. He doesn’t understand the life implications of his condition.  Despite our warnings and trepidations, Zach has a passion for life that is uncharacteristic. He has little or no fear in his actions.”

After hearing Zach’s story I wondered how this site could help him. Zach needs to feel like a normal kid in spite of his disease. We asked Zach for a wish list of things he would like and one of the top things he asked for was a computer of his own. We contacted Nomac Drilling based in Searcy, AR and asked if I could post his story in their National Training Facility. The men and women of Nomac donated generously to help out Zach. In less than 1 week, we raised enough money to buy Zach a new computer. This great outpouring of generosity was from the hard working employees who are facing their own adversity in this economy.

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• Tell me more about juvenile diabetes diets

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What About My Children – How Will I Know?
To better help you understand the common signs of juvenile diabetes, please take a minute to imagine the following fictitious, but very possible scenario:
Over the last few months you’ve been noticing that your 11 year old son has been acting a little off-beat. For starters, when arriving from school he’s been running urgently to the bathroom to urinate; whereas normally he runs straight for the television. At dinner time, you’ve noticed that his appetite has increased and he’s been drinking 2 to 3 times more than usual – never seeming satisfied with his regular glass of apple juice. Nothing you should be too concerned about, right?
For most parents, it would be safe to assume that your son is simply growing. He is expending more energy throughout the day, which in turn is leading him to have an increased appetite, thirst and bathroom breaks. These don’t really seem like symptoms of any kind.
Well yesterday afternoon, around lunchtime, you received a call from one of your son’s teachers who expressed their concern surrounding his recent changes in behavior. You initial response was, “has he been going to the bathroom a lot?”
The facilitator paused for a brief moment, slightly confused.
“Mrs. Johnson, your son has been showing signs of difficulty keeping focused and remembering his daily exercises. This morning I asked him to come up front and write down his answer on the chalk board – which he does regularly with little hesitation. He began to write on the board and suddenly became disoriented, seeming to have forgotten the answer or what he was there to do even though the answers were in his hand. I’ve caught him on several occasions sleeping or with his head down. This is not like your son at all and I’m wondering if you know anything about this?”

Causes & Symptoms of Juvenile Diabetes
We’re sure the last thing “Mrs. Johnson” expected when visiting her doctor a month later was that she would be informed that her perfectly healthy – and once vibrant son – has juvenile diabetes. The reality of this example is that every year thousands of parents across the world are given this very same diagnosis, and an estimated 3 million children in America are currently living with juvenile diabetes.
The numbers can seem quite staggering at times.
As a parent you’re probably thinking, “How do I go about identifying juvenile diabetes in my children?” The best way to start is by familiarizing yourself with the more common physical and mental symptoms associated with this disease. Remember: Knowledge is power! Juvenile Diabetes is caused by:

• Lack of adequate and healthy production of insulin

• Reduced sensitivity of insulin caused by glucose

To elaborate a little bit more, let’s take a look at the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland that shares the same part of your body as the liver. The pancreas is full of beta cells which primary responsibility is to assist in the production of insulin. If the beta cells are disrupted or damaged in any way, the liver will stop producing enough insulin. Not enough insulin = increase risk of diabetes; plain and simple.

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Supporting a Child with Juvenile Diabetes
It is no secret that being a parent is a lifelong commitment to the happiness and overall wellbeing of your children. When disease enters a family, it can cause deep rooted emotions to surface leaving you confused, angry and even ashamed. These feelings are normal, and the last thing your child needs is to see you beating yourself down in an attempt to justify things beyond your control.
Here are some tips to help your child cope with juvenile diabetes:

• You home is not a hospital, so don’t treat your child like a patient.

• Referring to your child as “not like the other kids” is very unhealthy. They are just like the rest of the kids, except they have a few extra needs and things to be aware of.

• Their insulin can be called a “magic potion” or “tonic” until they are old enough to understand the details of their disease. The word “medicine” and “sick” should be avoided at all times.

• When it comes to measuring their blood sugar, it’s not about good or bad but rather high or low. Set objectives and make the task of blood sugar monitoring one that is goal oriented.

Children should be treated as equals, despite their special needs. If your child has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes take this opportunity to bring your family, friends and neighbors closer together. Appreciate the things in life that you once took for granted, and show your children that life has many twists and turns, but as long as you’re together everything will be okay.

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Juvenile Diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune disorder. There is also a strong hereditary component to juvenile diabetes. Researchers believe an environmental trigger or virus causes the body to attack the beta cells in the pancreas. Once these cells are destroyed the body can no longer produce insulin.

Diabetes is the primary reason for adult blindness, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), gangrene and amputations. Overweight, lack of exercise, family history and stress increases the likelihood of developing diabetes. When blood sugar level is constantly high it leads to kidney failure, cardiovascular problems and neuropathy. Patients with diabetes are 4 times more likely to have coronary heart disease and stroke. In addition, Gestational diabetes is more dangerous for pregnant women and their fetus.

