D I A B E T E S NATIONAL
INSTITUTE
2007 NEWSLETTER
9109 Levelle Drive, Chevy Chase, M.D. 20815
Phone: 301-906-7283
THE DIABETES PROGRAM
The Diabetes National Institute is foremost a community effort to enrich the lives of people with diabetes through research, educational workshops, and support groups.
Our mission is to improve the lives of people with diabetes by performing diabetes research and providing free education workshops and support groups.
CIRCLE YOUR CALENDARMarch 11, 2007 Free Nutrition Clinic
Georgetown Hospital, free parking
*************
April 23, 2007 Insulin Pump Seminar
Georgetown Hospital 1 pm; free parking
**************
June 22, 2007 Summer Diabetes Conference,
Georgetown Hospital 12:30 – 4 pm;
free parking
**************
DIABETES, HELP FIGHT IT!!
Through the
ACOMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN@
Or
UNITED WAY
Diabetes National Institute
Mark # 8121 on your form
************
Your donation will benefit our community with: Diabetes Education and Awareness
Workshops
Research to Treat and Prevent Diabetes
Family-to-Family Support Team
Diabetes Audio Library
FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP:
The group is composed of trained volunteers who contact newly diagnosed families to offer one-on-one support. Our services are open to any family with a child with diabetes. We need volunteer families with diabetic children ages three and under. Anyone who would like to volunteer would be most welcome. We will meet with you and give you training and guidelines. Again, we appreciate your help.
If you would like to be connected please e-mail us at
THE EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF JUVENILE DIABETES:
Juvenile diabetes often causes emotional disruption and turmoil for the child, parents, siblings, and family unit. The management of diabetes is stressful because it is regimentation. The health care of the diabetic requires constant vigilance, planning, and restriction. The family’s time and resources often become focused on the activities and care of the diabetic child.
The emotional impact of juvenile diabetes begins at the time of diagnosis with fear, shock and confusion. The child is told he must alter very basic life activities and experiences insulin shots and blood testing. Also, visits to doctors will become frequent.
The role of the parents is altered from routine parenting. Monitoring of the child’s health care on a daily basis, adjusting activities to always be reachable, and educating teachers, and baby-sitters about diabetes becomes part of the parental experience. Anxiety and depression are often seen in parents of a juvenile diabetic. The life of a sibling is altered emotionally and in activity. There may be resentment because of the attention given to the diabetic and guilt about being healthy. Parents may ask the sibling to curtail his own activities to help with the care of the diabetic.
Diabetic children experience some common emotions and reactions. There is often anger and sadness at having to adhere to regimentation and restriction. Concerns emerge about being perceived by peers as different. The thrust for independence seen in youth may be conflictual for the diabetic because of the intertwining parent-child diabetic health care relationship that has developed. The diabetic child may react to the emotional challenges with noncompliance and behavioral problems.
The emotional aspects of juvenile diabetes are complex but manageable. They must be recognized and attended to just as the medical aspects. The emotional management may be divided into preventative care and intervention. Preventative mental health care begins with all family members consulting a mental health expert at the time of diagnosis with periodic but regular follow-up. The purpose of follow-up is to curtail problems, increase communications, and monitor the emotional progress of the family members. Just as the diabetologist evaluates the progress of the diabetic and recommends changes in management, the mental health expert functions similarly. Intervention represents a more intense focus when significant issues arise. These may include non-compliance, significant arguments between the diabetic and parents revolving around diabetic care, problems with the diabetic achieving appropriate independence, and mood changes in any family members.
It must be emphasized that a proper plan for addressing the complex emotional issues must be part of the health care planning for the juvenile diabetic and his family. The diabetologist is an excellent resource to formulate such a plan. The emotional, as well as the physical prognosis will improve when a preventive and intervention model is included in a treatment plan.
Dr. Bruce P. Pfeffer is Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School. He maintains a private psychiatric practice in Potomac Md.
12 TIPS OF HOLIDY NUTRITION
On the First of the season, I age and age and ate, ad every day thereafter I kept constant my daily intake!
On the Second day of the season, I dined at specific times, and every day thereafter I dined as regular as this rhymes!
On the Third day of the season, I asked my doctor what to do, when someone serves me a large meal at 2; one option allowed switching lunch with snack, and the other allowed eating part of my dinner then later going back!
On the Fourth day of the season, I again spoke with my doc, what about those holiday meal delays that comes as such as shock?; should I eat a small snack and then wait or should I take my insulin late? Either way, checking my blood sugars would help decide my fate!
On the Fifth day of the season, I knew there must be more, I so enjoyed eating but doing my favorite exercise would even up the score!
On the Sixth day of the season, a holiday cookbook I did seek, and with my diabetes-specific recipes, I tried a new dish each week!
On the Seventh day of the season, I bought food I do not normally eat, so I read the labels carefully so I could eat without retreat. Soon it occurred to be that regularly purchased product ingredients often change, so maybe I should read labels beyond this seasonal range!
On the Eight day of the season, I filled my dinner plate, many vegetables and salad I ate. I even ate potatoes and did not eat them plain, but to avoid the fat of butter I used yogurt to avoid the gain!
On the Ninth day of the season, as I prepared my meal, I served fresh, baked dishes with vegetables that were real; casseroles can be tasty, but those canned foods, mixed with marshmallows, syrups and sweeteners tend to be pasty?
On the Tenth day of the season, my dessert recipes I did alter to prepare, using six packets of artificial sweetener for every ½ cup of sugar required there. I used Sweet N Low in good to bake and Equal in hot beverages or foods requiring an oven to make!
On the Eleventh day of season, a party I did attend, wondering if beverages allowed me the rules to bend; a bowl of reduced-calorie punch I could fill, or a glass of flavored seltzer water I could hold and try not to spill!
On the Twelfth day of the season, as I had done all along, I checked my blood sugar often because of so many changes in my daily dance and song.
Remember, people with diabetes can eat the same foods as anyone else, but will need to watch portion sizes and limit concentrated sugars, fats, and sometimes salt. So, enjoy the Holidays and take satisfaction in knowing that you are probably a healthier eater than most people without diabetes!