Diabetes and Me

Diabetes and Me

Nine-year-old Mia is one of almost three million children and adults in the United States who have type 1 diabetes. This disease causes the body to stop making insulin. Insulin allows our bodies' cells to take in glucose, or sugar, from food. Our bodies' cells need glucose for energy. Without insulin, the cells do not take in the glucose we need to work or play.

Doctors don't know exactly what causes type 1 diabetes or how to cure it. With the right treatment, people with type 1 diabetes can live normal, healthy lives.

To live healthy lives, people like Mia take special care of themselves. They watch what they eat and get lots of exercise. They also test their blood sugar levels many times each day.

Reading A-Z: How did you find out you have type 1 diabetes? Mia: When I was four-and-a-half, I had to get up at night to go to the bathroom a lot. I went to the doctor, and they checked my blood sugar. It was really high. We had to go to the hospital, and I got scared. The day I got out of the hospital, I was feeling better.

Reading A-Z: What kind of medicine do you take to stay healthy? Mia: I take insulin. I wear an insulin pump near my waist. The pump makes taking the medicine easier.