European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 4, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Just what is it by Dan Wollam Stuttgart bureaus pc Dennis Pusch had no Nolion of what was happening. For three weeks he was always hungry always eating but he was losing weigh a dropped the 15 pounds he had gained when Fie quit smoking three months earlier. He fell weak listless in june he went id the Field with his unit Lor an annual army exercise. During the exercise he began losing his sight. He checked into a clinic where a doctor immediately recognized his symptoms he was suffering from diabetes Pusch was admitted to the army Hospital in Nurnberg. Pusch was diagnosed As an insulin dependent diabetic and he will have la Lake insulin injections for the rest of his Lite. Although his lather is diabetic. Pusch knew nothing about the disease. It floored me he said. " did l know what was really  an education and support program Al the army Hospital at bad Cannstatt Germany where he was in answered 1o from Nurnberg is helping him learn what s involved and How to Cope Wilh the disease that May bring an Early end to his Mii Ilary career. Recognizing that diabetics " is area did t have a formal support program bad Cannstatt health officials established one of the More comprehensive diabetes programs among military hospitals in Europe. Us purpose is to teach diabetics about their disease and to help them control the symptoms and reduce Side affects said or Cap Jonathan Fruendt a fief of the diabetes program. Diabetics at bad Cannstatt can attend any of three components of the program support group. Diabetics their family members and health professionals meet monthly to discuss a particular aspect of living with diabetes and to draw on one another Lor support outpatient clinic. An offshoot of the support group the clinic helps those diabetics who can l attend the monthly meetings. It Meels on the first and third Friday of each month and gives patients the Opportunity to meet with health officials and receive instruction and support. Inpatient educational program. The we Klong program gives comprehensive instruction about living with and controlling diabetes. Patients attend classes in the physiological and emotional symptoms and effects of he disease. They learn self monitoring techniques diet exercise and measures to take in Case of emergencies and they do so in tha midst of other people Wilh the same problems. Pusch a water purification supervisor in the 2371h engr in went through the inpatient program with Diana Kennard a diabetic Lor 20 of her 38 years and the Wile of a Soldier and Rhonda Hite an insulin dependent diabetic for 13 years and a nurse. Mile was motivated As much by he support she would receive in the program As by what she hoped o learn. She knows her disease Well she attended classes Lor diabetics in the states and spent seven Summers in a diabetics summer Camp in rapid City . I got to be Wilh kids who have your problems mothers always ordering your food for you being maybe Loo protective Sha said. The bad Cannstatt program taught Kennard about blood glucose monitors. Before that she relied on once a Moulti urine tests to measure her blood sugar Levels she ale junk foods did l exercise and her blood sugar Levels varied wildly As did her temperament i d go crazy for no reason. I d be angry Lor no reason said Kennard. She said the emotional turmoil ride her think of tic sell As a bad person an emotional Side effect of the disease that Many diabetics suffer from. Her emotional rollercoaster was also Tough on her family. It makes for a bad marriage she said. We All had to Cope with the insulin  she measures her blood sugar level at least four times a Day now. I be teamed my Way of living is going to have to change she said i Nave to take Lime for me and take care of it. I have to find time o exercise. I have to have a balanced diet. I also Learned that i have to control my stress Putch mid a Hope he has Learned enough from the program to control his disease and continue his army career. A believes part of what set off his diabetes was the stress of preparing Lor Iho Field exercise where it struck. So he s using what he Learned to control stress in his life. He s Reading every Book he can find about his disease. He s monitoring his Hood sugar Levels and watching his diet. And he s leaning on people such As Hile and Kennard. Who have More experience at living with diabetes. Now he s Walling for a physical evaluation Board to determine whether he is Able to slay in the army or be medically tired. As he Waits he s learning to live Wilh diabetes. I have to accept it Pusch said. I have a Good idea now of what i m laced  he