«Since Sofia has this disease, my father and I have become nurses» says Francesca. «The catheter must in fact be replaced every 72 hours. To do this it is necessary to shoot a small straw into Sofia’s tummy (through a needle which is then removed); then we have to take the necessary dose of insulin for the three days, fill a new cartridge to be inserted into the insulin pump. Instead, every ten days we have to change the sensor on his arm. In themselves they are not particularly painful operations, but they are certainly annoying. Sofia has been screaming for a few days, and she says that she is fed up with this operation which she perceives as torture, from a psychological point of view ».
That insulin pump, which constantly delivers insulin to Sofia’s body, must always be attached to your clothes, day and night. “And at nine years old it’s not a trivial matter,” observes the mother. “If you want to chase a partner, or if you want to play football, you have to be careful that you don’t fall or hurt yourself. If she wishes to dance, ditto. A somersault cannot do it. Not even a swim in the sea. Or rather, you can do it, but you must first deactivate and unhook the insulin pump, for a period that does not exceed an hour and a half ».
“Before each meal, Sofia still needs to be given insulin,” specifies Daniele, Sofia’s father. “This means that every day, my wife or I, at 12.30, interrupt work and go to school. The dose of insulin with meals is never the same, even if you have to eat – hypothetically – the same meal every day. Blood sugar varies according to a series of elements, including the amount of carbohydrates it is about to ingest (which in turn vary according to the food: 100 grams of raw meat is a very different thing from 100 grams of pasta) and based on whether or not you are exercising; whether she’s happy or worried (because every emotion corresponds to a production of hormones that impact insulin needs).
Parents and children involved day and night
“What is not known about type 1 diabetes, in particular, is that it is a condition that primarily involves the child / young person, but inevitably also affects the whole family, the school and social context”, clarifies Daniele. “Having type 1 diabetes doesn’t mean that you take a pill every day at mealtime and then forget about it. If you are the parent of a child or a teenager you always think about it. You are always vigilant. At attention».
When your blood sugar starts to exceed 180, or tends to drop below 70, the insulin pump beeps, to say: “hey, look you’re going too up/too down”. It is a gradual warning system, which aims to prevent serious complications. It is undoubtedly one of the advantages of the new technology.