Bakman 1

Senior Project Research Paper

Senior Project Research

Paper
Type 1 Diabetes Booklet
Nicole Bakman

Bakman 2
Senior Project Research Paper

It was October 2008. I had just started fifth grade, and Halloween was coming up soon.
Everything in my life had been great, I performed in school plays, I had a great family and a new
baby brother, and I did really well in school. Yet the previous summer, something strange started
occurring. I was tired a lot more, and I was always absolutely parched. I was also constantly
hungry, eating five or more full meals a day on average, and rapidly losing weight. Obviously,
something was wrong. Yet when my mom took me to multiple doctors, they all stated that I was
just growing and my mom was over reacting. Yet one day, when I was too sick for school, my
mom had me look up my symptoms online, and I found the result for diabetes. I read it out to my
mom, and a few days later while at another doctor's appointment, we brought it up. The doctor
insisted it was still my mom just over reacting, but he offered to check my blood glucose levels.
This test tells you the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. To do the test they used a little
metal pricking tool called a lancet to draw some blood out of my finger, and then placed that
drop of blood into a machine which gave them my number. As we waited a short while for the
results, the doctor explained to us that a normal range for someone of my age would be between
80 and 120, potentially a bit higher or a bit lower depending on the last time I ate. Then when the
results were ready, he looked at them and immediately turned as white as a ghost. He then looked
up at my mom and tried to calmly explain that my blood sugar was somewhere above 600, and
that I would have to go to the emergency room immediately. He even said that I could take an
ambulance if we thought necessary, but we could drive there on our own. My mom decided she
would drive me, and we went to the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles. That night I spent 24
hours in the emergency room, and then was formally diagnosed with type 1 diabetes the next
morning. That was the day that had officially changed my life forever. Because of this, I had to
make huge adjustments on my daily routine, testing throughout the day, getting shots for every

Bakman 3
Senior Project Research Paper

meal, and various other things. So when I heard our senior project should be something related to
our lives, I came up with an idea.
In my project I will be writing and publishing an informative booklet on how to take care
of type one diabetics, specifically for people who live with diabetics, such as family, roommates,
romantic partners, and good friends. Hopefully, by using the information that I already know
about type one diabetes from personal experience, researching more extensive information on
my own disease, and learning how to write and publish the type of booklet Im looking to make,
I will be able to make a successful medical booklet that can actually be of some use to my fellow
type one diabetics. I believe my project has the potential to not only help me initiate my career
goal of eventually working as a pediatric endocrinologist, but also to help people with type one
diabetes now, by teaching them and their partners the basic information on how to take care of
them in an easy-to-read booklet with important information right at their fingertips.
Before I started this project, I already knew the basic symptoms of type one diabetes,
because I already have the task of taking care of myself. For those who may not know, diabetes
is a disease in the metabolism where "the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Insulin is a
hormone that is involved in regulating how the body converts sugar (glucose) into energy. People
with type 1 diabetes need to take daily insulin shots and careful monitor their blood glucose
levels." (Harvey) A lack of shots and careful monitoring may cause high blood sugar which leads
to symptoms such as headaches, dehydration, increased urination, exhaustion, and over a long
period of time can cause kidney failure, heart attacks, and bad circulation that could potentially
lead to amputation. On the opposite side of the spectrum, low blood sugar can cause dizziness,
slurring of words, shaking, hunger, blurriness of vision, and in extreme cases, can cause seizures,
and potentially put you in a coma. Both high and low blood sugar can eventually lead to death.

