Hannah's Dream Team     Community Involvement - Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4

History:
March 7, 2003, marked the starting point of our race with juvenile (type 1) diabetes.  That was the day that Hannah Costner was diagnosed with this chronic illness.  We soon learned that this type of diabetes cannot be treated with pills.  It must be treated with shots of insulin.

“…Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”  Hebrews 12: 1c (NIV)

Daily Laps:
With practice, mom, dad, and Hannah began to get the “hang” of daily injections.  It doesn’t take long to get the hang of it when you have to give at least 4 injections per day!  Along with the injections, blood sugar levels have to be checked at least 8 times per day.  Part of the daily management of diabetes is that you have to scrutinize everything that goes into your mouth.  Therefore, we have all learned to count carbohydrates.  She gives insulin based on the amount of carbs eaten.

Trials:
In December of 2003, Hannah began using the insulin pump.  The pump has 24 inches of tubing attached to it that goes directly to a site either on her stomach, arm, or thigh.  The insulin travels from the pump, through the tubing, and into a catheter just under her skin. This medical device simulates a pancreas, in that, it delivers small amounts of insulin at regular intervals.  It can be programmed to give certain amounts on an hourly basis, depending on her body’s demand for insulin.  The insulin pump cartridge and site on her body have to be changed every 3 days to avoid infection.  Blood sugar still has to be checked at least 8 times per day. Using the insulin pump has lessened the headaches she had from the huge swings in her blood sugar when she was on injections.  We figure that, in her relatively short period of having diabetes, she has pricked her forearm to check blood sugar more than 10,500 times and has changed her site (by sticking an inch and a half long needle in her body more than 250 times.    next >>