SIKESTON — Kerra Eckles can talk to her family and friends about many things, but it when it comes to her diabetes, there’s only a select few who truly understand.
That’s why the 15-year-old Sikeston High School sophomore loves attending the diabetes support group meetings offered every three weeks at her school.
“There are some things you can’t tell friends or parents, but you can tell someone who’s going through the same thing as you,” Eckles said.
Eckles was diagnosed with type I diabetes about three years ago. People with type I diabetes usually don't produce insulin because cells have been destroyed. Now her daily routine consists of giving herself four shots of insulin each day with one of those being administered at school.
“The hardest thing (about having diabetes) is watching what you eat. You have to break (the habit of) what you used to it,” Eckles said.
When her blood sugar level is high, Eckles knows it because she has headaches, feels dizzy and sleeps a lot, she said.
Eckles said life with diabetes has become easier.
“I’m thankful I’m not the one who’s dying from it. Some kids have it and can’t afford diabetes treatment. I’m thankful I have medicines and insulin,” Eckles said.
This year seven students at the high school and one in junior high are enrolled in the support group, which is in its second year, said registered nurse and Sikeston R-6 health services coordinator Nikki Vaught.
“I think we had 10 (students enrolled) last year but that also included the kids who had hypoglycemia,” Vaught said.
Districtwide less than 20 students have diabetes, Vaught said, adding she thinks it’s important to provide an outlet for these students to express their feelings about what they’re experiencing.
“My opinion is if they’re not healthy, they’re not going to do well. If they’re not mentally healthy, they won’t do well. This could help their academics,” Vaught said.
When diabetic children’s sugar is high, they can lose control or get angry and agitated, Vaught said.
“Sometimes it’s hard for teachers to understand. If their sugar is high, then they might not do well on a test,” Vaught said.
Several years ago Vaught started a similar group at the school for students who had diabetes. She left the school, and the group disbanded. When Vaught returned to last year, she brought the group back, she said. “It makes me feel good, as a nurse, that the kids really enjoy the support group. Sometimes it’s hard to get kids to go to a group session of any type,” Vaught said.
And the students take their time together seriously, Vaught said.
“They never cut up or are not serious about it during group. They are very honest with each other. That makes me proud they can be honest with each other because they don’t always have a good day,” Vaught said.
Last year, sessions included a guest speaker who discussed insulin pumps, which look like a beeper that attaches to a diabetic’s leg or stomach and provides them with the insulin they need without having to administer shots. Diabetic educators from Missouri Delta Medical Center visited the group. Students also learned about how to watch carbohydrate intake.
“The older kids talked about how they deal with stress and peer pressure,” Vaught said. Another highlight of the group is when Kevin Self, a teacher/ coach at Sikeston High School who is also a diabetic, visits during the group meetings, Eckles said.
“What was fun was going around the table and hearing people’s thoughts about diabetes. One of the teachers (Self) used to come to the meetings, and it was really fun,” Eckles said.
Vaught agreed Self’s insight was helpful to the students. “I cannot say to them I know how they feel — and that’s what they’re interested in —somebody being straight with them and saying, ‘I know where you’re coming from.’ They know he (Self) has it. He’s an asset to them,” Vaught said.
Without the group, Eckles said dealing with her diabetes would be harder because she couldn’t openly discuss her condition with others.
“Now (that the group has formed) you can express your feelings to everybody who has the same disease as you,” Eckles said.
Eckles recommended students who have diabetes and aren’t a member of the support group to join.
“If you can’t let it all out, you can here,” Eckles said. “In the support group, it stays in the support group.”
