Kendsie Hunter is a junior at Michigan State University. She has had diabetes for fifteen years, but she doesn't let it stop her from doing the things she wants to do. Kendsie shares her personal experiences, triumphs and failures in her blog about juvenile diabetes. She hopes to encourage others through her writing.
"I don't let diabetes hold me back from being who I want to be, and I don't want to see anyone else miss out on life because of having diabetes. Diabetes has its low points, but I believe that it can be a blessing too."
One of the many complications that can arise from uncontrolled diabetes concerns your feet. Anything from sores, cuts, and bruises to calluses, blisters and ingrown toe nails can be cause for ...
June 19, 2009 - 5:05pm
Being the people person that I am, I am always looking for a way to help others. However, when my friends recently went off to donate blood for a volunteer hour, I second-guessed my ability to ...
June 19, 2009 - 5:03pm
When juvenile diabetes was first being treated, doctors used pig and cow insulin to treat their patients. Things have come a long way since the 1920’s and insulin is now made in a lab. But, if it ...
June 19, 2009 - 5:02pm
Food is broken up into three different areas: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Each area plays an important role in any diet, and no diet should be devoid of one group.
Protein is a basic ...
June 19, 2009 - 5:00pm
Food is broken up into three different areas: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Each area plays an important role in any diet, and no diet should be devoid of one group.
Fats are tricky ...
June 19, 2009 - 4:58pm
Food is broken up into three different areas: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Each area plays an important role in any diet, and no diet should be devoid of one group. As diabetics, most of us ...
June 19, 2009 - 4:57pm
Gestational diabetes is common among pregnant women in the United States. Those diagnosed with gestational diabetes only have diabetes for the 9-or-so months that they are pregnant, but they are ...
June 19, 2009 - 4:54pm
I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was six years old. I remember that I was sick with flu-like symptoms, thirsty all the time, and always having to go to the bathroom. After rapid weight loss ...
June 19, 2009 - 4:51pm
Following up to the last post about sleeping, living with diabetes usually does not equate to a good night of sleep, especially for the parents of juvenile diabetics. The key to a good night is to ...
May 26, 2009 - 6:34pm
One of the most common questions that I get as a diabetic from people who don’t know what it is like to live with the disease is, “Can you sleep with the pump on?” In a word, yes I can. But not ...
May 26, 2009 - 6:31pm
The pump is an amazing machine that has revolutionized juvenile diabetes care, but it is not without its drawbacks. One of the biggest problems that I have with the pump is the marks left behind ...
May 26, 2009 - 6:30pm
Despite all the optimism I try to have about living with diabetes, there are days when I get down on myself about having to live with this disease.
I really hate to bring up this topic, but I ...
May 26, 2009 - 6:28pm
The kidneys rid our bodies of all kinds of waste, balance fluids and are responsible for secreting hormones that stimulate red blood cell production and vitamin D ...
May 18, 2009 - 9:30am
The thyroid gland is responsible for almost all of the metabolic activity of the body. The hormones in the thyroid gland can affect the body negatively in one of two ways: hyperthyroidism or ...
May 18, 2009 - 9:29am
The pituitary gland is responsible for the secretion of many hormones traveling through our bodies and is often referred to as the “control center” because of the many jobs it handles ...
May 18, 2009 - 9:28am
As we all know, juvenile diabetes is a disease that affects the endocrine system. That is, juvenile diabetes affects the hormones that produce insulin in the body, making it impossible for ...
May 18, 2009 - 9:27am
Well, the cold has reached our campus; and I’ve been hit with it. So, I’ve decided to write an entry on what to do when you have the cold, the flu, or something else that keeps you in bed all day ...
April 27, 2009 - 9:37pm
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is developing a new technology that will combine two technologies already on the market with a mathematical algorithm.
By integrating the ...
April 26, 2009 - 5:04pm
When there are two types of diabetes in the medical dictionary, the differences between them are confusing and hard to distinguish. Type two diabetes is the most common type in America today. ...
April 20, 2009 - 10:04pm
Moderation is a key word in diabetes management, and it is no different when it comes to diabetes and alcohol. We all know that alcohol can do major damage on the liver, but for diabetics, the ...
April 18, 2009 - 10:02am
As if living with a chronic illness isn’t enough, adding smoking to the mix makes diabetes harder than ever to deal with. In short: don’t do it. The side effects of smoking if you are a type one ...
April 7, 2009 - 6:48pm
Someone approached me about this the other day, and I could not provide an answer for her about what diabulemia is, so I decided to research things for myself to find out. I’ll share what I found ...
April 7, 2009 - 6:46pm
After people ask me what diabetes is, what a pump is, and if I’m going to die soon from diabetes, people ask me if I can eat sugar. In a word, yes!
This is another one of those questions that ...
April 7, 2009 - 6:45pm
Ever since I was diagnosed at age six, I’ve been told (in a nutshell) that if I don’t take care of my diabetes, I will go blind, have to get my legs amputated, and will have kidney failure.
To ...
