DIABETES CARE CENTER
Roland
Diagnosed at 14,
Type II diabetes

Gaining a new perspective: Teen’s diabetes helps him look at life differently

Having diabetes has changed the way Roland looks at the world. He’s more cautious but also more aware of the small blessings of life, like walking on a beautiful day and playing with his younger sister.

Roland was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when he was 14. His mother, Martha, who also is diabetic, knew the symptoms all too well.

“We were going to Louisiana for the Christmas holidays, and I knew something was wrong,” she says. “When we got there, I checked his glucose and it was high. We cut our trip short and came back home to Texas Children’s.”

Even though she was well acquainted with the disease, she was overwhelmed when she found out Roland has diabetes.

“I panicked when he was diagnosed,” she says. “I didn’t know how I would deal with it. But at Texas Children’s, the doctors, nurses, and everyone else takes time with him and me. They talk to both of us and answer any questions we have.”

Roland changed his diet and began taking medication and exercising. Together, the family began to place more emphasis on nutrition and being active. Things were looking up. But then Roland hit the first snag when his grandfather had a stroke and they returned to Louisiana to visit.

“While we were there, Roland felt he should be eating like the rest of his cousins, and he broke his diet,” Martha says. “His diabetes flared up, and it was a big setback.”

So in September of 2000, Roland entered a type 2 diabetes study program at Texas Children’s to try a different medication. He kept up his exercising and forged ahead.

Roland hit another wall when his father passed away in 2002. It threw him into a tailspin of depression, and he didn’t want to take his medicine or exercise.

“It was a rough time for Roland emotionally, but he’s better now,” Martha says. “We talked a lot, and things improve as time goes on.”

Roland says diabetes has taught him to be grateful for the good things in life, like playing with Karissa, his sister, walking and jogging.

“I can find a lot more things to appreciate now,” Roland says. “Sometimes it’s hard to have to watch what I eat, but when I go to Texas Children’s and see other kids who have it worse, I’m thankful.”

The high school junior’s favorite subject is computer science, and he enjoys computer games. After high school, he hopes to go to an art or technical school and peruse his interest in the visual arts.