Adolescents
Male: Adolescents are susceptible to the changes going on in their bodies hormonally. They may also be subjected to peer pressure and may not be equipped to make the best decisions for their own health.
Female: I know it was quite normal for me to go through the process I did, being a teenager, trying to fit in with other kids and with everyone experimenting with drinking and why not.
Female: We do have to try and realize that these kids are growing up. They are going through peer pressure and we are going to have to give them a little bit of leniency in terms of cheating. But I think once you educate them and show them what the risks of the disease are, they will start to feel that they need to learn more about their disease and take control.
Female: The hardest thing is letting them go and letting go on a sleep over because you feel you have to train everybody around them. The teachers refuse to lead a normal life, we had to make sure that she knew how to deal with her diabetes.
Female: I wish I could go back maybe to those teenage years and I will never really know if a couple of times, I did not manage my health well enough. If that is the reason I lost my sight, or if that is the reason I have kidney disease. All I can do today is try to reverse it and take all the advice that doctors can give me.
Female: God only gives you what you can deal with and she could deal with it, so we can learn to deal with it.
Male: It is extremely important that adolescents with diabetes receive counseling to help them understand the dangers of smoking and to learn how to avoid unplanned pregnancies.
It is worth mentioning that risk factors that apply to all adolescents such as drinking, drugs, and driving should be carefully considered in order to maintain the healthiest body possible.
In addition, adolescents with diabetes have an increased risk of developing eating disorders. They should be screened appropriately.
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