Speaker: Providing support for a loved one with diabetes.
Michael: When I first met Jamie she told me right off the bat that she was a diabetic and I was definitely, I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into.
Speaker: The biggest support is in educating them and educating everybody around them.
Jamie: I used to think that it’s just easier not to fall in love and just let that person get on with their life, but he is stuck, he is really stuck. It’s really important to me that he is there. He has to live with me and go through all of my complications, my side effects, reactions, high blood sugars, low blood sugars, that sort of stuff and anyone who has spent time with a diabetic knows they can be up and down.
Michael: This thing is with most diabetics, I think that if you mentioned that I think maybe you need to take some insulin, you are kind of walking on a very fine wire.
Nina Hardin: I think that it is important that they do not nag and they are not with always and they are not the police, these policemen who go around saying, “You shouldn’t this and you shouldn’t that.” Let's see what they should do and let's help people focus on the positive and just ignore the negative because it can just devastating.
Michael: Give constant support and you have to be quick in the middle of the night when Jamie has reactions.
Jamie: Not panic.
Michael: Not panic, you have to stay in control, see what kind of state she is and like offer juice or whatever she needs to get her back on her feet.
Nina Hardin: People who do very well are the people who come in here with their families and provide an excellent support system.
Jamie: My parents extremely involved in my health. Even at the age of 27 I still phone them to discuss different treatments, my insulin regimen when I am sick and I always know that no matter what, they are there.
Micheal: You start to love them for it really because they really need times when she is high.
Jamie: They get funny.
Michael: She gets a little funny and when she is low you really want to help the person and because you really do love them and you want to get to them and help them out as best as you can.
Jamie: Without the family support that I have had, I don’t know that I would be handling my situation as well as I have.
Speaker: Most people can't believe that she is sick so when you look at her it is hard to believe that she may have a much shorter life than you or I, but just that whatever she has left or whatever opportunities that we can give her, the doctors can give her that we that she will have every opportunity to make her life very good.
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