Teenagers and Type 1 Diabetes

Strangely enough, it was Royce Eason's friends who first noticed the changes in him.

Royce, then 14, was downing liquids like crazy to quench an ever-growing thirst. And the Pacific Grove, Calif., teen would fall asleep in the middle of the day, even while playing video games with his pals.

Royce's mother, Sandi Eason, wasn't overly concerned at the time. But since he needed a sports physical anyway, she made an appointment for him.

Royce went to the appointment - and passed out in the doctor's office. When his blood sugar was tested, everyone was startled to learn that it was above 580. Normal is around 100.

The sick teen was promptly taken to the hospital and placed in the intensive care unit. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, known as juvenile diabetes because it predominantly strikes people under age 30.

Sandi, the president and CEO of Coast Commercial Bank, now has what she calls "my second full-time job" - spreading the word about juvenile diabetes, providing support for the families of the newly diagnosed, and raising funds toward a cure, as a board member of the Monterey Bay branch of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.

Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can cripple and kill if not controlled, but Type 1 is more severe, since the pancreas produces no insulin at all. If blood sugar isn't held near normal levels, diabetics can go blind, experience kidney failure or lose feeling in their feet and hands. Without any insulin at all, they will rapidly lapse into a coma and then die.

Unlike the more common Type 2, juvenile diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin. It isn't caused by obesity or eating too much sugar - a definitive cause is still unknown.

Without insulin, "Royce would have about 72 hours to live," said Sandi.

Scary stuff, indeed. But Royce is able to manage his condition with the help of advanced medical technology, the support of his family and friends, and his own discipline.

"I have to test when I wake up, at lunchtime, and at night," said Royce, now a strapping 18-year-old. "I have to test before driving a car or when I play sports."