A LIFE NO LESS ORDINARY

We were concerned that Adeline had been losing weight in spite of her huge appetite. She seemed tired all the time and the bus driver reported that she always slept on the bus. We took her to a GP for an infection but she did not suspect or diagnose anything else.

Fortunately, we sought a second opinion. Our family doctor tested her blood and discovered that her blood sugar level was extremely high, near coma level.

It hit us so suddenly. Our whole world collapsed. We were told there was no cure and that it was life-long. A flood of worries and fears engulfed us.

We searched here and there for answers to our questions. We came to know of Touch Diabetes at one of the talks at Mount Alvernia and started attending their weekly support group meetings. The more we knew, the more comfortable and less anxious we felt.

 

Karen Yeo, 46, mum to Adeline, now 17, talks about the lightning bolt that hit their family when they found out their daughter had diabetes at the tender age of six.

Her teachers were very accommodating and each year. we would give them a letter to inform them of her condition. Sometimes they would pay more attention to her, such as placing her at the front of the class near the teacher's desk, but we told them it was not necessary.

We were initially very strict about restricting her diet and cut out all sugar. Later on, we found that she was eating sweets and drinking 'yakult' on the sly. We felt sorry for her. Learning and understanding more from support group really helped. We learned to ease up a bit and allowed her to substitute instead.

We're pretty open about her condition and she is so used to it, she is not self-conscious even when she has to inject herself in public. Now she uses a pump instead of a syringe because she can manage her condition better and it is also more convenient.

She is now 17 and attending a Junior College. We are still concerned about any future complications. We hope that one day there will be a cure. From now on. she just has to be very careful and learn to manage her diabetes well.