Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Nov 18: With diabetes on the rise globally, the young girls in Kashmir are managing the disease effectively under the proper advice of the doctors at SKIMS, Soura coupled with a positive mindset.
The disease has not stopped them from pursuing their career while they march ahead towards achieving excellence in their respective fields.
Excelsior talked to some of the young girls who have been dealing with the disease for more than a decade. They talked about the will and determination that they have put up which has resulted in them leading a normal life.
Arsheen (20) from the Hazratbal area, who is currently pursuing her B.Tech from the University of Kashmir, was detected with Type-II diabetes when she was just 7 years old and was studying in class 2. With age, she has understood what the disease is all about and how she can manage it effectively.
“Until recently, I didn’t know what was wrong with me; my parents used to give me insulin, but I had no idea what was going on; it all started making sense to me nearly 4 years ago and after that, I started reading about it; knowing more about the disease,” she said.
She said that initially, she felt that her life was difficult due to the disease, but as she learned about how to manage it, things started to become easy. “Not getting to eat what you want is difficult; being treated differently at the same time is not easy; but with the help of doctors and the family, I am now leading a normal life; it is all under control.”
Another young girl, Shehrish (22), from South Kashmir’s Shopian district, currently preparing for NEET was diagnosed with Type-II diabetes in 2015. For her, it happened all of a sudden and within no time her life was changed.
“It was all about uncontrolled thirst which I felt initially and as I consulted doctors, I was told that it was diabetes and with that my life changed; there was a check on what I was going to eat and what not; that was something that got me angry,” she said.
She said that patients with diabetes need to have a positive approach towards the disease and any change in that Shehrish said, can push them into depression. “It affected me initially, but then I figured it all out and readied myself to take on the challenge, head-on; I am living a normal life now,” she said.
Another little girl, Iqra, currently in the 9th standard, turned out to be more mature than her age as she was seen advising the elders with the same disease on how to deal with its effects and how to keep a positive approach towards it. She was diagnosed with Type-II diabetes when she was just a toddler.
“Diabetes did knock me down initially and that was when I was able to understand things around me; I hated everything, but then as I grew up, I told myself that if this is what Almighty wants, be it and I will make sure that I deal with it the way I have to. I succeeded in doing that as today, I am living a life just like any other person—thanks to doctors at SKIMS and my parents,” she said.
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