Living with Diabetes….from junior high to senior high

My name is Mercy.  I am 17 years of age, I come from a small village named Assin Fosu in the Central Region of Ghana. I was very young when my mother and I realized that things are not going on well with me. I used to eat a lot of food but always lose weight, drink a lot of water and at the same time I urinate a lot especially at night. My mum and I were very worried and she thought it could be a spiritual illness. I was sent to  many hospitals for check-ups but still experienced the same problems as they did not diagnose me.
A friend of my mom advised my mom to send me to a prayer camp for deliverance, she did exactly that  unfortunately while at the prayer camp one sunny day I went into coma and was rushed quickly to Assin Fosu St. Francis Xavier hospital. That was where I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic after I had gone through some laboratory test. I regained consciousness after a few days and I was told by the nurses that I had a strange disease known as “diabetes” and that am not supposed to take in any food containing “sugar”.
When they told me about this, I wasn’t shocked or surprised because I have an uncle who also has diabetes and had seen him on a number of ocassions injecting himself. I felt very proud and bold enough to tell my close friends that I had diabetes.
I am now a matured person and about to start a new life in the Senior High School (SHS). I am a boarder and almost everybody knows what goes on in the boarding school.  Things are very difficult in terms of food and my medication. I didn’t think of these problems initially because I knew “diabetes won’t stop me”. Since I inject my insulin often and eat a very good and balance diet food I am always fit as fiddle.
My friends and teachers know I have diabetes mellitus (DM) so they always check on me and also make sure I take my insulin all the time. My best friend also advises on my diet and tries to help me eat healthy.
I sometimes get bored and feel worried because when a friend or family member invites me to a party, in the first place I always remember what the nurses told me about diabetes so I always put that in mind. Sometimes I don’t want to go because all that is served there are drinks which have high sugar contents and I can not drink those.  I can’t seem to have fun with them when I don’t eat or drink what they are also having, so many times I rather stay at home.

I will like to take this great opportunity and advantage to advice my fellow teachers to take good care of students living with diabetes and other chronic illnesses. They should also learn a bit more about the problems that living with diabetes also have, like hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or also to be able to recognize when their blood sugars go really high in school.  This could safe the lives of some of the young ones, since teachers spend the longest times with the children, they may be able to diagnose or identify some of the problems which the young diabetics may go through during classes.  A teacher should be able to quickly manage a child with low blood sugar, or help the child in boarding school to inject their insulin and eat healthy.

Teachers should also treat all the students equally whether or not they have chronic diseases like diabetes, make them comfortable so that being in school will not be a problem at all.

I will also like to advise my friends living with diabetes and those who are not living with it that they should take good care of themselves very well especially with the DM patients. They should inject their insulin and go for check-ups on a regular basis and I bet them that everything would be perfect with them.
It is my dream to become a “FASHION DESIGNER” in the near future.
#DIABETESWON’TSTOPUS#

Source: http://www.diabetesyouthcare.org/living-with-diabetes-from-junior-high-to-senior-high/

TWO LIVES NOW COMPLICATED

Seventeen year old Juliana sits in a pensive mood in front of a wooden structure which serves as a kitchen for her mother in-law.  She is still grieving over the death of her six month old baby girl who had died two days earlier. “She had a temperature in the evening so I took her to a man who said her rib had shifted.”  Juliana said “He then applied some medication and massaged her rib. I woke up at dawn and my baby was dead.”

Juliana didn’t have a lot of choices growing up. She is one of the many siblings her father refused to take care of. The responsibility was then laid at the door step of her mother who is jobless.
“Because my father didn’t take care of me I didn’t know what to do whether I went to school or not I didn’t have anybody to give me anything.” She said
Now she lives with her boyfriend Abdul Razak who is only twenty years old and unemployed. Juliana’s situation may be similar to that of many girls in rural areas across the country who are faced with many challenges as they grow up into adolescents. Many of such adolescents at very tender ages are forced to survive in the midst abject poverty.
In Juliana’s case, she turned to Abdul Razak who gave her some financial support. But as Razak claims he couldn’t continue to support Juliana without sleeping with her. “She is my girlfriend, somebody you give money to, you cannot just watch her spend all your money. Just that we didn’t anticipate pregnancy anytime soon” Abdul Razak and Juliana though sexually active had no or little knowledge about how to protect themselves not just from pregnancy but also from sexually transmitted diseases.
Even though their first baby has died, the two do not plan to abstain from sex especially now that they live together. Juliana has no clue about the options available for protection.  Abdul Razak on the other hand didn’t use condoms the first time because his friends told him “condoms leak” and so it is better to have sex without any protection.
The result of parental neglect and the decision by Abdul Razak has cost both him (Abdul Razak) and Juliana the chance of an education and a better life as they both continue to wallow in poverty and keep wondering what next to do with their lives.

