Ukuphila Nohlobo loku-1 lweswekile

Nanjengoko uNovemba ephawula iNyanga yoKwazisa ngeSifo seswekile, ndizifumana ndicingisisa ngohambo endiluthathileyo ngoku ndiphila ne-Type 1 diabetes kule minyaka ingama-45 idlulileyo. Xa ndandiqala ukufunyaniswa ndineminyaka eyi-7, ukulawula isifo seswekile kwaba ngumngeni ohluke kakhulu kunanamhlanje. Ukutyhubela iminyaka, inkqubela phambili yetekhnoloji, ulwazi lwesi sifo kunye nenkxaso engcono iguqule ubomi bam.

Ukufumana kwam ukuxilongwa kwesifo seswekile soHlobo loku-1 ngo-1978, imeko yokulawula isifo seswekile yayahluke kakhulu kwinto esinayo namhlanje. Ukujongwa kweglucose yegazi kwakungeyonto, ngoko ukujonga umchamo wakho kwakukuphela kwendlela yokwazi apho ume khona. Ngaphaya koko, ukutofa isitofu esinye ukuya kwezimbini ngosuku nge-insulin esebenza ixesha elifutshane kunye nethatha ixesha elide yayiyirejimeni, eyayisenzela ukuba kufuneke rhoqo ukutya ngexesha elichanekileyo le-insulin yanda kwaye ifumana iswekile yegazi ephantsi nephezulu. Ngelo xesha, ubomi bemihla ngemihla bomntu onesifo sikashukela buhlala bugutyungelwe ngamaqhinga oloyiko aqeshwe ngabasebenzi bezempilo ukuqinisekisa ukuthotyelwa. Ndinenkumbulo ecacileyo yokuhlala kwam esibhedlele okokuqala xa ndandisandul’ ukufunyaniswa kwaye omnye umongikazi wacela abazali bam ukuba baphume kwigumbi ngoxa wayeqhubeka endigculela kuba ndandingakwazi ukutofa inaliti ye-insulin ngokwam. Khumbula ukuba ndandineminyaka esixhenxe ubudala kwaye ndandisesibhedlele malunga neentsuku ezintathu njengoko ndandizama ukuqonda ukuba kwenzeka ntoni kum. Ndikhumbula esithi, “Ngaba ufuna ukuba ngumthwalo kubazali bakho ngonaphakade?” Ndisezinyembezini, ndaqweba isibindi sokuzenzela esam isitofu kodwa ndijonge ngasemva, ndiyakholelwa ukuba amagqabaza akhe malunga nomthwalo wabazali bam ahlala kum iminyaka. Abanye ngelo xesha babenikela ingqalelo ekuphepheni iingxaki ngokuzilawula ngokungqongqo, nto leyo eyayidla ngokundishiya ndixhalabile yaye ndinetyala ukuba ndandingasoloko ndisenza izinto “ngokugqibeleleyo,” nto leyo eyayingenakwenzeka ngelo xesha. Inani eliphezulu leswekile yegazi lam lithetha ukuba "ndimbi" kwingqondo yam eneminyaka esixhenxe kwaye "andawenzi umsebenzi olungileyo."

Ukuba ngumntu ofikisayo onesifo seswekile se-Type 1 ekupheleni kweminyaka yee-'70s kunye nee-'80s kwakunzima kakhulu. Ubutsha lixesha lokuvukela kunye nokufuna ukuzimela, okungqubana ne-regimen engqongqo ekulindeleke ukuba ilawule isifo sikashukela ngaphandle kwayo yonke iteknoloji yanamhlanje ekhoyo namhlanje. Ngokufuthi ndandiziva ndingumntu wangaphandle, njengoko oontanga bam babendixhasa kodwa bengakwazi ukunxulumana nomzabalazo wemihla ngemihla wokubeka esweni amanqanaba eswekile esegazini, ukuthatha izitofu ze<em>insulin, nokujamelana nokuguquguquka kweemvakalelo namanqanaba amandla. Ngokungathi abafikisayo abagcwalanga kukuthontelana kwamahomoni okubangela ukuguquguquka okukhulu kweemvakalelo, ukungazicingeli, kunye nokungazithembi kunjalo, ukuba nesifo seswekile songeze umgangatho omtsha. Ukubekwa ibala kunye nokungaqondi kakuhle okungqonge esi sifo kongezelele kumthwalo ongokweemvakalelo othwalwa ngabakwishumi elivisayo abanesifo seswekile. Ndaqhubeka nokukhanyela kancinane ngempilo yam ngaloo minyaka yeshumi elivisayo, ndisenza konke endinako ukuba “ndilale phantsi” kwaye “ndingene.” Ndenze izinto ezininzi ezazingqubana ngqo nento “ebendifanele ukuba ndiyenze” ukulawula impilo yam, endiqinisekileyo ukuba iqhubekile nokongeza kwiimvakalelo zokuziva ndinetyala kunye neentloni. Kwakhona ndikhumbula umama endixelela kwiminyaka kamva ukuba “wayesoyika” ukundiyeka ndihambe kodwa wayesazi ukuba kwakufuneka enjenjalo ukuze ndikhule ndikwishumi elivisayo “eliqhelekileyo”. Ekubeni ngoku ndingumzali, ndinovelwano olukhulu ngendlela ekumele ukuba kwakunzima ngayo oku kuye, yaye ndiyambulela nangokundinika inkululeko endandiyifuna nangona imele ukuba yayiyinkxalabo egqithiseleyo ngempilo nokhuseleko lwam.

