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COMPUTER TRAINING MS/WORD for WINDOWS and many more 338â€"6600 acaoemy or Leaanine Oakville‘s Business School e Eie ty oo S ie SV WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1994 PAGE 21 Babs Hodgson, who tended to the emotional and medical needs of her diabetic son, Jimmie, from the time he was diagnosed at age four to his death at 31, has written a book, ‘Courage Unending,‘ devoted to his courageous life. The front cover illustration, symbolizing his struggle, was done by her sister, Doris Jones. y \ Rabs Hodgson k Th soy of A Youne AtaS Fx:ug- verm es L Aso © i \'VWYV‘LVIN"M ACT ( (Photo by Peter McCusker) | Insulin not a cure for diabetes, Before the discovery of insulin 74 years ago by Drs. Frederick Banting and Charles Best, a diagnoâ€" sis of diabetes was a ‘death sentence.‘ r ‘ "Banting and Best‘s discovery has helped those } with diabetes around the world live relative normal lives," says the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA). "Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent the often devastating complications of the disease." Every nine minutes, one Canadian is diagnosed with diabetes. According to the CDA, diabetes affects 1.4 million Canadians. Diabetes costs Canada‘s health care system close to $3 billion annually. Kidney dialysis treatâ€" ments for diabetics costs between $40,000 to $60,000 per patient per year. Diabetes can lead to a variety of complications, including blindness, limb amputations, doubles the chance of heart attack and stroke, kidney failure, and death. Diabetes is known as ‘Canada‘s Silent " Killer.‘ Diabetes is the third leading cause of death from a disease. | However, with rigid insulin and blood sugar management, plus a carefully followed diet, diaâ€" || betes can be controlled to avoid most of the aforeâ€" mentioned complications, says the CDA. _ ) Unfortunately, for those who do develop complicaâ€" tions, "extensive damage has already been done by _ the time a diagnosis is made, and because the disâ€" J ease often goes undiagnosed, it may be the root cause of many debilitating medical problems," states a CDA news release. This past month, the CDA has set a national tarâ€" get of $3.8 million for research. "Diabetes is a misunderstood disease," says ; Frances Neufeld, director of Fund Development g â€" and Communications for the CDA. | a misunderstood fatal disease "Many people believe that insulin is a cure; therefore, diabetes is not that serious. In addition to the personal effects of the devastating complicaâ€" tions, diabetes is a major drain on our health care system, costing our government about $2.5 billion annually. As the population ages, the effects of the complications will take even more of our health care dollars. Diabetes is everyone‘s problem." Diabetes has a tendency to strike adults over 40; hence it is feared the incidence of diabetes will grow as the population ages. "Given that roughly 90% of diabetes cases occur after age 40, concern over the disease‘s impact on society is growing as ‘Baby Boomers‘ age," says the CDA. Next summer, the CDA will launch a major eduâ€" cation program aimed at Canadian doctors to teach them more about diagnosing and treating diabetes. Calling the disease "a medical, financial and social time bomb," the CDA, in a joint effort with three pharmaceutical dompanies, aims to reach more than 5,000 family physicians over the next year. Diabetes is difficult to diagnose because of the ‘quiet nature‘ of its symptoms, many of which can occur in an individual‘s life for varying reasons: These symptoms include: increased thirst, frequent urination, weight change, changes in appetite, nauâ€" sea and vomiting, tingling or numbness in hands and feet, irritability, fatigue, itchy skin, blurred vision, and poor healing of cuts and wounds. The CDA, which raises funds for diabetes research as well as creating awareness and underâ€" standing of diabetes, was founded in 1953. It has over 170 branches and chapters across Canada. The CDA for Oakville and District operates a Diabetes Information and Distribution Centre at Halton Pharmacy, Oakville Health Centre, 1060 Speers Rd., 338â€"0214. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER EL B L U EC HIP T HIN KIN G" GOVERNMENT GUARANTEED BONDS T"BLUE CHIP THINKING is a tradeâ€" mark of Midand Way ital Inc. * Rates as of Nov. 29/94 subject to change and availability. courage Living and dying with diabetes By WILMA BLOKHUIS Focus Editor ow do you say goodâ€"bye to a much loved son. His death was not unexpected; it came just too soon, at age 31. He had suffered for 27 years. Jimmie Hodgson died of juvenile diabetes. He had the disease since he was four years old, when a bad ear ache wouldn‘t go away, his thirst could not be quenched, and his urine was full of sugar. He became Canada‘s first pancreas transplant patient in April 1983, an operation which caused him much pain afterwards. His condition eventualâ€" ly robbed him of his kidneys and his eyesight. He also suffered a number of strokes. Jimmie knew the operation was still in the experimental stage, and had volunteered to be the first, at age 28. From this, surgeons could learn to improve this procedure. After giving his life over to the medical profesâ€" sion to Canada‘s first pancreas transplant patient, Jimmie, a devout Christian, gave his life to God. And, during the last 10 days of his life, James Brian Hodgson demonstrated ‘Unending Courage.