Bakman 4
Senior Project Research Paper

However, there are simple ways to prevent these through basic treatment. Type one
diabetes is an autoimmune disease that is believed to be hereditary, although that is potentially
not the only way to develop it according to my own doctors at the Childrens Hospital Los
Angeles, it is not a curable disease. However, it is treatable. The basic medicine for diabetes is
called insulin, however, there are two specific types, with similar qualities, just different names:
Humalog and Novolog, or "Insulin lispro" and "Insulin aspart". There are not too many major
differences, except that for many people one usually works better than the other (yet not usually
a specific one. It simply depends on the person). While type two diabetics can take pills and
other oral medications to help regulate, type one diabetics are limited to taking either Humalog
or Novolog through shots and devices like the pump. I am personally on the pump and I use
Humalog. However, when I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I used Novolog, and gave myself
shots, so I have experience with both methods and medications, and can personally state that
both medicines and methods are good, and which you prefer depends on the person.
While Novolog and Humalog are different brand names for insulin, there are are different
types of insulin. Novolog and Humalog both fall under the category of "fast acting insulin",
which is an insulin that "lowers blood sugar very quickly, usually within 5 minutes after
injection." This type of insulin is typically taken around meals to counteract the effect that highcarbohydrate foods have on blood glucose levels. Another type of insulin is simply known as
"regular insulin". According to an article on diabetes by the University of Maryland Medical
Center, "Regular insulin begins to act 30 minutes after injection, reaches its peak at 2 - 4 hours,
and lasts about 6 hours. Regular insulin may be administered before a meal and may be better for
high-fat meals." (Harvey) Then there is "Ultralente", or long-acting insulin. This insulin is
released slowly, and lasts about 20 hours to a day. It is used to regulate blood sugar over a day to

Bakman 5
Senior Project Research Paper

keep it from naturally rising, along with fast acting insulin which would only be used around
meals. One example of this type of insulin is called insulin glargine, or Lantus. Finally, there is
"Intermediate Insulin". The standard type of intermediate insulin is called NPH (Neutral
Protamine Hagedorn), and it has a delayed starting point of about 2-4 hours, then works
continuously for about 18 hours. To treat their symptoms most diabetics actually use a
combination of these types of insulin. For example, when I was newly diagnosed, I used both the
fast acting insulin, Novolog along with the long- acting insulin, Lantus to maintain good
numbers throughout the day. However, now my method of treatment is only the fast acting
insulin Humalog, which I get constantly throughout the day through my medical device known
as an insulin pump.
There are multiple ways to administer the medication as well. While the simplest (and
most common) way is to simply use a sanitary syringe and get and injection whenever you eat or
have high blood sugar levels, that is not the only option. Another choice, that is somewhat
similar, is called an insulin pen. It is a prefilled portable case of insulin that a syringe can be
easily injected without all of the prep that an injection with a needle would require. However, my
personal preference is to use an insulin pump, which is a small device, about the size of a pager,
that is inserted with a needle into an area of fatty tissue, and delivers insulin to the body through
a tube for a period of about 3 to 5 days. While this option is a bit more expensive than regular
injections, and takes some time to learn, it causes the least amount of struggle when delivering
insulin in public locations, and is the most convenient way to deliver insulin during the everyday
busy lifestyle of the modern day.
While the basic symptoms of diabetes is important, that information is taught by the
doctor, and all diabetics should hopefully know on their own. However, the major part of my

Bakman 6
Senior Project Research Paper

project is not what the diabetic should know themselves, but what their partner should know.
First of all, the partner (whether they are a family, a friend, or something else) should know what
a healthy blood sugar range is for their friend. A healthy range for a nondiabetic is between 70100 . However a healthy range for a diabetic can vary a bit from person to person, so as an
example, mine is 70-120. The partner should also learn how to use the blood glucose monitoring
kit, or the test kit, which is used to measure the blood glucose levels. To do so, you use a lancet
and a small instrument to prick your finger and draw a few drops of blood. Then you put the
blood in a test strip which is put inside a machine, and the machine calculates the number. There
are many different brands and types of machines, so the diabetic that the friend is learning to take
care of should be the one to show them the proper way to use each device. This description
would be similar to an example I would put in my booklet, with clear instructions that, with the
help of a doctor or diabetic to understand the basics, the reader should be able to use this book as
needed and find the important information they need in a timely manner.
Despite knowing plenty of information about diabetes before a started this project, I
decided to fact check my information and discovered a few more interesting things that I did not
originally know about diabetes. For example, apparently people with type one diabetes are twice
as likely to develop depression, and are open to many other physical diseases such as
Dyslipidemia (a cardiovascular disease), Hypertension (high blood pressure) and plenty more. If
you would like to learn more specific information on other diseases that can be activated or
caused through diabetes, go to the American Diabetes Association and search through the
website.
I have also learned more about writing and publishing. While I could not find very much
citable information on this matter online, I was able to get in contact which a representative of

