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PAGE 14, WH1TYFRME PRESS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29,.1989< Imagine is a national campmign of The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy to increase support their goals and are contributing space for the Imagine ads on this and other pages. To bring the campaign closer to home, the Whitby Free Press is running a series of profiles of the needs and activities of local organizations. Call us if your organization could use a boost. Choices don't lwascorne eaSy SBy Trudie Zavadovios At frst glance, Whitby's Rob Harris is what some wouid cal your typicai teenager. And why not? The 18-year-old, grade 12 stu- dent bikes music, iloves sports, plays a mean game of tennis, has a part-timo job and drives the family car. Ho may b. typicai, but he's anytiung but average. .Harris bas had te fight for bis rigbt te play tennis, te partici- pate in sports, tq, drive, te main- tain the typical lifééýlye of bis choice. When ho was' first, âiagnosed as diabetic at age 11, ho was teld ho could no longer participate-in sporta. "I couidn'timagine not playing sports," ho says. opitalizod for a month, ho learned te give himself needies, tçst bis blood/sugar, and te main- tain a baianoed diet. After three weeks ho was transferred from Oshawa te Sick Chiidren's Hos- pital in Toronto where ho recei- yoed more personalized attention. T'horo,lho and hi s parents Donna and Bill worked on. on on. with a doctor wbo answered ques- tions, alleviated fears and helpe them adjuat te the practices that wouid put Rob in control of bis disease. Today those practices are rou- tine for Rob as they are te most of the on. in 600 children who dovebop what is known as type 1 diabetes. uChiicfren have only tyipTe diabetes,» says Marlon. Gass,. past president of the Diabetos JACK BIRENNAN showed the latest Durham Region branch of the Cana- technology in measuring'blood/sugar dian Diabetes Association. levels, at a recent meeting of the Controlling dabetes is not easy Fear, stress, deniai, depression; these feelings can hold you back frm ioarning te control diabetes. There is no cure but witb sincere conxmitmont and effort good control cRn bring bealtb and 'joie de vivre.' A good support system heipa. The docte;, nutritiomist, and heaith unit, such as at the Oshawa General Hospital diabetes cliic, makes al the difference. Here education with positive encouragement - help- Cancer "information service. avaîlbl The Cancer Information Service ,,'personnel who respond te calls is a tiil-fre. telephone inquiry with specifie incividualized service that supplies factuai, information in layman's up-to-date information about language, and provide the cancer and . cancor-related opportunity for the caller te resources te, the generà]i public, discuss bis concerns fully. cancer patients and their One of the major aims of a families, te health professionals Cancer Information Service ii to and the media. reduce the widespread fear and Specific. information about confusion surrounding cancer, by cancer prevention, causes, risk providing a current, factual, factrsp articular cancer sites, readily available source of methoda 0f diagnosis, treatment information. This will assist the and rehabilitation is availabie. As public in understanding and wefl, information about local coping with the disease in family, r«osouce for cancer Patienta and friends and associates. familles - treatmoent facilities, In Ontario, the Cancer horne car pograros, volunteer Information Service in funded and alf.h.lpr programna - l jointly by the Canadian Cancer a*àllèbeSciety - Ontario Division and the Cancer Information Ontario Cancer- Troatment #f in staff.od- 4-m a Lunil. improvo attitudes which motivate you te seif-responsibilityr. People with diabotes must bo aware Of hpuyei (abnormaliy bow ld 1Sp leveis) and protect. themaelves by always carrying a fast-acting gucose and have frut juices on had. Hypoglycemia, e]o caled mIsulin reaction" or- "insulin shock", 'can occur during, imamediately afler activity, or may happen up to, 12 hours post- exerciao. Self-monitoring bodglucose levels regulariy is very:imortant. Low blood sugar lovels during exorcise can ho prevented by eating extra fruits or vegetables hofore, during and after extra activity, or by taking les insulin, or by a combination of the two. Sée. your doctor and nutritionist for advioe on what wouid be best for you. Take charge, thinpoitive, ho optimistc,,iaugh atiifeask your faiuiy te help yubufld a support team to heip you gain and maintain good contriol f blood sugar levels. Eat right for health and practise physical fitness to deélpr senne ofweil be in& COe1MIL Ar"h by Carde Association of Durhamn egon. 'This is due to a complote shiut- down of insulin reproducing celis. They simply stop making insulin.» Treatment for type 1 diabetes is insulin, diet and exorcise. Although the disoase is control- led through these measuros Grass warns that children will die. without insulin and that dia- betic pis which are sometimes prescribeci for someone with type 2 diabetes (which usuaily sur- faces later in lifo) are flot insulin. 1inm20 develop diabetes Statistics state that one in 20 people doveiop diabetes and in- cidents, are increasing at a rate of six per cent per year. Làifestyle factors such as overweight, lack of exorcise and stress can contri- bute to the onset of diabetes. Warming signs of diabetes are increased thirst, frequent urina- tion, fatigue, and weigh los. ]Rb exporiencod thesesymp- toms for about a month before slipping into the diabotic coma that sent hlm te hospital. (Ho dropped about 30 lbs in six woeks but says that the weight loss was not visible duo te the type of clothes ho woro). u(Jhilcfren who are not treated in to a diabotic coma, says Grasa. Othier symptoms for type 2 diabetes are infections, per- sonality changes, numbness, tin- gýngin hndsand foot. 'Bfr lo testing came in we couldn't fine-tune or controI diabetes," says Grass. 'The big- gest transition is that patients can participate in the manage- ment of diabetes rather thanlbe a.. passive recipient of care. Patients take a part in finding solutions. Education becomes a great component of their management. That holde true for Rob. <Tve learned how te eat properly. When I was younger, Ididn't always oat balanced meals. Now rve learned the value of eating a balanoed meal and a nutritious one. rve learned I have te eat. three meals a day. If not, P'm in trouble, If I miss a meal, I have an insulin reaction. When eating at a friend's house, I know what I can and can't have. Because inm so activeI have problems. I burn up more sugar and have double the reaction of a normal (or bs active) diabetic.» Rob knows his body Md has loarned te make the adjustments needed te meet his activity lovel. Iles important ho makes those adjustments. It can mean the difference between life and death. MThs summer I had a severe lowý blood/sugar reaction. I had been playing tennis. I hadn't had enough toeset. I went uncon- scious.» Luckily, Rob was with his frienda. They knew he was diabe- tic and got him te a hospital. «I don't think well find a bianket cure,» says Grass. «We a- ifféent ways te man>ge .uoetes and learn prevention methods.» UIt has given me a sense of responsibihity,» says Lob. "To eat on time, give myself needles. (Ho wil always be dependent on insulin injections until a cure is found). "I see it as a way of survival, whether I like it or not. If I want do i veos'pla porta I must d t Rb' biggest prob1fem with DIAETES ASSOCIATION 0F DURHIAM REGION - In Oahawa aince 1955 MembeS.lnjx 800 Purpose Public awareness research Fumding. Some govenment funding. Fundraisng. CaIlh436-664, Diabetes Association of Durham Region, 178 Simcoe- his daily routine is the record keeping. It ia necessary te keep a written account-ef blood/sugar levels, changes in the bodyï-diet etc. Lob knows that diabetes is somethinghe has te live with but stresses for. others who are adapting te the disease, «There are some degrees of change but it doesn't have te change your life- style.-You have te continue with your life. You can be as normal as you were before.» PIILAlNIIOPIST. If more of us were one., more of us would knowî what it meant The giving begins with you.