. .
The'Schlussels at the recent
Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation walk: Claire,
14, Cara, Ira, Gabe,-12, and
Sammy, 9, in front.

advances into novel therapies for T1D.
The JDRF Michigan chapter also man-
ages a mentor program in which new
families are matched with another family
in the same neighborhood who has experi-
ence with T1D. The Schlussels are a men-
tor family for JDRF.
"I get calls all the time from the mother,
and I'm so glad I can help her and the
family:' Cara says. "Most people don't
know about Type 1 diabetes. The diagnosis
comes as a shock and is overwhelming,
but diabetes doesn't go away and all the
changes become your new normal. Self-
care is the key to our children's healthy
independence:'

F
JDR
to FO R

iCURE1 .

Double Diagnoses

Schlussel family faces the challenges of Type 1 diabetes together.

Ruthan Brodsky
Special to the Jewish News

I

t's especially hard for me at birthday
parties because I can eat only part of
a cupcake says 9-year-old Sammy
Schlussel, who was diagnosed with Type
1 diabetes (T1D) when he was 6. "It's all
hard for me, carrying my bag wherever I
go, wearing a medical necklace, missing
part of school, leaving the class because
my blood sugar is low or too high and I
need to go to the office. I also know it's
especially hard for my parents because
they had to help me all the time. Even my
brother and sister made changes for me:'
Cara, Sammy's mother, took him to the
doctor when she noticed he was always
thirsty and urinating frequently. Very
quickly, maintaining his blood sugar levels
became a major part of life for this family
from Huntington Woods.
"In the beginning, Sammy didn't
understand the sudden changes that T1D
brought to his life Cara says. "Sending
Sammy to school was daunting. I went to
school daily before and during lunch to
test his blood sugar and then gave him his
insulin shot. He can do that himself now,
but as parents it's our job to supervise how
well he's managing his T1D. We are always
questioning whether he tested himself
before he ate and during the day:'

Another Diagnosis
This past January, Claire, the Schlussel's
oldest child, was lethargic and lost signifi-
cant weight. Her father, Ira, thought she

may have mononucleosis, but Claire was
also diagnosed with T1D.
"I knew I could handle my diabetes
because I watched my brother Sammy
deal with his challenges:' says Claire, now
14. "I also know that this diabetic chal-
lenge won't stop me from doing whatever I
want to do and become. Right now, I want
people to be more aware of T1D and how
it differs from Type 2 diabetes:'
Her father says, "Learning the manage-
ment routine for T1D was much easier for
Claire not only because she is older and
more mature, but also because she had
lived with her younger brother's struggles
for the past three years. She counts her
carbs and understands the repercussions
if she strays. She also understands that she
can take care of herself and that having
T1D is not a death sentence:'
Gabe Schlussel, 12, has not been diag-
nosed with T1D.
"The toughest time was facing each of
them sitting in a hospital telling me they
have diabetes:' Gabe says. "When friends
ask if I have diabetes I tell them I have a
chance of being diagnosed, but hopefully
I won't. One of my friends at school was
recently diagnosed with T1D and was hav-
ing trouble figuring out what she needed to
do. I was able to help her out because deal-
ing with T1D is such a big part of my life:'

Support Is There
Caring for a child with this lifelong condi-
tion changes family dynamics. It infiltrates
everyone's life and touches everything.
"Early diagnosis is beneficial to children

with diabetes because
it limits the possibility
of side effects later in
life says Peter Gerrits,
M.D., director, pediat-
ric endocrinology and
metabolism at Beaumont
Children's Hospital in
Dr. Peter
Royal Oak. "Major symp-
Gerrits
toms include increased
thirst, increased urine output, weight loss,
low energy and increased appetite he
says. "Continuous research and well-estab-
lished clinical trials are taking place, but
for now T1D can't be prevented and there's
no early detection:'
Fortunately, there are support systems
available for families because there's so
much to deal with after a diagnosis has
been made.
"Support starts with the family's pri-
mary care physician and hospital educa-
tional programs that lead to a network
of health disciplines and continues with
community outreach programs:' Gerrits
says. "The Southeast Michigan Chapter of
the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
(JDRF) is enormously helpful, raising
funds to help find a cure and providing
families with information and support:'
Recently, the JDRF and the Israel
Science Foundation announced the second
round of grants to basic science research-
ers in Israel. The grants awarded five
recipients $130,000 each per year for up
to three years. The program encourages
innovative research and the acceleration of
the practical application of basic scientific

Parents' Challenges
Trying not to be overprotective and encour-
aging a feeling of mastery is part of the
challenges parents face, along with learn-
ing how to fit diabetes into their lifestyles
rather than letting it control their lives.
Talking with children who have T1D
about their health, blood testing, eating
habits and other tasks involved in diabetes
management is challenging and often feels
like a tug-of-war.
"Parents try to motivate their child
to practice good self-care and avoid a
diabetes-related emergency, such as a
severe low blood sugar
reaction:' says Dr. Shiri
Levy, service chief of
endocrinology, metabo-
lism, bone and min-
eral disorders at Henry
Ford West Bloomfield
Hospital. At the same
time, parental remind-
Dr. Shill Levy
ers about checking their
blood and counting carbohydrates can
easily be thought of as nagging. Having
T1D is frightening for a young child. In
general, parents do a good job of guiding
older children with T1D to be autonomous
and be responsible for their own health
maintenance'
Each year, more than 13,000 children
are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S.
In T1D, the pancreas loses its ability
to produce any or enough insulin. By
the time the symptoms of diabetes have
developed, about 80 percent of the pancre-
atic cells that produce insulin are already
destroyed. The only way the body can
again use sugar for energy is to replace the
missing insulin. This is done with injec-
tions. Most children take insulin injections
several times a day.
"Control of their blood sugar is the most
important aspect to ensure a healthy life
for a child with diabetes:' Gerritts says.
"We want newly diagnosed patients with
T1D and their families to know that there
is nothing they cannot do because of the
disease. It's not going to get in the way of
their aspirations. Patients can take care of
their diabetes, and their future plans don't
have to be interrupted:' ❑

DI

November 29 • 2012

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