When Ashley Hall was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic about 25 years ago, she was terrified.
At 10 years old, she was having to navigate counting the carbohydrates she ate at each meal and measuring and delivering insulin injections while out at restaurants.
Back then, there wasn’t as much awareness of diabetes and what it entailed as there is now, she said.
“I feel like people are a little bit more aware of it now,” Hall told The Dispatch. “… If I pulled a needle out when I was younger … every table was turning to look to see what you were doing. If something was beeping, they were like, ‘What is going on over there?’”
Hall’s experiences helped inform how she has approached teaching her 13-year-old daughter Azriella, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes earlier this year.
“It is very frustrating because you’re a kid,” Ashley said. “You’re trying to figure out what you’re supposed to eat and how many units (of insulin) you’re supposed to take, and it’s just a lot for a kid to handle. … But with us, we kind of know that, so I can help (her) at home, and (she) doesn’t have to stress as much about it, because mom’s been through it.”
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and in Mississippi, about 1 in 7 people like Hall have been diagnosed with a form of diabetes, putting the state in the top five nationally for diabetes rates, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health’s website.
Diabetes is typically diagnosed in two forms which are called Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Type 1 diabetes happens when a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks the pancreas, which produces insulin, so the body makes little or none. People with Type 1 diabetes need insulin daily to maintain their blood glucose level, according to the CDC’s website. This is often referred to as childhood diabetes, since many are diagnosed when they are young. However, it can occur at any age, the CDC’s website said.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when a person’s body produces insulin but doesn’t absorb it as well as usual. It is typically developed over their lifetime. Type 2 diabetes tends to develop later in life and is linked more to lifestyle factors like diet and exercise levels, and can be managed through healthier habits, according to the CDC.
A dangerous, but manageable condition
In 2022, about 346,000 people in Mississippi had some form of diabetes, and it was estimated that about 21,000 new diagnoses were made each year in the state, according to data from MSDH.
“This is definitely a very important and vital issue for (Columbus) and for Mississippi in general,” Dr. Abir Zainal, endocrinologist at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle said. “Because we have one of the highest rates for obesity in the United States and one of the highest rates of diabetes.”
In the United States, about 38 million adults have some form of diabetes and about 1 in 5 of those people aren’t aware they have the disease, the CDC’s website said. If left untreated or improperly treated, high blood sugars can lead to complications including heart disease, stroke, blindness, nerve issues and amputation, according to MSDH’s website.
Some of the reasons for these missed diagnoses is from a lack of education on the symptoms of diabetes, Zainal said.
“With diabetes, it tends to kind of creep up on you,” Zainal said. “So we do try to educate our patients, and funnily enough, they’ve discovered family members that had those symptoms that they’ve encouraged to seek help.”
Zainal said some initial symptoms that those with both forms of diabetes can exhibit include increased thirst, exhaustion, mood swings and stomach pains.
Ashley said she experienced all of these while going to school, and during that time, teachers weren’t as patient or understanding with her as they are now for Azriella.
“I was constantly thirsty. I was having to go to the restroom every hour, on the hour. And just back then, teachers were like, ‘No, you can’t go to the bathroom this much.’ And so that was frustrating,” Ashley said. “… It was an easier adjustment once they learned that there was a reason behind those things.”
Contrary to Ashley’s experience, as Azriella has started checking her glucose levels and taking insulin at school, teachers and the school nurse at Caledonia Middle School have been helpful and understanding as the 13-year-old navigates her diagnosis.
Ashley said the general education and medical technology associated with treating diabetes has grown so much since she was diagnosed more than two decades ago.
“The technology that they have come out with … didn’t exist when I was 10 years old,” Ashley said. “… (Continuous glucose monitors) weren’t around. You were just sticking your finger three or four times a day and hoping for the best in between.”
Zainal said while stigmas and technology for diabetes care have improved, some of the key exacerbators for a diabetes diagnosis still persist, including food deserts and the pervasiveness of fast food restaurants.
“It’s quick … for those family dynamics where they don’t have time to make meals, and the fast food industry seems to be so accessible, quick, fast, cheap (and) that’s what people are eating,” Zainal said. “… But I try to help them … look at that menu and see what they can order that could be not so detrimental to their health.”
Zainal said improvements can still be made in providing better education earlier on in childhood at schools as well as in the community about handling a diabetes diagnosis.
“I try to explain to my patients, it’s not a death sentence, those complications you see … that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s your life,” Zainal said. “This is a chronic illness. I explained that to them, like many other illnesses … it’s just something that we can get control of and manage, and if (you’re) controlled, then you can live a great life.”
Ashley said these developments have given her hope for where diabetes awareness and education is headed for her daughter and other children in the future.
“It does give me hope for her, especially,” Ashley said. “It … gives me hope that they won’t have as hard a time as we did when we were growing up.”
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