‘ Through his pain he arranged his own funeral, saw to it that his house and his bank account would go to his mother, Babs Hodgson. She also has his two muchâ€"loved cats. Through her grief, after 27 years of tending to her son‘s needs, Hodgson wrote what she affectionately calls ‘Jimmie‘s book.‘ ‘Courage Unending‘ is the title of her first book, subtitled ‘The Story of a Young Man‘s Struggle with his Life and Death â€" Written from his Mother‘s Heart.‘ "I started writing about 7 1/2 years ago," said Hodgson, a retired nurse who turns 75 in May. "And about 1 1/2 to two years after I started writâ€" ing, my middle son died." Donald, who will be the subject of her second book, committed suicide three years ago, unable to cope with his schizophrenia. Jimmie, by the way, had purchased a double deep grave so Donald could be buried with him. Jimmie was her youngest son, and the second youngest of five children. ddly, Hodgson felt uneasy about Jimmie shortly after his birth. Born Feb. 5, 1955, "he was a lovely baby, weighing in at 8 pounds," wrote Hodgson to introduce Jimmie‘s life story. "Even the obstetrician who delivered him told me I had an ‘extra special child; very healthy and beautiful.‘ The only thing strange about Jimmie‘s birth was my reaction after he was born . . . I had the most dreadful fear for this dear baby. I burst into tears." She pressed the nurses and docâ€" tors for reassurance. "I wonder sometimes if my subconscious mind was aware of all the trouble and pain which lie ahead for this ‘perfect baby.‘" A mother‘s instinct? Or a nurse‘s intuition? During the first four years of his life, Jimmie grew into a robust child "whose life was filled with sunshine," wrote Hodgson. Then, a month after his fourth birthday, Jimmie fell ill with juvenile diaâ€" betes. In addition to his severely infected ears, Hodgson tracked Jimmie drinking 38 large glasses of water during a single 24â€"hour period. For the next 27 years, Jimmie lived a life filled with pain and struggle. He did the usual things, joined Cubs and Scouts, attended Sunday School, played hockâ€" ey and baseball, delivered newspapers, went to a kids camp run the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and spent summers at the family cottage. He studâ€" Jimmie Hodgson took this selfâ€"portrait while studying photography ai Sheridan College. He graduated in 1978. ied photography at Sheridan College but was unable to make it his career after his graduation in 1978 because of failing eyesight. In January, 1982, Jimmie got married, but due to his ill health, the marriage ended in divorce about two years before his death. broughout his growing and adult years, there were the constant insulin reactions â€" there was either too much or too little insulin in his body, depending on his activities â€" despite never missing his two insulin injections every day. "A doctor once told me that in his opinion a Juvenile Diabetic never feels completely well," Hodgson wrote in a chapter devoted to a descripâ€" tion of Jimmie‘s disease. "He has good days and bad days, as we all do, but even on his good days he does not feel one hundred percent, and if he could be transposed into the body of a healthy perâ€" son of the same age, he would be utterly amazed at the difference he would feel in his wellâ€"being. "A Juvenile Diabetic‘s body ages quickly. When Jimmie was 26 years old, a specialist at a Toronto hospital told me his body was similar to that of a 65â€"yearâ€"old man, and after his transplant and the resulting debilitation, it was like that of a 75â€"yearâ€" old." Hodgson believes the "younger the age at which a child becomes diabetic, the more quickly and severely will he or she have the complications. If a child is very young, his or her body is in the active stage of growth and the diabetes may be stirred up and accentuated. If the child does not develop Juvenile Diabetes until the age of 15 or 16 or older, their bodies are in a somewhat more stable range." For this reason, some adults and seniors stricken with diabetes can control their disease through diet alone, observed Hodgson. In the fall of 1982, Jimmie brought a house in Oakville, but failing health prevented him from going ahead with his planned renovations. (See ‘Pancreas transplant ...‘ page 22) VC out the mall. C l imply present $75 in sales receipts at Hopedales Christmas Service Centre by The Food Court, anytime from December 1 â€" 15 and you‘ll receive this handy and handsome LCD Quartz Alarm Clock with matchâ€" ing leatherâ€"look, black, folding case. Available while quantities last. IM /é[) A%W A Oneâ€"Day Savings Event â€" December 3 Be sure to drop by Hopedale Mall on December 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for this special day of Holiday si#opping. Hopedale Merchants will provide you with a flyer listing all of the savings available throughâ€" get a Iree Iravel AMlazm Clock with any ./qopea/a/e pu’zc/zase 0/[ $75 or mote MWMMW” December 1 to 24, 6 â€" 9 p.m. Fridays and 10 â€" 4 Saturdays Mr. Keyboard will be on hand at Centre Court to entertain you with your favourite Christmas tunes. Hopedale )/ 3rd Line Rebecca Street, Oakville 827â€"7146