Bakman 7
Senior Project Research Paper

the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and we discussed how I could get published.
The representative agreed that as long as I wrote the paper with accurate information which
would be obtained through what professional sources I used and be checked by my mentor, who
also happens to be my endocrinologist. Once the book is complete and thoroughly review by my
doctor, a group of people at JDRF will review it and determine whether it is good enough to be
published. If it is, they agreed to publish it through their publisher, and we agreed that all profit
from this book would go to JDRF in efforts to raise money to find a cure for type one diabetes in
the future.
I believe that this project will not only help me learn about my disease and understand
how to manage it better, but will also help many other people as well. The purpose of this project
is to help out those close to a type one diabetic learn how to take care of their loved one, and
hopefully prevent mistakes from being made in their care, and prevent any potential health issues
or even prevent a death through knowledge of what to do at the proper time. I also hope that any
profit made from this book would be significant enough to help fund research to find a cure,
helping me and all other type one diabetics out there.
While I knew a lot about my disease and how to manage it prior, the new information I
have obtained through this project is fascinating, and Im glad I went into deeper research on
something that affects my life so heavily. I hope that by creating a small informative book about
taking care of people with type 1 diabetes, I can help newly diagnosed diabetics and their
families, and everyone they connect with to have an simpler time adjusting to this change in their
lives, and making it easier for everyone.
Citations

Bakman 8
Senior Project Research Paper

Simon, Harvey. Diabetes- Type 1. University of Maryland Medical Center, May 22, 2012. Web.
Sept. 16, 2015.
Bibliography
Simon, Harvey. Diabetes- Type 1. University of Maryland Medical Center, May 22,
2012. Web. Sept. 16, 2015.

This website is an unbiased informative website on type one diabetes, giving basic guidelines on
the symptoms and treatment of diabetes. (2) It is written in a style to introduce people to diabetes
and explain the basic details of what you need to know, and gives many professional sources. (3)
The article is written by the University of Maryland Medical Center, and seems to be directed to
anyone who wants to learn more about type 1 diabetes.(4) Due to the fact my project is based on
taking care of type one diabetics, basic information on symptoms, treatments, and effects of
diabetes is relevant and useful towards my senior project. (5) There is minimal bias, except that it
is from an American university, so it will be biased toward western methods in medicine and
western/ American ideas of symptoms and treatments of diabetes. (7)

Hahn, Jennie, et al. Diabetes 101: Taking Charge. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of
Michigan, 2013. Web.

Bakman 9
Senior Project Research Paper

The main purpose of this PDF is to first comfort and inform newly diagnosed diabetics, and to
tell them which of the stuff they already know is myth versus fact. It informs the reader on the
difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, then gives the basic information and advice on
how to handle diabetes day to day. It also provides information on some of the types of
treatments, and gives recommended meal plans and carbohydrate information. (2&3) The way it
is written seems to be towards newly diagnosed diabetics to help them manage their new
disability. (4) The idea of this book is actually very similar to what I would like to do for my
senior project, however, while this targets the audience of newly diagnosed diabetics, my plan is
to write a book that would advise a companion of the diabetic (such as a spouse, close friend, or
partner) so they can know what exactly is the disease is and how to help if anything happens (5).
Bias in this book would be from the research in this specific area, specifically the University of
Michigan. While their methods might work on the people the studied on, it may not work as well
for others, because every person has their own experience, and every culture would handle these
diseases differently, and some may find this information incorrect. (7)

Silverstein, Janet, et al. Care of Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes.
American Diabetes Association. n.p., January 2005. Web. Sept. 17, 2015.

As stated in the second paragraph of this article, The purpose of this document is to provide a
single resource on current standards of care pertaining specifically to children and adolescents
with type 1 diabetes. It is not meant to be an exhaustive compendium on all aspects of the
management of pediatric diabetes. However, relevant references are provided and current works

