CDF’s Paige Lindbloom Interviewed by Karim Bukhadurov on Great.com Podcast!

Karim Bukhadurov from Great.com interviewed Children’s Diabetes Foundation’s Paige Lindbloom as part of their ‘Great.com Talks With…’ podcast. This series is an antidote to negative news stories that aims to shed light on organizations and experts whose work is making a positive impact on the world.

Many think of diabetes as a result of poor dietary choices and lack of exercise. Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder often manifesting in children and teens, differs starkly from this description more characteristic of type 2 diabetes. Despite the high number of people living with type 1 diabetes (over 1.6 million in the U.S.), we still have much to learn about the onset and implications for those living with the disease. In this podcast, CDF’s Paige Lindbloom describes their work in funding diabetes research, raising public awareness and supporting patients with specialized programs. 

So How Can Type 1 Diabetes Be Recognized and Managed?

Type 1 diabetes is not caused by lifestyle choices, age, race or place. Prominent symptoms include frequent urination, bedwetting, fatigue, blurred vision and uncontrolled weight loss. These symptoms can often come about very suddenly, especially with children. For those with type 1 diabetes, their pancreas— an organ that secretes insulin—stops functioning and can cause catastrophically high blood glucose levels. Individuals with type 1 diabetes are required to self-administer insulin in order to utilize the sugar they ingest and turn it into energy. They cannot utilize the sugars in their body and turn it into energy, and therefore people with type 1 have to manage it by self-administering insulin. Research surrounding a potential cure for type 1 diabetes is fraught with difficulties as we still don’t know what the common trigger is. Paige explains how this limits the preventative research and how the medical care is still focusing on ways to more effectively manage the administration of insulin. As someone living with type 1 diabetes herself, she found her own ways to live a wholesome and stimulating life. She encourages individuals and parents alike to empower themselves and their children to lead independent and fulfilling lives.

HOW TO LISTEN

Visit great.com/great-talks-with/type-1-diabetes-searching-for-the-hows-and-the-whys to listen to the whole interview and find out more on the current type 1 research and findings, as well as the Children’s Diabetes Foundation’s holistic programs.