said his wife and three children Are taking it Well. We re nol going to Lei it gel us  army support program for diabetics a t one time insulin dependent diabetic should count on one hand the number Olwe eks they would probably live. That was before 1921, when scientists discovered the Means to extract insulin from animals and make it usable for people said or. Capt Jonathan Gruendl. An internist and the chief of the diabetes education program at the army Hospital at bad Cannstatt Germany. Insulin a hormone produced by the pancreas is either missing. In Short Supply or ineffective in diabetics. Diabetes varies from person to person but Here is what the disease is generally about when people eat. The body reduces food to a simple sugar called glucose. That glucose travels to the body s cells via the blood Stream and fuels the cells. But glucose can t enter the cells unless insulin is present. If All systems work correctly. The intake of food triggers insulin production and glucose will enter the cells As it passes in the blood. Ii the pancreas does t produce insulin does t produce enough or if the insulin produced does t work properly diabetes Resu ils. Instead of feeding cells glucose accumulates in the blood and the kidneys begin working overtime to eliminate it. Al tha same time the cells begin feeding on essential body fats and proteins. Some of the Hort Tarm symptoms include excessive hunger urination and thirst weight loss and lightheadedness there Are two primary types of diabetes juvenile and adult Onset. Juvenile diabetics Are often younger than 10 years old. Tha causes of juvenile diabetes Are largely unknown but these diabetics usually suffer a Complete breakdown of insulin production and depend on insulin injections Iknou ghost their lives. Fruendt said. Adult ont diabetes is More common. Some adult diabetics Are insulin dependent while others produce insulin but not enough or not of the Quality to properly feed lha body s cells. Many adults Don t become diabetic until after age 40. They Are typically overweight and have a history of diabetes in their family. Heredity is a stronger Factor in adult diabetes than juvenile diabetes. Gruendl Bald. A person can have adult diabetes and nol know it Freundl said. Unlike juvenile diabetes which usually strikes suddenly adult diabetes can appear slowly sometimes lingering weeks or months before the person realizes he is seriously ill. It can be a silent  said Freud. Some adult diabetics can control their disease Wilh a combination o diet and exercise and some medication to help the insulin they produce unction properly. Stress is one actor thai can make diabetes difficult to control health officials said. And that s a particular problem for Active duly  in Europe. Over Here it s not like in the Stales where soldiers Are playing at War. Over Here they be got the real thing right across the Border and thai adds a certain stress said Chariot Pursell clinical dietician Al the army Hospital in Nurnberg. There Are diabetic soldiers under the care of the Hospital. Other problems for Active duty diabetics Are irregular hours irregular meals and the potential Lor being isolated from insulin Pursell said she knew of a Navy Captain who while serving aboard a submarines ran out of insulin for five Days. Sha said the Man was Lucky a lived. Health officials said some other factors Are obesity Lack of exercise and a poor diet. Bui increased knowledge and technology Are making the control of diabetes easier. Measuring blood sugar Levels once the doctor s Domain can now be done by the diabetics themselves. Blood glucose monitors hit the Market several years ago. The original versions needed a Wall plug to operate and co fit a found $1,000. Today there Are monitors that Are slightly larger than tha portable tape players joggers Wear. The monitors run on batteries and generally Cost less than 1200. Diabetics can Check out the monitors on hand receipts from Tome military hospitals i Europe. Those trained on the device can measure their blood sugar level with the monitors in a couple of minutes. Diabetic older have to go before a physical evaluation Board said or. U. Col George Brown medical consultant at 7th medical come. That Board considers each military diabetic individually said Brown. It considers the extent to which Iota diabetic is dependent on insulin of other medication the diabetic s Job and the willingness and ability of the diabetic Soldier to change jobs if necessary. A diabetic Soldier could be permitted to stay if lha Board feels the disease inn t hinder army readiness or endanger the Soldier. The Board could decide the Soldier should be medically retired. Dan Wollam Page 14 the stars and stripes