Bakman 10
Senior Project Research Paper

in progress are indicated as such. The information provided is based on evidence from published
studies whenever possible and, when not, supported by expert opinion or consensus (2) This
article is meant to provide special information on how to take care of child or adolescent Type 1
Diabetics versus adults. The article covers a wide variety of topics under the premise of taking
care of young diabetics, including, but not limited to: Diagnosis, Initial Care, Diabetes
Education, Identification, Self Management By Age, Diabetes Care, and more. (3) The article is
directed towards those who would like to learn more about taking care of children or adolescents
with diabetes, so most likely the diabetics themselves, the caretakers of these people, and those
who work with or are in constant contact with diabetics and would like to learn more detailed
information. However, due to the complex nature of some of the instructions and vocabulary, it
would probably be directed towards those with more experience in the matter before reading this,
especially those in the medical profession of Endocrinology.(4) The amount of detail in this
article, and the fact that it includes how to take care of someone who is a diabetic, instead of only
being a diabetic and taking care of yourself, will help me write the portion of my book that
involves taking care of others versus oneself. (5) A special feature to this article specifically is
that it is written by the American Diabetes Association, and reviewed by multiple people who
specialize in this area, which means it is practically guaranteed to be informative and reliable
about my subject. (6) Possible bias in this article would include how the author(s) view children,
especially when they advise how each age should manage themselves, and since it is an
American association, it would be biased towards western medicine and ideas towards diabetes.
(7)

Diabetes.org.American Diabetes Association. n.p., 1995. Web. Sept. 17, 2015.

Bakman 11
Senior Project Research Paper

The main purpose of this website is to give people who are unfamiliar with diabetes (type one or
type two) general information about the disease on a website that is easy to maneuver around to
find what you need. While it is not quite as detailed as the previous article i cited by the ADA, it
is more useful in the fact that it is easier to locate the information I am looking for. (2) It covers a
variety of topics, but mostly the ideas of living with diabetes and information on food and
exercises. It also contains information for family to know as well. (3) This article is much like
the previous one, except directed to a wider audience of anyone with a basic interest in learning
about diabetes, whether you are a diabetic yourself or know someone who is. However, the
information is basic enough that it would probably not be much help to someone who works in
this field because it would be common information. (4) While this article would obviously have
similar information to the one before, as it is from the same organization, it is much easier to
maneuver, and it would be much easier to find the more basic information I need rather than
scrolling through the other article. (5) This website has a live chat with professionals, so if I have
any questions I can actually reach someone through either online messaging or their phone
number. (6) Possible bias in this article is that it would be similar to the other one: more focused
on western medicine and ideas. It also seems to be more focused on childrens health, despite
that eventually these children grow up and still have type 1 diabetes. (7)

Summers, Kathy. How to write a Health Book Proposal. Savvy Living. n.p., n.d.
Web. Sept. 17, 2015.

Bakman 12
Senior Project Research Paper

The main purpose of this blog post is to teach people who are new to writing books about
health and wellbeing how to write a proposal and assemble your ideas for writing a health
book. (2) It teaches you what you should know to create a book proposal, so you can show
your book to an agent, because according to the blog, nonfiction books are presold. (3)
This blog post would likely be made for either writers writing their first health related
book, or health professionals writing their first book in general. (4) Since I am not the
most experienced writer, especially when it comes to books and publishing, learning how
to sell my book to a publisher and convince them to help me publish it and therefore make
it an actual book is necessary for me to be able to complete my project. (5) There are a few
pages after this that include other things you should do when writing a health book, that
are a bit beyond my need now, but may help in the future. (6) There could be bias in the
fact that it states you should either already be a professional writer or have a profession in
the medical field. I have neither, but with the aid of my mentor, someone in the medical
field, I hope to accomplish this despite this challenge. (7)

Carter, Megan. Stress in Parents of Children with Type 1 Diabetes. University of

Kentucky: College of Nursing. University of Kentucky, July 21, 2015. Web. Sept. 17,
2015.
The purpose of this report is to prove that parents of type one diabetics, especially the
parent that plays the major role of the caregiver to the diabetic child, are more stressed

Bakman 13
Senior Project Research Paper

than parents of children who do not have diabetes. (2) According to this report, parents
with diabetic children have higher levels of anxiety, and therefore, increased likelihood of
depression. (3) This report would be directed to this college students professors and peers
for review and possible revision. (4) since I am writing this book for the caregivers of a
diabetic, is important for them to know how their lives may change, and how they can
adjust and hopefully avoid the added stress before it comes. Having good control over
your/ your partners diabetes early on will minimize stress overall, especially if you know
they can take care of themselves, and (with the help of my booklet) their friends can help
take care of them as well. (5) Since this information is rather recent and seems to be a new
study, the information may not yet be exactly 100% accurate, and the person who is
conducting the research may be biased to believe that being the parent of a child with a
disease will increase stress. (7)

Diabetes Self-Management. Madavor Media, n.d. Web. Sept. 17, 2015.

