Diabetes

What is your relationship with the patient? How did you feel when you knew that she was diagnosed with diabetes?

She is my cousin. We found out that she has diabetes during one of her regular check-ups, and I was saddened because she has down syndrome and could not talk; thus, she cannot express how she feels.

What challenges do you face as a parent of someone with diabetes? How do you over-come these challenges?

Being a diabetic, you will never know when your sugar level is high or low; adding to it that the patient has down syndrome, it is difficult if the patient is already feeling ill. If it weren't for her regular check-up, we wouldn't know that she already has diabetes. We constantly monitor her sugar level and implement a strict diet to overcome these challenges. We also added exercise or any physical activities in her routine to help regulate her sugar level.

How do you manage the emotional and physical difficulties of providing care for a person with diabetes

My cousin no longer has parents, and I am her legal guardian. Caring for a diabetic person with down syndrome is indeed a lot to take in, but everything will fall into place with constant prayer, love, and patience.

In retrospect, what knowledge or experience do you wish you had gained before you became responsible for the care of your relative? Why?

I hope I knew beforehand that children with Down syndrome are more likely to develop diabetes than other children. It would be helpful to know the family’s medical history; in this way, we have taken measures to avoid the development of diabetes.

What do you want people to know, particularly those who have a loved one with diabetes?

It might be challenging to accept that a child has diabetes that will require ongoing medication but try to encourage a child to be active and have a healthy lifestyle. Although diabetes cannot be avoided, it can be controlled with proper health management.

What is your message and advice to someone whose loved one is suffering from breast cancer?

Diabetes is challenging and hard to manage, so having a supportive system of loved ones is essential. People with Down's syndrome who also have diabetes should receive special diabetic treatment to help maintain their blood sugar and prevent them from acquiring further medical issues. However, we cannot cure the condition, but we can provide them support, comfort, and compassion. Diabetes may be upsetting, and people with diabetes sometimes need a place to relax and express themselves. Whenever a loved one is diagnosed with diabetes, we sometimes feel helpless, but our comfort and encouragement can help them get through the roughest moments. Let us continue to be optimistic, lend them a hand, and learn everything about the disease. From our perspective, these actions may be simple, but they can make a significant difference in someone's life.

- Maria Teresa O. Guimbal