IGH

1 in 1'0 women
are living with diabetes.

Many do not have

access to education,
treatment and care.

199 MI LLION WOMEN WITH DIABETES

o
world diabetes day
14 November

313 MILLION BY 2040

.................................................................................... , . International
Diabetes
Federation
 1 in 1'0 women
are living with diabetes.

Many do not have

access to education,
treatment and care.

world diabetes day

199 MI LLION WOMEN WITH DIABETES 14 November

313 MILLION BY 2040

.................................................................................... , . International
Diabetes
Federation
 1 in l~O·~women
are living with diabetes .
•
Many do not have
access to education,
treatment and care.

199 MI LLION WOMEN WITH DIABETES

.. o
world diabetes day
14 November

313 MILLION BY 2040

.................................................................................... , . International
Diabetes
Federation
OMEN AND DIABETES: "

o
world diabetes day
14 November
International
Diabetes
Federation
Health Education Division
Ministry

Telephone:
of Health
P. O. Box N-3729
(242) 322-1187 or 322-1025
Fax: (242) 328-0079
They Think They Know
People say that they know,
Then she asks them is that so?
Do you know how I feel?
Do you measure every meal?
What it's like to take a shot,
At 7 o'clock on the dot?
You don't know a single thing,
Of the girl with a broken wing.
She's limited on her food,
Which puts her in a real foul mood.
When her blood sugar suddenly
drops,
She all of a sudden flips and flops.
She can't even stand up strait,
She thinks that she might actually
faint.
You people think you understand,
The most you can do is lend a
hand.
Diabetes is no joke,
She can't even have a single coke.
She and her mom worry every day,
They wonder if she'll be okay.
Her blood sugar can drop really
low,
She can instantly become a real
big foe.
It can even go really high,
She swears that it can reach the
sky.
So for the people that say they
know,
I ask them now, is that so?
OUR RICHT TO A HEALTHY FUTURE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
14TH, NOVEMBER 2017
 EIGHT THINGS A DIABETIC IS MOST TIRED OF HEARING: Ceremony
1. “Did you get diabetes from eating too much sugar?”
This kind of blame-game statement may not only make someone with type 1 Master of Ceremony - Dr. Philip Swann
feel like having the condition is somehow their own fault, it is also untrue.
Type 1 diabetes is not caused by poor eating habits, it is actually an autoim-
mune condition. This means that the body’s own immune system turns on itself
Opening prayer---------------------------------------- Mrs. Beverly Rolle SNO
and attacks the pancreas, destroying the cells that produce insulin. This even- Nurse In Charge of Fleming Street Clinic
tually leads to type 1 diabetes. It is not preventable and currently cannot be
cured.
Welcome Remarks------------------------------------------ Mrs. Charlene Bain
2. “How can you have diabetes, you aren’t fat?” Administrator Community Health Service
Unlike type 2 diabetes, developing type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with be-
ing overweight. Prior to being diagnosed, one of the main symptoms of type 1
diabetes is unexplained weight loss, and this may actually prompt them to National Anthem-----------------------.-- Mrs. Charlene Bain Administrator
seek medical attention. Administrator Community Health Service
3. “My mom’s aunt had diabetes and she had to have her leg amputated.”
This is something that no one with diabetes wants to hear. Yes, the reality is that Introduction of Speaker ------------------------------ Ms. Patricia Clarke RN
diabetes is one of the leading causes of amputations globally but for someone
with diabetes, the fear of amputation and other complications is with them Renal Nurse
constantly – you don’t need to remind them about it.

4. “I don’t know how you inject yourself; I would never be able to.” Special Music-------------------------------------------------Mrs. Sharon Chase
If you had the choice between injecting yourself to survive or dying, you would - Executive Secretary
soon realise the former isn’t as bad as it seems.

5. “You shouldn’t be eating that!” Remarks----------------------- Mrs. Andrea Linden RN. RM. CHN. N.O. 1
An adult with diabetes can decide what to eat for him- or herself. It is their life, CNCD Coordinator
their body and their condition to manage. For people with type 1 diabetes,
having the occasional treat is absolutely fine as long as they understand how
to adjust their insulin dosages accordingly – don’t make them feel guilty about Special Music------------------------------------------------ Mr. Kenvard Major
it.

6. “Don’t test your blood sugar in public, it's gross!” Poem-----------------------------.-------------------..----- Dianne Crossgill RM.
No it is not – it is responsible healthcare. Discouraging someone with diabetes
from testing their blood sugar just because they are in a public place is not
only unfair and discriminatory, it is also dangerous. Hypoglycaemia or low Skit ---------------------------------------------------- Mrs. Bernadette Saunders
blood sugar is an emergency situation and can result in coma or death if not Deputy Principal Nursing Officer
treated urgently.

7. “You can’t have children if you have diabetes, right?” Vote of Thanks ---------------------------------------------- Mrs. Sandra Coleby
Wrong. Women with type 1 diabetes can safely have children. Yes, their preg-
nancies will be high-risk but with the proper planning and management, a
Principal Nursing Officer
healthy pregnancy is achievable.

8. “Aren’t you worried that you’re going to die?”

Closing Prayer-------------------------------------------------- Sherry Armbrister
A person with diabetes sub-consciously deals with death on a constant basis. Dep. Principal Nursing Officer
Their lives are centred on meticulously controlling their blood sugar to prevent
death. They don’t need to be reminded that they have a condition that could
kill them.