The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 20, 1993, Page 4, Image 4
By WENDY HUDSON
Staff Writer
USC ? For Shannon Beatson, ;
sociology sophomore, the mornin<
ritual is always the same.
Her day begins at 6:30. Afte
slowly getting out of bed, sh<
heads to the bathroom, She takes ?
hot shower, dries her hair anc
brushes her teeth. She cleans he
face and applies her makeup befort
going back to her room to ge
dressed.
Her morning ritual is just like
anyone else's except for one smal
detail. Before she puts her clothe:
on, she must give herself a dail)
shot of insulin in her thigh. Foi
Beatson, a diabetic, this part of the
routine keeps her alive.
Because there is no cure for dia
betes, it can only be controlled
Beatson, who was diagnosed as ;
diabetic seven years ago, control:
her disease by taking insulin shots
She must also watch her diet, sleej
patterns and general health.
"After a while, you learn about i
and how to deal with having dia
betes and how to take care of your
self properly," Beatson said. "If
didn't watch my insulin and tak<
my shots every day, something ba<
could happen."
Diabetics must follow a regi
mented health care plan, but if the;
take good care of themselves, the;
can expect to live a normal, lonj
life, according to Cicely Jenkins
head nurse at the Thomson Studen
Health Center and the mother of ;
19-year-old diabetic.
"There are three main factors in
diabetic's lifestyle that they have t
take care with," Jenkins said. "On
is eating the proper diet, the secon
is getting exercise and the third i
taking their insulin properly an
monitoring their blood-sugar levels.'
Because Beatson is an insulin
dependent diabetic, she must tak
insulin to regulate her blood-sugs
level. Insulin is important becaus
it helps the body use glucose, c
sugar. according to Dr. Terry Kim
associate director for clinical affaii
at the health center.
"Insulin allows glucose to b
used by the tissues," King said. "
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Sociology sophomore Shannon
a requires her to take an insulin sho
0 better care of herself because of
^ live for a long time with proper trc
s takes insulin for glucose to get <
^ from outside of the cell to the
inside of the cell where it can be
h used. In diabetics, their pancreas,
e which produces insulin, has
^ stopped working. When your body
e can't utilize the glucose, it builds
)r up, and you urinate out the glu,
cose."
Frequent urination is one symp
torn or aiaoetes. aeatson experie
enced this symptom and weight loss
jt before she was diagnosed during
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David Mandrell/The Gamecock
Beatson has diabetes, which
t every morning. Beatson takes
the condition, but she should
atment.
Christmas of her seventh grade year.
"In the summer between my
sixth and seventh grade, I had to
have a physical to go to camp," she
said. "The doctor told me then that
my blood sugar was high but that I
could go to camp as long as I
stayed away from all sugar during
the week. When I came back, my
level was fine, which it should
have been after staying away from
sugar all week.
"In the sixth months between
it fear of AIDS, use condoms. And be true to oi
tfl"
Go out with friends and keep
track of each other. Don't
broadcast your name, address or
plans in front of others.
On a first date, plan to meet in
a public place. Let people know
where you plan to be and let
your date know that others know.
Stick to your plans.
Telephone
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camp and Christmas, I lost.30 to 35 ;
pounds. My parents didn't notice :
until Christmastime when my rela- :
tives remarked that I had lost a lot
of weight. I also had to go to the <
bathroom all of the time.
"After that, my dad, being a :
pharmacist, recognized that these !
symptoms lead up to a diagnosis. I ]
was sent to the doctor to check it
out, and they diagnosed me as a <
diabetic. They put me in the hospi- i
tal for a week to regulate my ]
bloori-siioar level "
In the beginning, Beatson had to
check her blood-sugar level four <
times a day with a glucometer, a j
device that measures the amount of i
glucose in the blood. She would ;
prick her finger, put the blood on a
test strip and read what her level 1
was. She would then give herself i
the insulin shot, which was actually
a combination of two types of i
insulin: one type, NPH, lasted 24 j
hours, and the other, R insulin, i
lasted six hours.
