European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Gaby Benenson a survival tools insulin a Needle and a Gluc Ometer she uses to measure blood sugar level. Teen s tussle with diabetes always mindful of health risks by Janet d Agostino medical writer twice a Day 15-year-old Gaby Benenson swabs a Small Patch of skin on her stomach or thighs and injects herself with insulin. Without the daily injections Quot i would probably die a says Gaby a student at the Heidelberg High school in Germany. Gaby has insulin dependent diabetes the most serious of several forms of the disorder. Her pancreas an Organ located behind the stomach does not produce the insulin her body needs to convert food into Energy. Without insulin glucose a a simple sugar produced from food a cannot be used by the body a cells and floats uselessly in the bloodstream. Instead of glucose the body draws on fat and muscle for fuel producing poisonous byproducts that can eventually cause death. Insulin dependent diabetes also called Type i or juvenile diabetes can be successfully controlled with insulin food and exercise. But it takes self discipline and constant vigilance to keep blood sugar Levels As Normal As possible. Gaby says her Peers Don t treat her differently because of her diabetes but that Quot people watch out for me Quot especially when she is tempted to eat a forbidden Sweet. Quot sometimes i cheat at school a says Gaby. Quot i Tell my friends of please let me have a cookie it looks so Good a _ but her friends Tell her not to eat the forbidden treats. Quot sometimes i get away with it and then my blood readings Aren t Good that night. It s hard to resist temptation. Its like dieting All the time your whole life Quot she says. Adolescence is a particularly difficult time to control diabetes not Only because of the physical changes taking place but because it is an age for breaking rules and seeking Freedom. Spur of the moment outings can be difficult for Gaby to manage because she needs to eat half an hour after an insulin injection and should eat meals at the same time every Day. A weekend trip Means she must pack syringes and insulin and bring along the Small machine she uses to measure her blood sugar. Quot it is a hassle lots of times it s a big hassle and i get sick of it but then i think about Why i have to do it Quot she says. Her Friend Kristen Shedd says Gaby does t make a big Deal about having diabetes Quot it does no to seem to bother her. She s really Good about taking care of  Gaby a brother Jonathan 12, says he does t treat his sister differently because she has diabetes Quot i usually forget about  he is sometimes reminded of Gaby a diabetes Quot at dinner if she has to get her shot and we have to wait to  however Gaby a parents a or. Col Michael and Martina Benenson a rarely forget their daughters diabetes. Quot they Bug me a lot Quot Gabi says. Quot they really do nag me but i know its for my own Good and i know its because they  Benenson says his biggest nag is encouraging his daughter to exercise More and to be More careful about what she eats. Quot we re concerned that she a not paying attention to what she seating. We know that occasionally she has Candy but at least around the House she  Gaby smother said she worries that her daughter s blood sugar May not be As Well controlled As it should but that she tries to be less intrusive now that Gaby is older Quot she sat an age where you have to respect  both parents say that Gaby is knowledgeable about diabetes and usually takes Good care of herself. In fact Gaby has volunteered for science projects showing the effects of exercise on blood sugar telling other students about diabetes. Gaby started showing two of the classic signs of diabetes a thirst and frequent urination a when she was about 2vfe years old says Benenson who is chief of preventive Medicine for the army a 7th medical come in Heidelberg. Other signs of diabetes include increased appetite weight loss and fatigue. Quot she would come to our bedroom asking for water Quot he says. Quot either she was very thirsty or she wanted to be with  Gaby started giving herself her own injections when she was in the fourth Grade and wanted to go on an overnight school trip. She compares it to other milestones in a child a life such As learning to tie shoes or ride a Bike. Quot the Only Way i could go was if i Learned How to do my own shots so i practice really hard and Learned How to do it in a week. I was really proud of myself. It was a amps Jim Dert Elm something a regular kid  really  Quot i used to do Little tricks so it  Hurt. I would hold my breath until it was done and silly things like that. Now i done to even think about  Gaby uses an automatic injector to give herself the insulin. The amount of insulin she requires depends on the level of sugar circulating in her blood. Gaby measures her blood glucose with  called a Gluc Ometer. The process involves sticking her Finger with a Small Needle and drawing a Bead of blood. The blood is placed on a chemically treated paper strip. The strip is placed in the meter which displays her blood sugar level on a Small screen. Gaby records her blood sugar level and the amount of insulin she uses in a diary so she and her doctor can make necessary changes in her insulin. Blood sugar Levels Are affected by illness emotional stress or physical activity and can fluctuate even with the use of injected insulin. If Gaby s blood sugar level drops too Low she May become nervous sweaty or confused the symptoms of a hypoglycemic or insulin reaction. The antidote is for her to eat something Sweet such As juice or Candy to counteract the reaction. The majority of insulin reactions Are not life threatening if treated quickly but because of the temporary mental confusion and a weakness Gaby might need help from others. A my closest friends know the symptoms and signs of hypoglycemia because i told them Quot she said. Too much sugar in her body produces hyperglycemia and the same classic symptoms of diabetes. It can be treated by adjusting food exercise or the amount of insulin. Gaby says adjusting to a life with diabetes was probably easier for her than for someone who developed the disorder later in life after being accustomed to eating whatever he wanted. Quot when i was younger i threw fits about of gosh Why is it me a but now i think it s better in a Way because i am a Loi healthier and i know a lot More about  careful control of blood sugar Levels it is hoped minimizes the damage to nerves kidneys or eyes that can occur later in life. Gaby knows that even with Good control she can still develop problems. The health risks Are Quot always in my mind Quot but she is also hopeful that a cure for diabetes May be found during her lifetime. Tuesday november 13, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 13