From left: Tyler, Andrew, Mark, Stacie and Evan Oshima
The Breakthrough T1D Walk (formerly JDRF One Walk) is right around the corner! Evan is off to college and his 17-year-old brother, Andrew, offered to step up this year to serve as co-captain for Evan’s Evangers.
Andrew’s story below describes T1D’s impact through a slightly different lens — how he sees T1D through the eyes of a younger brother.
We would love for you to join Evan’s Evangers at the OC Breakthrough T1D Walk at Angels Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 8.
Please consider joining us or making a donation to support this cause that means so much to our family and nearly 1.5 million Americans and 10 million people worldwide that suffer from T1D.
— Mark and Stacie Oshima
T1D and Its Impact on Our Family: A Brother’s Perspective
Many nights, between 1-5 a.m., I’ve heard alarms shriek in the hallway; they jolt me up from my slumber. Throughout the years, the melody of these alerts has changed, but my dreadful reaction to Evan’s blood sugar alarms carrie on. Groggy and grumpy, I think, “Really, again?” and lay my head back down on my pillow, praying that Evan’s diabetes alarm does not detonate again.
I feel guilty for feeling this way, because I know that Evan cannot control when his blood sugar decides to rollercoaster at 3 in the morning. I also understand that Evan loathes the diabetes alarm significantly more than I do because he loves his sleep a little too much.
But Evan’s Type 1 diabetes (T1D) doesn’t care. While it robs me of restful sleep, it affects every part of his day-to-day life. This is because T1D makes ordinary things that I take for granted much more complicated.
T1D really affects our family. It especially impacts my parents. Looking back at it now, I cannot fathom how my mom and dad held it together so well after receiving the life-altering news about their son having an autoimmune disease without a cure. The amount of pure dread and uncertainty of a child’s health must seem like a horrible nightmare for any parent.
I’ve seen my mom tense up and go into “mom mode” when Evan goes away for any type of trip. I remember one time in New York where there was an issue with Evan’s diabetes supplies and that almost ruined the entire vacation. Fortunately, it all came out okay but she was worried sick until we got his supplies.
While preparing to go on vacation, Mom can teeter on the very edge, nagging Evan to pack a more than sufficient amount of diabetes gear so that he will never run out of vital supplies hundreds or thousands of miles away from home. Mom’s worries and concerns really do show how much she does care for Evan and how much additional anxiety diabetes imposes on the family.
And, trust me, when Mom is on the edge, EVERYONE is on the edge as well.
Evan does a good job navigating the complex world of managing a pancreas that isn’t working correctly. He understands his blood glucose and what he needs to do when his glucose levels are too high or too low. Ideally, it would be better if Evan’s blood glucose was in the low 100s or lower; however, his condition means that he needs to always pay attention to maintain some sort of equilibrium.
For example, Evan knows that he needs to drink juice or down some Smarties to raise a low blood glucose level or that sometimes he needs to wait for 30 minutes or much more before eating so that his high blood glucose does not go through the roof after meals. There are also times when he can’t eat certain things just because the food contains so much sugar that it would wreak havoc on his system.
There was one time eight years ago when we were at Universal Studios and my brothers and I craved the ultimate Universal Studios drink: butterbeer. (Not real beer. It’s more like a sweet cream soda with ice cream in it.) Unfortunately, this was one of the drinks that would likely skyrocket Evan’s blood sugar. Therefore, my parents, being good, fair parents, decided that none of us would get butterbeer. I felt so angry … why couldn’t I have butterbeer? I don’t have diabetes!
But kids (and adults) with diabetes experience that all the time. While I can just go out and play sports, Evan has to check his blood glucose when doing any physical activity, as his blood glucose fluctuates when he plays baseball, basketball or goes to the gym. Even with meticulous planning and supervising, his blood glucose can (and occasionally will) go wild and make him feel sick. While I can just live my life, Evan has to deal with these types of things.
Walking for a Cure
The Breakthrough T1D Walk is great. Seeing so many people support the fight against diabetes and take steps to finding a cure is just so amazing. I have witnessed the ripple effect that the fundraising we do at the walk contributes to making life better for those who have T1D.
I remember Evan used to have to take multiple shots of insulin daily at a very young age. (I was always amazed that I never heard Evan complain about this.) But now, he wears an insulin pump that integrates with his glucose monitor. Sure, he still has to count carbohydrates before every meal and his glucose levels go high or low without warning, but he doesn’t have to take shots or prink his finger on a daily basis.
The diabetes research / technology funded by Breakthrough T1D has drastically improved Evan’s life. I’ve also heard that there are clinical trials happening right now where some people are actually able to live without insulin pumps or shots. We are closer than ever to cures for T1D. All of this is possible because of research funded by Breakthrough T1D.
Regardless of the inconveniences of T1D, Evan is still himself. 1.5 million Americans have T1D, but ultimately they are not defined by this autoimmune disease. They are all warriors, handling diabetes every day. One day I would love to see a world where Evan and other warriors like him will be rid of this awful disease.
We would love for you to walk with Evan’s Evangers or donate to our team to help Breakthrough T1D continue to fund life-changing Type 1 diabetes research and create a world without T1D. Thank you!
https://tinyurl.com/EvansEvangers2026
— Andrew Oshima