Adolescence is a whole new stage in our lives. It is a time the body undergoes various changes and so many decisions need to be made. However, there is always a choice better than what may seem obvious depending on your circumstance. That is why it is important to do away with shyness and ask all the questions you habour. It is important to know where and who to direct these questions to. Friends may seem like a good option because they are your mates and may understand you better, but they may not have the best of advice to offer. It is important to talk to an adult. It can be a teacher, parent, or a health worker. Remember it is important that you stay in school no matter what. Are you a sexually active Adolescent?

Talk to a trained service provider and counsellor. Call or WhatsApp 020 580 2800
or Visit an Adolescent friendly corner near you!

CARE FOR THE PENIS

The penis is one vital organ for men but women are equally interested in its affair just as men are to the vagina.
The penis must be kept healthy at all times to prevent infection or erectile issues or even affect sperm production. Here are some few points to note.
1. Cleaning the penis.
When bathing, kindly take your time when you get to the penis. Unfortunately, a lot of guys rush or even skip that part and just pour water there. Do you know there are a lot of guys who bath once a day and some dont even bath at all? You can imagine what happens in their panties and boxers. Do not be in a hot or very warm water for a longer period of time as this can temper with sperm production by raising the temperature of the testicles.

2. Check for lumps
Just as women check for lumps by doing self breast examination, men must also do testicular examination. This can be done once a month usually after a warm bath as this will make the scrotum more relaxed or you can make it a habit and do it each once a day.

3. Shake very well.
After urinating, some people do not shake the penis well or at all. This is a bad habit as the urethra may contain some of the urine especially at the meatus or the tip of the penis. If it is not well shook and the pant is worn, it will be wiped by the pant and depending on how long you stay in it, can cause a bad odour and germ. The pant will sooner or later change colour at where the penis rests in the pant.

4. Free range
Ensure that the panties are made of cotton which will give aeration. The penis is usually supported or kept in a ''cell'' the whole day so with all due respect, grant it bail in the night when about to sleep for some fresh air. In other words wear something loose fitting at night and if possible go naked. Wearing tight fitting jeans for long hours can also raise the temperature the testicles require to produce healthy sperms.

5. Avoid the forest.
Don't keep the pubic hair bushy otherwise it becomes difficult to clean the skin. When one sweats, it gathers there so if it's not properly cleaned it can smell and garther germs.

NB: By keeping the penis clean and healthy, you prevent any bacteria from being around the penis. If this is not done, the penis can carry germs to the vagina if unprotected sex is engaged.
Avoid sexual intercourse if the penis produces an unusual discharge with bad odour or when there are sores on the penis. If you go ahead, you will be putting the life of the woman you are having sex with in danger. Use a condom to protect yourself and your sexual partner(s).

By: Counsellor Michael Tagoe
0240958836

SEX POSITIONS AND HIV

There are certain sex positions that must be avoided in order to prevent HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections. 

When a person is infected with HIV or other STIs, the semen or the vaginal fluid gets contaminated. This therefore means these fluids must be avoided to prevent getting infected.

The condom is very effective when it comes to having a protective sexual intercourse. However, what most people do not know is that even if you have your condom on and you use certain sex positions it can lead to infection. A typical example is woman on top position or cowgirl position. In these two positions, the woman goes on top of the man. Even if the man is protected by the condom, due to the position of the woman her vaginal fluid in the course of the penetration or thrusting the vaginal fluid will drip on the condom to the scrotum and the skin around it. If the woman is infected and there is any opening around those areas or skin of the man, infection is highly possible. If you don't know sex positions by name then you may be at sea so just get it from this angle...even when you wear the condom, avoid any sex position that can cause the vaginal fluid from dripping and getting on the skin as this can lead to infection. By: Counsellor Michael Tagoe

Yolo-Ymk Chit Chat 2

A Tale From The Grave Yard

My name is Adjoa and I am sharing my story with you from the grave. Are you surprised? Please don’t be! Because like you, I was once alive!

I was the only girl among four brothers; the first time I told my parents I wanted to go school just like my brothers I was beaten like an armed robber. My mother sold kenkey in the evening so I helped her prepare and sold to our customers. Through this I found a friend who claimed to love me. I knew very little about love and I wanted to talk to my parents about it but I remembered my father’s reaction when he found out my brother had a girlfriend. He beat the hell out of him! But I liked my new friend; he gave me all the attention I never had from my parents and even from my siblings. He bought me nice gifts and oh! He was good looking too.

Six months after I accepted a proposal to be his girlfriend I started seeing some changes in my body. My breasts became very tender, I didn’t see my menses for about three months and I got tired easily too. I was not too sure what was happening to my body but my mother suspected I was pregnant. At that point I got confused. But the pregnancy was confirmed.

I had spoken to Afua, my friend about my situation who said she knew a woman who could help me get rid of the pregnancy. She took me to a woman whose specialty was to help young women abort pregnancies. I was shocked to see a lot of girls in a queue waiting to be attended to. After waiting for a while I was asked by the woman to come indoors. She then showed me a concoction made from substances I could recognize easily.

