Disorders kept in order

According to www.webmd.com, asthma is a chronic disease affecting the respiratory system, specifically the bronchial tubes, which carry air from the trachea to the lungs.

Dustin Whittle, varsity soccer co-captain, has dealt with asthma since birth. Whittle participates in many different sports despite his asthma.

Whittle has nearly overcome his asthma through years of hard work and treatment, but he is still subject to an occasional attack. “If molds are in the air, it can trigger my asthma. I still have times when I need my medicine,” said Whittle.

Asthma medication usually consists of a mixture of albuterol and epinephrine taken orally by way of an inhaler. These chemicals combined quell inflammation of the bronchioles, allowing air to flow to the lungs naturally.

Whittle visits his doctor every five months for an evaluation of his asthmatic condition and to refill his prescription for his inhaler.

Asthma is not the only health problem that teenagers must deal with. Some must deal with a disorder called diabetes.

Diabetes is a lifelong disease that develops when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin or when the body tissues do not respond properly to insulin.

Normally, insulin allows sugar to move from the blood vessels into the body tissues, but the blood vessels of a diabetic can be harmed over time by the build-up of excess sugar in the blood vessels. Also, the sugar in the vessels is supposed to be going to the body tissues. If the sugar is not allowed to get to the body tissues, then the tissues can suffer from malnourishment.

There are many varieties of diabetes, but nearly all cases are either type I or juvenile diabetes (five to ten percent of all cases) or type II or adult onset diabetes (90 to 95 percent of all cases). Jake Whitmire, sophomore, was diagnosed with type I diabetes in January 2001. “I was kind of in a state of denial,” said Whitmire, “Once I realized that it wasn’t a dream, I thought my life was terrible, but I knew I had to deal with it.”

Whitmire was greatly relieved after a visit to Duke Medical Center. According to Whitmire, Duke is recognized nationally for their effective treatment of diabetes, and the doctors there were able to provide Whitmire with a much more flexible regimen than that supplied by doctors here in Danville.

When first diagnosed, Whitmire had to administer insulin shots to himself twice a day. Since then, Whitmire has acquired a technologically advanced, beeper-sized insulin pump that continuously delivers insulin into his body.

This unique device, which must be refilled every two days, allows Whitmire to participate in more of the activities that he enjoys, such as marching band, football and other backyard sports.

Although Whitmire must check the sugar level in his blood before eating, he can still eat the foods he enjoys such as doughnuts and cookies.

Because of his dealings with diabetes, Whitmire has learned to appreciate all of the activites he is able to participate in despite his disorder.

Whitmire describes diabetes as being a lot like braces: “Once you are used to it, it is easy to forget about it.”