This website is to help diabetics learn how to take care of themselves through diet and
exercise, and to teach diabetics more about themselves. (2) a lot of the posts on this
website goes deeper than just medications and symptoms and talks a bit more about the
emotional effect of diabetes on each person, which is a big factor of diabetes as well.
However it also shares stories about famous people and other diabetics, and more
information on treatment methods, and new research in diabetes. (3) I believe this website
was made for the adolescent to adult diabetics, to provide comfort, and let them know that
theyre not alone. (4) This page will be relevant to my senior project because it provides

Bakman 14
Senior Project Research Paper

personal anecdotes and different views on diabetes, and I believe the emotional effect
diabetes has on each person's life should be shared to, because as a diabetic myself, I did
not know a lot f this information prior. (5) A special feature of this website is that it also
links to a blog, and while there are advertisements, they are all about glucose monitoring
kits, and are very relevant to any diabetic that finds this page. (6) Bias in this site is the
fact that it does focus on more of a mental idea and personal stories, and experience varies
greatly person to person, which could cause a large bias in how different information is
received and perceived. (7)

Diabetes Education Online. University of California, San Francisco. n.d. Web.

Sept. 17, 2015.
The purpose of this website is to help people learn about, and live a healthy life with type
1 diabetes. (2) The website is full of well organized information about diabetes and
managing your diabetes such as: Understanding Diabetes, Health Management, and
Diabetes Treatment. (3) This website was made for diabetics of all stages, whether to learn
how to take care of yourself, or improve the way you take care of yourself. (4) This
website will help me learn new, alternative options that i do not already know about, so
that I can give my readers multiple options in how to take care of their partner/ friends and
make both their lives better. (5) A nice feature in this website is that it is very well
organized, with buttons linking you to everywhere. (6) There is potential bias in that once
again, this is an American school, which means it is biased towards the western medicines

Bakman 15
Senior Project Research Paper

and culture, which means they focus on western ideas, and possible ideas for solutions or
treatment to diabetes that may be popular in other parts of the world might not be used
here.(7)
Type 1 Diabetes in Adults. London: Royal College of Physicians, 2004. Print.
The purpose of this book is to give adult diabetics the basic guidelines on how to take care
of their diabetes as adults. (2) The book talks about how each individual needs their own
customized plan, but it gives basic guidelines that every plan for every diabetic should
follow to live a healthy lifestyle, such as testing regularly and maintaining a good diet with
plenty of exercise. (3) This book is targeted towards adults living with diabetes (as stated
within the title). (4) This will provide more information specifically on adults living with
diabetes, because while I do have a lot f information on diabetes already, many of them
focus only on children, and since managing diabetes changes from childhood to adulthood,
is important for me to know both so I can explain how they differ to my readers. (5 & 6)
The bias is that since this book was written by an organization, there may be some bias in
the type of research included, but that bias should be minimal. (7)
Amir, Nina. How To Organize Your Nonfiction Book. Magnolia Media Network. n.d.
Web. Sept, 17, 2015.
The purpose of this blog is to teach you how to organize your writing and prepare all of
your research before you try to write a nonfiction book. (2) It teaches how to physically
organize, such as using folders and neat stacks to keep all of your research together in the
right place, and how to mentally organize, like creating an overall plan for your book

Bakman 16
Senior Project Research Paper

before you start writing it. (3) This blog would be targeted towards people who are
normally accustomed to creative writing, who normally let their mind roam free and their
ideas mix together. Instead it teaches them how to tame their thoughts for certain projects
(such as this one) and to organize your ideas so that others may better comprehend them.
(4) I believe that this blog will greatly aide me in my senior project because I am very
inexperienced in writing nonfiction, and I am not a very organized person, so I hope that
the methods I learn through this blog can help me organize ideas for my book, as well as
organize my life over all in time to prepare for college. (5) A special feature about this
website would be that it states how to organize both physically and mentally, while many
sites I looked at while trying to find sources only showed one or the other, with very little
detail on either. (6) The bias in this blog would be that every person has a different method
of getting organized, and what works for some people may not work for others. (7)