This video in the NY Times is somewhat
frightening and I have viewed it several times to get that out of my
mind, but I can't. The young girl, Grace, at 15 has type 1 diabetes
and is having wild swings in her blood glucose levels. As with most
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain are all over her and her testing
schedule. They set alarms to check her blood glucose at midnight,
three AM, and six AM. She tests the rest of the day.
They may have good reason for concern
as apparently she is on a high carbohydrate/low-fat food plan and
also seems hypoglycemia unaware. She does have a diabetes service
dog and this has eased the concern some. The dog does go with her to
school and anyplace she goes away from her parents.
David Mendosa says she and her family
have apparently never heard of Dr. Richard K. Bernstein and the law
of small numbers. For the brief time when her blood glucose numbers
flashed across the screen, I would have to agree with David and say
she and her family need to read Dr. Bernstein's book, “Diabetes
Solutions.”
Hopefully, the link above will allow
you to see the video. It is not the best video and jumps from point
to point without any narrative or controls to allow you to pause the
video, which I could get to work.
She has had three or four friends or
acquaintances that have died from type 1 diabetes. This does concern
the entire family and has left a lasting impression on the daughter.
Below the video is a brief write-up
about the Chamberlain family in Fort Worth, Texas. Grace was
diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2006. Grace’s experience with
the disease has been particularly volatile. Her blood glucose levels
must be checked and managed constantly; if they get too low, she
could die within minutes. Grace’s parents have devoted their lives
to keeping their daughter healthy. Their kitchen has been
transformed into an arsenal of diabetes-regulating equipment and
food. Because she often can’t feel the fluctuations in her blood
sugar levels, they got her a diabetes service dog, Jackie, who can
sense when Grace’s glucose levels may be getting too low, and urge
her to go check and correct them.
Grace’s main hope is for an
artificial pancreas, which would mimic the biological function of the
organ by regulating insulin and other hormone delivery and helping
maintain healthy blood glucose levels. Research for this technology
is ongoing in the United States, but a 4-year-old in Australia has
received the world’s first artificial pancreas last week; Grace has
a fund-raising campaign of her own. Once the artificial pancreas is
perfected and approved for use by the FDA, Jackie the dog can focus
on being a dog, and Patricia and her husband can sleep. More
important, Grace will have the best shot possible at the pursuit of a
stable, independent, and almost normal life.