Yonke loo nto yatshintsha kwiminyaka yam yama-20 xa ekugqibeleni ndathatha isigqibo sokuthatha indlela esebenzayo yokulawula impilo yam ngoku ndandimdala. Ndenza idinga nogqirha kwidolophu yam entsha kwaye ndisalikhumbula nanamhlanje ixhala endandinalo ndihleli kwigumbi lokulinda. Bendingcangcazela nyani ndinestress ndisoyika ukuba naye ebenetyala andihlaze andixelele zonke izinto ezimanyumnyezi ezizakundehlela ukuba andizihoyanga ngcono. Ngommangaliso, uGqr. Paul Speckart waba ngugqirha wokuqala owadibana nam kanye kwindawo endandikuyo xa ndamxelela ukuba ndandize kumbona ukuze ndiqalise ukuzinyamekela kakuhle. Wathi, “Kulungile…masenze!” kwaye khange ndithethe nangezinto ebendinazo okanye endingazange ndizenze ngaphambili. Emngciphekweni wokuba ngokugqithisileyo, loo gqirha wayitshintsha indlela yobomi bam…Ndiyikholelwa ngokupheleleyo loo nto. Ngenxa yakhe, ndiye ndakwazi ukutyhutyha kule minyaka imbalwa izayo, ndafunda ukuliyeka ityala nehlazo endilidibanise nokukhathalela impilo yam kwaye ekugqibeleni ndakwazi ukuzisa abantwana abathathu abasempilweni emhlabeni, nangona bendikhe ndahlala. Ndixelelwe ngoochwephesha bezonyango kwasekuqaleni ukuba abantwana basenokungabi yinto enokwenzeka kum.

Kule minyaka idlulileyo, ndibone inkqubela phambili ephawulekayo kulawulo lwesifo seswekile olutshintshe ubomi bam. Namhlanje, ndinokufikelela kwizixhobo ezahlukeneyo kunye nezixhobo ezenza ubomi bemihla ngemihla bulawuleke ngakumbi. Ezinye iinkqubela phambili eziphambili ziquka:

1. Ukujongwa kweGlucose yeGazi: Ii-Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) ziye zaluguqula ulawulo lwam lweswekile. Banikezela ngedatha yexesha langempela, ukunciphisa imfuno yovavanyo lweminwe rhoqo.
2. Iimpompo ze-insulin: Ezi zixhobo zithathe indawo yeenaliti ezininzi zemihla ngemihla kum, zibonelela ngolawulo oluchanekileyo malunga nokuhanjiswa kwe-insulin.
3. Iindlela eziphuculweyo ze-insulin: Ukwenziwa kwe-insulin yanamhlanje kunokuqala ngokukhawuleza kunye nexesha elide, ukulinganisa impendulo yendalo ye-insulin yomzimba ngokusondeleyo ngakumbi.
4. Imfundo kunye neNkxaso ngesifo seswekile: Ukuqonda okungcono kwimiba yengqondo yokulawulwa kwesifo sikashukela kuye kwakhokelela kwiindlela zokunakekelwa kwezempilo ezinovelwano kunye neenethiwekhi zenkxaso.

Kum, ukuhlala ne-Type 1 yeswekile iminyaka engama-45 ibe luhambo lokunyamezela, kwaye ukunyaniseka, kundenze ukuba ndingubani, ngoko ke andinakuyitshintsha into yokuba ndiphila nale meko ingapheliyo. Ndafunyaniswa ngexesha lokhathalelo lwempilo olusekelwe kuloyiko kunye nobugcisa obulinganiselweyo. Nangona kunjalo, inkqubela phambili yokulawula isifo sikashukela ibe yinto engavamile, endivumela ukuba ndiphile ubomi obanelisayo ngaphandle kweengxaki ezinkulu ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. Ukhathalelo lwesifo seswekile luye lwavela kwindlela engqongqo, esekwe kuloyiko ukuya kwinto epheleleyo, egxile kwisigulane. Ndinombulelo ngenkqubela-phambili eyenze ukuba ubomi bam obunesifo seswekile bulawuleke kwaye bube nethemba. Ngale Nyanga yoKwazisa ngesifo seswekile, andibhiyozeli kuphela amandla am nokuzimisela kwam kodwa noluntu lwabantu abathe babelana nam ngolu hambo.

Ndijonge phambili kwikamva elithembisayo lokulawula isifo sikashukela. Sikunye, sinokuphakamisa ulwazi, siqhube inkqubela phambili, kwaye, ngethemba, ukusisondeza kunyango lwesi sifo esichaphazela ubomi obuninzi.