Diabetes affects millions across America and close to home
by Amanda Polaski– Staff Writer
All across the United States there are people diagnosed with diabetes on a daily basis, and many of those people are right here in our own communities. Although there are several different types of diabetes, one family in Onaway began a battle against Type I Juvenile Diabetes fairly recently, and in doing so, found others within Presque Isle County who are up against the same fight.
JUST BY looking at one and a half year old Halle Milbocker one would never guess anything was wrong. Halle, much like any toddler, likes to question the world around her, and plays like any other child. In fact, it wasn?t until just before her first birthday that her parents, Michelle and Casey Milbocker, noticed anything was different about their daughter. ?About two weeks before her first birthday, Halle came down with an ear infection and we took her to the doctor,? said Michelle. ?Soon after, she began wetting the bed two to four times a night, and she had to have something to drink all the time, and that just wasn?t normal.? Michelle?s instincts told her something was wrong with Halle, and she returned to her pediatrician looking for help.
?Deep down I knew what it was, but I didn?t want to say it,? said Michelle. ?We had her blood sugar checked and it was 459 mg (normal levels are 80 to 200 mg). It was a complete shocker. We were so lucky because we caught it early.? Because Michelle and Casey both have family members who live with Type I and Type II diabetes, they had a good idea of what kind of changes Halle was in for. ?Now we test Halle four to six times per day,? said Michelle. ?Carb counting has become part of our daily routine ? even our three-year-old son Morgan is asking what Halle?s carb counts are.?
Doing research, Michelle found out more about diabetes, and the two most common types. Type I diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin, a hormone that ensures body energy needs are met. Type II diabetes typically develops after the age of 40, but more recently has been appearing in children. In this type, the body produces insulin, but does not use it effectively. Michelle?s research led her to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which started her on a mission to educate others about diabetes. Others soon joined her in Presque Isle County who shared the same experiences.
LOGAN HYDE of Onaway was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when he was two years old. ?It?s my way of life now,? said Logan. ?I?ve never known any different way to live. My diabetes was probably onset when I was born. The friends I have also adapted to my lifestyle, but that has come with time. I had my days with set meals and set snacks.?
Logan now uses an insulin pump that he programs to administer insulin treatment as an alternative to numerous daily injections of insulin. ?With the pump, if I don?t want to eat, I don?t have to. I have a lot more freedom,? said Logan. ?Life as a diabetic is a lot more discrete with a pump?because I don?t have to pull out a syringe.?
When Jan Lemmon of Rogers City was diagnosed with Type I diabetes she was 11 years old. ?I remember having every symptom there is to have,? said Jan. ?I was getting up to use the bathroom eight times a night, and barely making it. I was losing weight, but eating all the time. I was lucky because my mom was a nurse and recognized the symptoms. She tested me at home. I have done the shots ? from one a day up to four to six a day.? Jan, who now also uses an insulin pump, has suffered other ailments due to her diabetes.
?It has taken me awhile to get the point where I am today,? said Jan. ?Diabetes is just a part of my life now. Exercise is important to me, and carbohydrate counting is a big thing. It?s been a tough road, but once you figure it out, your life is no different than anyone else?s.?
THREE AND a half year old Emma Bade, the daughter of Cella and Ken Bade of Rogers City, was diagnosed in 2005 with Type I diabetes after her parents noticed changes in her demeanor. ?The day before Emma was diagnosed, we had gone out on our boat,? said Cella. ?Emma was just tired, wouldn?t get off my lap, and was going to the bathroom all the time. We noticed that when she would have something to eat, she would feel a little better. The next morning, I had a real hard time waking her up?she was very lethargic.?
Cella took her daughter to the family doctor and discovered Emma?s blood sugar was at a shocking level of 1,140 mg. Emma was taken by ambulance to Cheboygan, and then airlifted to Devos Children?s Hospital in Grand Rapids. ?We now check her blood sugar four to six times a day,? said Cella. ?We call them ?finger pokies.? She got used to it right away, and was re
On September 3, Halle, Logan, Jan, and Emma are hoping anyone who is interested in joining their battle against diabetes will come to the JDRF Charity Golf Outing at Stoney Links in Onaway. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. The four-person scramble will include all male, all female, and mixed teams. Everyone is welcome. So far, there are about 15 teams registered. There also will be a silent auction, Chinese raffle, 50/50 raffles, and a luncheon beginning around 3 p.m.
All money raised during the golf outing will go to support Halle?s Heroes walking team in the September 29 Walk to Cure Diabetes in Traverse City. Anyone who wishes to donate can send a check to Michelle Milbocker, 20007 W. 638 Hwy, Onaway, MI 49765, or call 733-8381. Interested people also can check out the JDRF website at www.jdrf.org.