Cheyanne Milliner

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Type 1 Diabetes
I am very familiar with Type 1 Diabetes because my little sister was diagnosed with it
when she was nine years old. In Type 1, the persons body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a
hormone in the body that is secreted by beta cells. Its job is to trigger the cells that take up
glucose so they can make the sugar turn into energy for the body. People that have diabetes are
not able to metabolize the glucose, therefore their level of glucose rises. The organ system that
this effects most is the Endocrine System. This specific system in our body regulates and
communicates which involves all of our hormones, glands, and the cells that respond to those
hormones. This is difficult when an organ like the pancreas doesnt do its job and Im sure that it
messes with all of the other hormones inside our body too.
There is no cure yet for Type 1 Diabetes. It seems to be inherited with a predisposition
and then something in the environment triggers it. In an experiment done by researchers, they
found that people who got diabetes had these autoantibodies, or antibodies that attack the bodys
own tissue, in their blood for years before they were diagnosed.
People with this auto immune disorder can treat it by monitoring their blood sugar,
counting their carbs, taking insulin when needed, eating healthy, and exercising often to maintain
a healthy weight. Normal blood sugar levels are around 70-130 during the day. If they are not
careful and go too low or too high over that normal level, there is a chance of major health issues
and possibly going into a diabetic coma.
Type 1 Diabetics are required to monitor their blood sugar level every single day,
multiple times a day. This is done by wiping one of your fingers off with an alcohol wipe and

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then sticking in a test strip into your tester, inserting a needle and pricking your finger to draw
your own blood. Then you place the blood onto the test strip and the tester will then calculate
your blood sugar level. This should be done before every meal, every time you get behind the
wheel and every physical activity you attend to. Its so important because you do not want to be
stuck somewhere being too low or too high.
Excitingly enough, there is news about an artificial pancreas, a new treatment they are
trying to get figured out. The first step for this new idea was approved in 2013. Researchers have
combined an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor. There are many different versions
of this pancreas, but first there needs to be more research done and more clinical trials before a
functioning pancreas can get approved. This will stop insulin delivery when blood sugar levels
drop too low. This will be so helpful, especially at night when you want to make sure your levels
dont drop too low and you also dont want them to be significantly high in the morning.
Another treatment study going on is stem cell transplants. There was a small number of
people that were diagnosed with Type 1, and in 2007 they were able to stop taking insulin for up
to five years after being treated with stem cells from their own blood. It is a little scary because
this involves shutting down the entire immune system and building it back up again. Hopefully
they can perfect this and someday it may be a treatment option for this disorder.
My little sister was constantly drinking water, always so tired and very moody. She was
nine years old and started to have bed wetting accidents. My mom thought this was really strange
and decided to take her to the doctor because she thought she had a urinary tract infection or
something like that. Little did we know that those are all signs of hyperglycemia or also known

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as high blood sugar. That is when she was taken to the emergency room immediately and shortly
after was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. When she arrived at the hospital, her blood sugar level
was 416. That is so extremely high, and we were lucky she didnt go into a coma. I am hopeful
for a treatment option in the near future so that she can live the most normal life she can.

Cheyanne Milliner
BIOL 1090
Signature Report
Works Cited
American Diabetes Association. American Diabetes Association. 1. American Diabetes
Association, 1995-2016. Web. 28 April 2016.
Mayo Clinic Staff. Mayo Clinic. 1. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research,
1998-2016. Web. 28 April 2016.
Omar, Freyal. Personal Interview (little sister). 28 April 2016.
Pearson. Human Biology. Boston, 2014. Print.