She then inserted the concoction into my vagina and it felt uncomfortable. She reassured me that everything was going be okay. Afua took me home and minutes later I began to bleed profusely. God! Please, please, help me. I cried! It didn’t take long for my mother to realize what was happening to me. She called for a taxi to transport me to the hospital after seeing the state I was in. I could hear my mother pleading with one of the nurses to save her only daughter’s life. But the nurse retorted I deserved every bit of my pain for attempting an abortion. Now I am in the grave together with my dream of becoming a doctor. I may have made a mistake by getting pregnant but I think I deserved better care from the health worker whose responsibility is to save lives.

You don’t have to die from an abortion! Are you pregnant and confused, have you missed your period?

Call 0302 689 617 or WhatsApp 020 580 2800 or log on to www.adhdghana.org to talk to a counsellor.

ADOLESCENTS AND DIABETES

I’m back again, talking about the monthly “red devil”, haha, I know that you now have a name for the flow. Does having diabetes make things different for you as you approach this point in your womanhood? Well, it does a bit, but nothing which is that much unusual. So your menses are supposed to come every month, or if we want to be more accurate every cycle. Now let us calculate how we can estimate how we can know when to expect “ante”. Let’s do some calendar work a bit, I know that you love maths,right…hahaha. I realise that between the last time I wrote to you and now, you have started to have your menses.

Alright, so your last period came on the 13th of January and the next one was on the 7th of February, then in March it was on the 4th then also on the 30th of the same month. Why all this? This is a bit confusing right, because you thought that you should have your menses on the same day every month and also once a month not twice a month like what happened in March. Wow that is 2 times in a month, what is happening?

I hope you get this calculation, so based on this, we can predict that your next period is going to be between 25-26 or even 27 days from the 31st of March…now do the calculation and see what day you would get. So based on this day you would be prepared for the next flow, so that is what is marked PURPLE and that of May predicted dates is marked BROWN. Not difficult, is it? As long as you have a diary or a calendar it’s very easy to figure it out.
How many days will the menses occur, well, it varies from 3 days to 7 days, anything more than 10 days continuous should be reported to mummy so that she’ll take us to the doctor. The amount of bleeding days does not mean much, so don’t think that because you bled 3 days this month and 7 days last month, it means that something is wrong.
Before I finish this letter let me teach you a few conditions which when they happen during your menses you should let mummy know……
Dysmenorrhea, this is the pain that you may get just before or during your period. It would be lower abdominal pain and some funny cramps. You can take some pain killers during this time, if it gets too painful let mummy know
Polymenorrhea this is when your cycle is less than 21 days, so in effect you will be having your menses more times than previously.
Metrorrhagia when your menses come at irregular times for more than 3 months and you bleed in between your expected times when your period is supposed to come.
Do you still have questions about the “red devil”…hahaha. If so kindly let me know.
Yours truly
LaDyC

M. Calendar

So even though you are counting it as monthly, you should rather be counting the days. Start counting from the 1st day of your menses to the next first day of your menses, this should give you the days in your cycle. So you count the number of days and expect the next period. So let’s do some counting from the 13th of January to 7th of February was….25 days in between right, then from 6th to the 4th of March was 26 days, then 4th of March to 31st of March was 26 days, meaning that even though your period occurred in the same month, the number of days in the cycle was what you expected.

Now does diabetes affect the timing of your period? Yes, if your blood sugar is poorly controlled and you get ill, your body protects itself by stopping the period from happening, now another cause of missed periods is PREGNANCY.

Do you know who pregnancy occurs, I know that the girls in class have been whispering somethings about sex and you have been curious. Please wait I’ll give you more details, for now just focus on your studies and let the boys come later in life otherwise Mummy will “kill” you oooo.

Please ignore the people who will sell drugs saying that they will make your period come plenty so that instead of 3 or 5 days you will have it for 7 days. I know this because Agya Kojo the medicine seller has been singing this song every morning by our house on his way to the market to sell his herbs.

Will your period cycle and number of days remain the same throughout your life time? No it will change and remember that illness and admissions in the hospital may cause some changes, so make sure that you try and keep your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, eat a healthy diet and exercise as much as you can.

Please make sure that you change your pads often during your menses, now talking about pads, there are so many on the market, see the one that you are comfortable with and use it. The days that your menses are heavy use the thicker ones and use the thinner ones when your menses are light. Mummy said that in her time they used to use cloth and had to wash it often, OMG yes ooo that was my expression ei hmmm thank God for advancement. There are these other things called tampons, cotton wool and recently I read about menstrual cups. The tampons are easy to use but a lot of people are not very comfortable with it. I heard Mercy saying the other day that her big sister said that if you use tampons, you would be breaking your virginity. Well let me tell you the truth it is not true. The tampons when fixed do not go and break you hymen (I have brought another word haahaha this is a thin sheet which lies in your cervix and would only get broken when you have sex with a boy, hahaaha don’t turn brown and black or green oooo, so once it is broken it means that you are no longer a virgin)