April 7, 2009 - 6:44pm
Although I’m not a parent, I can appreciate the amount of sacrifice my parents have to go through for me to live a healthy life as a diabetic. As you read these suggestions, know that this is ...
March 24, 2009 - 8:06am
Diabetes is a difficult disease to deal with. Number counting: the blood sugars, the carbs, the insulin dosages, etc; the lows and the highs; and pokes: fingers and otherwise. But, we also know ...
March 24, 2009 - 8:05am
High levels of activity are tiring for anybody, but for diabetics, low blood sugars can take the fun out of sports. However, it is not impossible to play sports while successfully living with ...
March 21, 2009 - 8:02am
Halle Berry is one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood today. She acts, she models, and she was a beauty pageant contestant in the 80s and 90s.
However, there has been some ...
March 21, 2009 - 7:34am
You may have posters of him and his brothers on your bedroom wall. You may jam to their music in your car. But did you know that Nick Jonas is a diabetic?
That’s right Jo Bro fans, the ...
March 11, 2009 - 10:08am
Spring break and summer instill fear in a few diabetics for this reason: the pump. The insertion sites, as we all know, leave unsightly marks on the stomach, and the pump is square and bulky, ...
March 8, 2009 - 7:24pm
You may not realize it when he is performing on stage, but Elliot Yamin, one of the finalists on American Idol season 5, is a juvenile diabetic! Diagnosed at age 16, Yamin struggled with his ...
March 4, 2009 - 1:39pm
Although diabetes is one of the most common illnesses found in children, you can never tell just by looking at someone if they have juvenile diabetes or not. The number of celebrities and ...
March 3, 2009 - 8:25am
There is no greater goal for those living with diabetes than to have a cure for the disease in their lifetime. From walking to cure diabetes to lobbying Congress, there are many ways in which ...
February 22, 2009 - 9:55am
When most people indeveloping countries lives on two dollars a day, caring for a child’s diabetes takes a backseat to food and shelter. So, what can be done to ensure that people living with ...
February 13, 2009 - 3:28pm
The past blog entries of this month have been about the exciting new technologies available to diabetics in order to make life easier. But what about the juvenile diabetics who do not live in the ...
February 13, 2009 - 3:26pm
Nick Jonas may be a star in the music world (and a tween heartthrob), but he is also one of the most visible juvenile diabetics today. With a busy and never ending schedule, Nick always has to ...
February 10, 2009 - 8:45am
The islet cell transplant has recently become one of the most effective tools in diabetes care. The first human transplant was performed in 1990 and since then, patients living with diabetes have ...
February 6, 2009 - 10:42am
If you recall the 2008 presidential campaigns, stem cell research was a platform right up there with the economy, education, and Afghanistan. With President Barack Obama in office now, diabetics ...
February 5, 2009 - 9:50am
One of the most exciting recent advancements in diabetes care is the creation of the Continuous Glucose Monitor, or the CGM. CGMs give blood sugar readings in real time, constantly testing blood ...
February 3, 2009 - 4:45pm
The history of diabetes care is a fascinating one that really represents the large strides made in recent years to cure diabetes. Through the years, many clinical advances have been made, and ...
February 2, 2009 - 10:10am
You may have looked at the title and said, “What?” but it’s true: it is possible to make this chronic illness into a fun event or project. Especially with children, it is important not to make ...
January 27, 2009 - 8:05pm
After living with diabetes for thirteen years, its safe to say that diabetes is a hassle. Low blood sugars, pokes, shots, and doctor’s visits… the list could go on and on. These things are ...
January 26, 2009 - 3:42pm
As I’m sure you’ve learned from my other blog entries, I don’t let diabetes get in the way of living life. Traveling is a passion of mine that could, potentially, cause problems for me as a ...
January 21, 2009 - 10:04pm
As diabetics know, there are many ways to control your blood sugar readings. One of the most common way is to use the insulin pump. The pump comes in all shapes, colors and sizes and is perfect ...
January 20, 2009 - 6:35pm
Every type one diabetic has been poked and prodded multiple times. Whether it is from shots or finger pokes, we all know what it feels like. However, one poke that cannot be avoided is the A1c ...
January 14, 2009 - 1:41pm
Have you ever had a friend or family member ask you questions about diabetes, like “What is it like to have diabetes?” or, “What is diabetes?” or, “Can’t you get rid of it?”
People have asked ...
January 10, 2009 - 3:50pm
Being diagnosed with diabetes, or having a family member diagnosed, can be a traumatic experience full of change and curiosity. When I was diagnosed at 6 years old, my mom had never heard even of ...
January 6, 2009 - 1:11pm
For most people, a New Year means starting over. Especially when it comes to health, new beginnings can be one of the best things one can do. While answering questions, giving advice, and ...
January 1, 2009 - 9:48am
Diabetes has never really gotten in the way of my day to day life, except for a few low blood sugars here and there, so I decided to stretch the boundaries and spend some time abroad this summer. ...
July 11, 2008 - 8:47am
Diabetes seems to interfere with many aspects of life such as eating, showering, relationships, driving… the list could go on and on. I have received many questions about how to handle diabetes ...
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