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Continuing education
Diabetes Care Center helps family manage diabetes
Three of the four children in the Olson family have diabetes, and the Sanford Diabetes Center has helped the entire group manage the disease. |
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For Troy and Tara Olson, a busy schedule
combining work and the activities of their four
children is just part of normal, everyday life.
So is living with type 1 diabetes.
Their oldest daughter, Tylie, 15, was diagnosed in
2000. Taya, 13, was diagnosed a year-and-a-half later,
and doctors diagnosed their son, T.J., 7, in January
2010. Tessa, 10, does not have diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes, typically associated with children
and young adults, occurs when the pancreas stops
producing insulin, a hormone needed to convert
sugar, starches and other food into energy needed
for daily life.
Facing diabetes the first time was “overwhelming,”
Tara Olson recalled.
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| “I thought I would have to quit my job, and we
would have to start this entire new life,” she said.
“My thinking changed after meeting
with the Sanford Health diabetes
team during Tylie’s hospital stay.
They did an amazing job of
educating and preparing us,
and we are still with them
11 years later.”
Sanford Health offers an integrated team approach
to diabetes care. Patients and families benefit from
education and support provided by doctors, nurse
practitioners, physician assistants, diabetes nurse
educators and nutritionists.
“We play an advisory role, helping them with
problem solving and offering suggestions for
improvements when they come in for regular quarterly
visits and lab work,” said
Dr. Todd Twogood,
Sanford Health pediatrician.
“I can call any time of the day or night with
questions,” she said.
With guidance and support from their parents and
their medical providers, diabetes does not limit the
children. Tylie and Taya play volleyball and soccer,
Taya and T.J. play hockey, and T.J. is also in baseball.
“As the kids have shown interest in activities, we’ve helped them
problem solve and offered suggestions of how to make these work for
their family,” said Cindy Anderst, licensed registered dietitian and certified
diabetes educator at Sanford Health. “Our care is individualized to the
family’s goals.”
The family has benefitted from the advances in diabetes care. In 2007, the
girls transitioned from giving themselves injections to the latest innovation—
the insulin pump.
The pump, similar in size to a pager, is clipped to the waistband. A thin
tube |
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Todd
Twogood, MD
Pediatrician
Cindy Anderst
Registered
dietitian/certified
diabetes educator
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delivers insulin
into the needle site on the abdomen, hip or upper arm. Blood sugars and carbohydrate levels are inputted after eating, and the pump calculates and delivers the appropriate amount of insulin.
“The pump allows them to be more like regular kids,” Tara said. “They don’t
have to stop, take out a kit, draw insulin and give injections. They can adjust
insulin to allow for activity with the touch of a button.”
While T.J. is beginning his diabetes education, the girls have become
more independent.
“We’re taking on more of a supporting role with the girls and letting them
manage the daily care,” Tara said. “The girls are also involved in T.J.’s care,
and it’s great having that support system within the family.”
When the Olson family travels, it packs what Tara calls a “traveling
pharmacy” to ensure the kids stay healthy.
“Troy and Tara made life normal for their children, in light of having
diabetes,” Dr. Twogood said. “They moved on with life and provided love
and support without overprotecting the children, which has helped them
become more independent with their care. They’re doing everything right.”
Click here for more information on Sanford Diabetes Center.
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