diabetenhulphond

Mijn leven met diabetes type I

Op mijn tweede kreeg ik de diagnose van diabetes type 1 en tegenwoordig injecteer ik mijzelf viermaal per dag met insuline. Het meeste last heb ik van hypo’s en de angst hiervoor is een grote belemmering in mijn dagelijks leven. Gedurende de nacht ben ik extra bang hiervoor en houd ik mijn bloedsuikergehalte kunstmatig hoger, waardoor er beschadigingen kunnen optreden aan mijn nieren en ogen.

‘Diabetes heb je niet alleen!’ is de zin die alle doktoren en diabetesverpleegkundigen standaard roepen en dat klopt, want het beïnvloedt alles en iedereen in mijn omgeving, ook verplicht het mij om elke keer opnieuw mensen in te lichten over mijn ziekte.

Toen ik over Helphûn Fryslân haar diabetenhulphonden las kon ik het bijna niet geloven: een hond die mij tijdig waarschuwt en waardoor ik niet meer bang hoef te zijn voor hypo's.

Graag zou ik in aanmerking voor een diabetenhulphond willen komen!
Baukje Postma, 27 jaar.

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Onzin of waar?

Een diabetic alert dog waarschuwt je wanneer je insuline nodig hebt.
Laag en hoog refereren aan de bloedsuikerwaarde. Wanneer diabeten laag zijn hebben zij een snel opneembare suiker nodig gevolgd door een traag opneembare suiker. Als je denkt dat een diabeet laag zit geef dan een glas limonade. Als je op zo'n moment insuline geeft aan een diabeet kan dit de dood tot gevolg hebben!

Als het zo gevaarlijk is om laag te zitten, waarom kan je dan niet gewoon je bloedsuikerwaarde hoog houden?
Hoge bloedsuikerwaarde geeft extreme dorst, overmatig plassen en kan leiden tot de productie van ketonen en ketoaciden. Hoge bloedsuikerwaarde kan ook het risico verhogen om in een later stadium oog- en nierbeschadigen  of andere complicaties op te lopen.  

Alleen dikke mensen krijgen diabetes.
Diabetes is een endocriene ziekte en wordt veroorzaakt door de hoeveelheid insuline die door de bètacellen in de alvleesklier worden geproduceerd, iedereen kan diabetes krijgen!

Jij mag geen chocolade eten, je bent diabeet!
Zoetigheid is niet meer verboden terrein voor een diabeet als dat het is voor de rest van ons, als je gezond eet vormt het geen enkel probleem.

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This is a collection of stories submitted by Paws for Diabetics members about their hypos, we hope you enjoy and gain a greater understanding of what a hypo is like.  

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Hi.  My name is Paul Oliver.  I am 29 years old and have been an insulin dependent diabetic since I was 14.  Since being diagnosed I have struggled to obtain good control.  The result is that I now have neuropathy of the nervous system and digestive system.  Diabetes has destroyed by health and I am now unable to work so I live on a disability pension.  I am unable to recognise when I am about to suffer a hypo and as a result of this I often suffer from hypo seizures.  Fortunately someone has always been around to call an ambulance but this may not always be the case.  I have become very frightened of being on my own and too frightened to go out much because of the thought that I may have a hypo and start seizing.   The seizures take a huge toll on my body and my doctors tell me that every seizure also causes a little more brain damage because of the lack of oxygen.

After hearing about hypo dogs and seeing what one could potentially mean to my life I am now very desperate to have my own hypo dog in the hope that it will change my life and make me feel more secure being on my own and going out.  I know that this would also make a difference for my family who worry a lot about me being on my own and possibly suffering from a hypo that will lead to a seizure.

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I am a 26 year old single mum to Calib (6) and Ella (4).  I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2001.  My Dad has had diabetes since he was 1.  Both of my children are about to start a new study on a nasal spray that hopefully will be a vaccine against diabetes for people who have the genes.

I've always had a problem with not knowing when I'm having a hypo, which being on my own with just the kids is really scary.  My close friends and mum do their do their best to keep in contact with us every day, but this makes me feel like a burden sometimes, especially when I call mum in the middle of the night after waking with a hypo!  My kids have had to grow up a lot quicker than most kids.

I found out about diabetic alert dogs through a dog magazine and then in the news about Oscar being banned from school.  I got my chemist to go on the internet and get the phone number for me.  I already had two dogs and was ready to breed my rottweiler.  After speaking to PFD I decided to wait for the new litter to be born.  Bear was the third pup to be born and I took him from his mum for half an hour so he could imprint on me first.  I left him with his mum to feed but the rest of the time he was with me.

Bear first alerted me at 6 weeks old by biting me a lot.  I still wasn't sure if he really was alerting me until one week later when he grabbed my pants and tried to dray me to the kitchen.  I felt fine and thought he was playing, but on my friend Lisa and Bear's insistence I checked my level and I was 2.6mmol/L!  I knew then that I had chosen the right pup. 

Bear has been learning and growing very quickly!  As you may have already noticed, Bear is a pure bred German Rottweiler.  He won't be the first rottweiler service dog.  There is a guide dog in WA for a man who went blind from diabetes.  His first Rotti guide dog (who has sadly passed away) was awarded Canine Hero of 2000.

I'm sure you will all read more about our progress soon.

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Darcy was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes nearly 2 years ago at age 4. Because we try and keep a pretty tight control on his sugar levels he has more hypos than we would like. So when I, (his mother, Kirstie), first heard about these dogs a year or so ago I was quite interested. Anyway, to cut a long story short, Darcy will be taking possession of his new whippet puppy this coming Saturday. He has named her Sensa because she will sense a hypo. He is very excited and is counting the days - 4 more sleeps. Our biggest challenge will be to keep our 2 year old away from her in the first few weeks. At any rate we are all looking forward to the new arrival.