The Jonas Brothers and Diabetes

by Christopher Segler
(USA)

The Jonas Brothers and Diabetes by Dr Christopher Segler

Nick Jonas is the youngest member of the pop sensation known as the Jonas Brothers. In November of 2005, he found out that he had Type-I diabetes, which is generally diagnosed in children and young adults. People with Type-1 diabetes are unable to produce insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, or glucose, starches, and other food into energy that is needed for everyday life.



A couple of months before Nick was diagnosed, he began to notice symptoms. "It was just insane," says Nick. He was losing weight, constantly going to the bathroom, was thirsty all the time, and had a bad attitude. "I had a terrible attitude, which was totally odd for me because I'm actually a nice person. Especially being on the road around people all the time, you have to keep that positive energy going. And it was hard."



Nick took some time off from The Jonas Brothers tour to see a doctor to find out what was going on. In one episode, his doctors discovered that his blood sugar was over 700. They sent him right to the hospital. Nick says, "For someone who had no bad medical history ever, to suddenly have the shock of diabetes was a bit overwhelming in itself, and then I had to learn all about it, learn all these things in such a short period of time. All of it was crazy. I also wondered if I could continue making music...but I had the support of my friends and the band to be there with me. Although Dad had to stay at home with my three brothers, my Mom stayed with me at the hospital every single night."



Nick started doing shows again as soon as he left the hospital. He had to take multiple daily injections of insulin along with pills to help control his blood sugar. He also had to check his blood sugar about twelve times a day. "When we were on the road, I'd be in the back of the band trying to give insulin shots and manage my diabetes, and it was just too hard," he says. "I was getting frustrated with it. I knew that I needed something different, a solution to the problem, which in fact was a new kind of insulin pump. It's really changed my life in a big way. I started using the new insulin pump in about April and absolutely love it. And all my friends think that it's a really cool device."



"What's awesome about the new 'smart' insulin pump," Nick says, "is that it works as a blood glucose meter, so I just put the test strip in it." He tries to check his sugar nine to ten times every day. Reportedly, his blood sugar is between 150 and 175 mg/dl. This would normally be a high reading, but because Nick is so fit and active and has a tendency to go low, he has been advised that this should be his normal range.



The new insulin pump lets Nick he can enter the amount of carbs in something he eats, and it will give him a suggested amount of insulin. The insulin pump also has a database of different foods. If he ever has a question about how many carbs are in a certain food. When he gets low, he prefers to drink orange juice or some other liquid because they work so quickly. Nick does not follow any particular special diet. "I could eat all the steak in the world," he says, "but I'll eat pretty much anything."



In March 2007, about a year and a half after his diagnosis, Nick publicly announced that he has diabetes at Carnival for a Cure, in an appearance sponsored by the makers of his new diabetes testing gadget.



Nick likes that he can be a role model for children and teens and raise awareness to his fans. "I have a platform to be able to share my story. As a singer I can share this passion with other young people my age. This can put things in a positive light that is is a situation that might not be so positive. I've heard stories about kids who were in depression because after they got diagnosed they were just so upset about what was going on. That just touched my heart, and I wanted to be able to do something about it. I hope that I can be that positive light to people." Nick is also planning to become very involved with the diabetes community.



Nick has had to become a responsible young adult in a short amount of time. "Diabetes is a huge part of my life and I can't just forget about it, obviously," Nick explains. "I have to keep taking care of it and managing it, and learning more things about it. Hopefully one day they'll come up with some type of cure, and I hope I'll be one of the first to know about it."



To newly diagnosed kids with diabetes, Nick would say, "Don't let it slow you down at all. I made a promise to myself on the way to the hospital that I wouldn't let this thing slow me down and I'd just keep moving forward, and that's what I did. Just keep a positive attitude and keep moving forward with it. Don't be discouraged."



Nick has written a song that he performs with his brothers, Joe Jonas and Kevin Jonas. The song is called "A Little Bit Longer." In the song, Nick sings, "Got the news today/Doctor said I had to stay/A little bit longer/And I'll be fine/When I thought it'd all been done/When I thought it'd all been said/A little bit longer/And I'll be fine/All this time goes by/Still no reason why/A little bit longer/And I'll be fine/Waitin' on a cure/But none of them are sure/A little bit longer/And I'll be fine."





Dr. Christopher Segler is an author, inventor and award winning diabetic foot specialist. He is the founder of a private consulting firm specializing in the prevention of diabetic foot amputations. If you or someone you care about has diabetes, you can learn more by simply requesting your FREE report "No Leg Left To Stand On: The Secrets Insurance Companies Don't Want You To Know About Diabetic Foot Amputation" at http://www.ineedmyfeet.com.



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