"I checked my blood-sugar level
in the morning, at lunch or snacktime,
at dinnertime and at bedtime,"
Beatson said. "At dinnertime,
if my level was high, I'd take
another shot. I was taking six types
of shots a day."
Eventually, Beatson knew what
her blood-sugar level was by how
she felt. Now, she takes her insulin
shots every day and only checks
her blood-sugar level with the glucometer
when she is feeling sick.
Another major way diabetics
control their disease is by watching
their diet. Proper nutrition is key to
controlling diabetes, according to
Debbie Boardley, a registered dietician
with the USC Health and
Wellness Program.
"A diabetic's whole life revolves
around what he eats and can't eat,"
Boardlev said. "In a normal person,
the body responds to what is eaten
by making insulin. This isn't true
in a diabetic, so what a diabetic
eats has to match what their insulin
injection is. Diet and insulin go
hand in hand with the treatment of
diabetes."
While Beatson was in the hospital,
she was taught what foods to
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avoid. She can eat some items with weird sleep patterns, just a reasonsugar
in them as long as she does able schedule. There are lots of dif>o
in moderation. ferent places to eat on campus, so I
"There are not certain foods I didn't have a problem eating there.
:an't eat," she said. "I just have to You just have to remember that if
watch to make sure I don't eat you take care of your body, your
something with a lot of sugar in it. body will take care of you."
Sugar substitutes have made life a Jenkins stressed that her daughlot
easier." ter and all other diabetics want to
In order for a diabetic's blood- be treated normally,
sugar level to remain stable, he "They just want to be treated
must eat a balanced diet at a regu- like anyone else because they are,"
lar time every day, according to she said. "Their maintenance is just
Boardley. a little higher."
"The basic principle is to eat a "When I was first diagnosed, I sat
:ertain amount of healthy food at a around saying This isn't fair. Why
specified time," she said. "It's did I have to get this?"' Beatson
more like a regimen, a meal pattern said.
you have to follow. "Once it hits that if you don't
For Beatson, the transition from manage your disease right, you'll
^ATTIA f A AAllana * r\ < irst Kar HlA XfAnc Ur.? rtrvo fA * T
ji/iuv- iu uiun i uisiujji nv^i u?w, juui dimuuc ^nuiiyts msi. i
ileal schedule or her diet. realized that I had to take care of
"From high school on, it was myself. Now I know, though, that
eal easy to keep the same eating if you take care of yourself, you'll
lattern," she said. "I just maintain live a long life. That's what I I
i certain schedule. I don't have any intend to do," she said.
Types of Diabetes
Insulin-Dependant (Type I) Diabetes
Thk^n^reas stops making insulin or makes only a tiny
amou^msuma is necessary to life, so the hormone must be
injeoeraweryaav. This form of the disease occurs mostly in
\ \ children.
^n-msulinTtependant (Type II) Diabetes
The partareal^odubes some insulin but it is not used
eff^tivek Thisv^ccurs mostly in adults.
\ NvTm^facts
14 m^lionyK^ nca>\s have diabetes
1 million+ peopl/have insulta-dependant diabetes
13 million people pfive non-insutk^-dependant diabetes
Another 6 millionspeople do nokknow they have
non-insulirNdependant diN?etes
Tho nonnlo of riel/- ora r\\ tr\ r AC\ r\\ t>%. + o?/-4
. iiv 111w ji i ior\ 010. uvci -tvy, wvcn vvciyi it, ai ivj nave
a history of diabetes in their farcies
The Warnings^ignS/O
Insulin-Dependant Non-lrteulfh Dependant
(usually occur suddenly) (usuallyb&jufle^s suddenly)
frequent urination *any of the insulin-ofcpendant
excessive thirst symptoms
extreme hunger 'recurring or hard to he^iskin,
dramatic weight loss gum, or bladder infectionSk
irratibility 'drowsiness
weakness and fatigue 'blurred vision
nausea and vomiting 'tingling or numbness in handset
If you have questions call:
799 4246 ,,tching A
lulius Brown/THE camecock Source-American Diabetes Association
idison AIDS Support Network at 255-1711.
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