Hi I'm Max,
I have been a Juvenile Diabetic since I was nine years old and I am now thirteen. This web page was made for you and your parents in the hopes that it will help you adjust in some small way. Now that I'm four years into having Diabetes I'm much more confident I can handle the responsibility It requires. Type One Diabetes has slowed me down but has not stopped me from doing what I want but it does make things harder when you don't feel well.
Like you, it all started in the ICU. I remember being admitted for five days as I learned about the Disease that seemed to come from nowhere and change my life forever. Feeling overwhelmed and frightened I was amazed at how many tubes they could stick in me and how uncomfortable they were. First stabilizing my numbers would be the goal of the doctors. Then a crash course in diabetes management skills would come next. What a whirlwind, It felt like a dream that you couldn't wake up from. The best advice I could give you is to finger stick often. By doing so you are able to catch those highs and lows quicker.
One of the most important factors in managing diabetes health is the amount of exercise you get. Physical activity seems to help in every way. My favorite activity is Basketball. Figure out what type of exercise works for you and make it a habit in your daily routine.
It's not for everyone but you might consider training your own Diabetic Alert Service dog. "Mikey" is my Diabetic Alert Dog who helps me maintain proper blood sugar levels by pawing at me when somethings wrong. This means he will catch me going low so I can make an adjustment before any serious damage occurs and he helps to prevent those highs from lasting too long that can damage my organs overtime.
Training a Diabetic Alert Dog can take some time and requires a big commitment from you and your parents but let me tell you it's all worth it. Mikey is my best friend.
If you're interested in training your own Diabetic Alert Service Dog here is a web page that will give you the information you need to begin the process. The Trainer just published a comprehensive guide, step by step on how to train your own Diabetic Alert dog. For some this might be a very affordable and realistic way to train your own D.A.D. Dog.
http://www.vscloud9k9.com/get_the_book
I know things seem overwhelming right now but by making good daily eating and exercise decisions you will learn to live and grow with Diabetes. This man I recently met has had Type One Diabetes for 70 years, that's right, 70 years! If he can do it, so can you.
Enjoy all the photo's of me and Mikey as we trained to become a team in this fight against Juvenile Type One Diabetes.
-Max