Rapid weight loss is one of the first symptoms of diabetes, especially if the child also has increased hunger, especially after eating. Other Symptoms include: frequent urination; dry mouth; fatigue; blurred vision and numbness or tingling of the hands or feet.

Juvenile diabetes is a chronic health problem for children. There are many myths and misinformation about diabetes. There is also confusion between juvenile diabetes, also known as type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes. The symptoms for both are for the most part the same, however, the cause and treatment is very different.

Juvenile diabetes can affect anyone of any age, but is more common in people under 30 years and tends to develop in childhood. Other names for juvenile diabetes include Type I diabetes and insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Common symptoms of diabetes and, more specifically, on symptoms of juvenile diabetes. Causes of diabetes are discussed, as well as testing and dietary issues.

The risk of juvenile diabetes is higher than virtually all other severe chronic diseases of childhood. Juvenile diabetes tends to run in families. Brothers and sisters of a child with juvenile diabetes have at least 100 times the risk of developing juvenile diabetes as a child in an unaffected family.

The symptoms of juvenile diabetes, also known as Type 1 diabetes, and Type 2 diabetes are extremely similar, but the two are caused by very different bodily malfunctions. It is important to know which type the individual is afflicted with in order to provide the right treatment, which also varies between types.

It’s not always apparent that a child has type 1 or juvenile diabetes. Some of the symptoms seem like average childhood problems that occur. Nausea and/or vomiting can be misconstrued as the flu. Irritability, being tired and listless may be attributed to behaviors all children exhibit at one time or another. The discovery of juvenile diabetes may happen during a visit to a physician for another ailment such as a vaginal yeast infection for girls or even a routine examination.

Juvenile diabetes is the idea that it can be caught from another person. Juvenile diabetes, along with the other types of the disease, is absolutely not a contagious disease. Another misconception about the disease is the traditional belief that eating sweets can directly cause diabetes. In a way, eating too much sweet may eventually cause diabetes because doing so can lead to obesity. But eating sweets does not cause diabetes. Stress is never a cause of juvenile diabetes or any type of diabetes.

Author: james sameul

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Symptoms and Causes of Juvenile Diabetes

Finding out that their child has diabetes can be quite shocking for many parents. One of the most challenging parts of any diabetics lifestyle change is learning how to prepare meals and snacks. This can be doubly hard for the parents of a diabetic child because following the dietary advice of the doctor and dietitian can affect the entire household.

Attempting to learn what foods to feed a juvenile with diabetes can be confusing at first. There is a wealth of information in books and on websites but for most parents in can be overwhelming trying to figure it all out. The important thing for parents with newly diagnosed diabetic children to do is learn to spot the good information from the bad.

The best place to start is the American Diabetes Association where they will find the Diabetes Food Pyramid. This pyramid is much like the USDA food pyramid that everyone is familiar with with one difference. The USDA pyramid classifies food by the group they are in whereas the diabetic food pyramid groups foods based on their carbohydrate, protein, and fat content and breaks them down into the amount of servings for each. There are six groups that make up the diabetic pyramid and they include starches, proteins, fats, meats, fruits and vegetables.

Healthy Food Pyramid

If we take a look at each category we can get a better understanding of each and how they fit into a well balanced diabetic diet plan.

Starches and Grains: These are the primary sources of carbohydrates for everyone. These include foods like whole grains, rye, oats and the starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn. This group also includes the dry beans such as pinto beans and black eyed peas. The suggested number of serving per day is between six to eleven. This is a range and must be personalized to the individual’s needs and goals with the help of a registered dietician.

Vegetables: Vegetables should always be a part of every dietary plan. They are full of many vital nutrients, are low in fat, and high in fiber all of which contribute to good health. Diabetics should have three to five servings per day. It is important to note that the starchy vegetables are not included in this category and should not be substituted into this group of the pyramid.

Fruits: Fruits are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber as well as carbohydrates. Serving sizes are determined by the individual fruit and suggested serving are two to four per day.

Milk: Milk and dairy products are essential in that they contain protein, calcium and many of the vitamins we need each day. Because they can contain a substantial amount of fat it is best to choose low fat or non fat versions of these products. The pyramid recommends two to three servings per day.

Meat and Meat Products: Meat and meat products are a primary supply of protein for all people. They also provide essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids the body needs to function in a healthy fashion. Choose only lean cuts and trim any visible fat to help keep the amount of saturated fat ingested to a minimum.

Recognizing Symptoms Can Save A Life

Fats, Sweets and Alcohol: While diabetics can partake of these it is recommended to keep their use in meal preparation and snack to a minimum. For the juvenile with diabetes this is important in that it teaches them food habits that will stay with them for the rest of their life.

The American Diabetes Association is a good place to start when it comes to learning about feeding a juvenile with diabetes. They have everything needed for healthy meal planning, exchange lists, weight control and recommended exercise programs.