The Sun, the Rain, and the Insulin : Growing Up with Diabetes [Paperback]

Joan Maccracken (Author), Anne Kilham (Creator), Donna Hoel (Editor), Greg Hoel (Editor), Brad Finch (Composer)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0964601850 | ISBN-13: 978-0964601857 | Publication Date: May 1996 | Edition: 1

Here is a special book inviting the reader to experience the challenges of growing up with diabetes. It is not a diabetes manual. Though filled with information on diabetes, it reads like a novel. Six families with diabetes come alive through the sensitive and humorous writings of Dr. Joan MacCracken. We find ourselves drawn to their story. At the diabetes camp we meet Sam, a father privately struggling with his daughter's and his own diabetes, and Becky, a bitter teenager, resentful about her chronic condition. We share poignant moments as family members express their deepest concerns and frustrations about this incurable disease. Mac Cracken's book is filled with feelings because there is nothing cut-and-dried about diabetes

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Imagine a book that is a "must read" for all people involved in the lives of children with diabetes. This includes parents, grandparents, relatives, doctors, nurses, dietitians, social workers, psychologists, child care workers, teachers, camp counselors, coaches and all significant others. No, it's not another "how to" book or a futuristic version of "Diabetes for Dummies"....The reader feels the frustration, fear, despair, anger and pain of the characters... Her (Dr. MacCracken's) sensitive understanding of family dynamics as they impact on diabetes as well as her literary skill in portraying this range of emotion make this an unforgettable book." -- Heather Dean, MD, FRCPC Diabetes Dialogue, Canadian Diabetes Association Spring 1997

"This book is a stroke of genius. Dr. MacCracken, a pediatric endocrinologist, has succeeded in writing an excellent book about diabetes in youth......What makes this book truly outstanding, however, is the fact that it is full of wisdom--wisdom which is rarely written down--wisdom that comes from working with, and learning from, children and adolescents with diabetes and their families over a period of many years. I highly recommend this book to all members of the diabetes healthcare team, to families of youth with diabetes, to diabetes camp staff and to interested coaches, teachers, and friends." -- Marcia Frank, RN, MHSc, CDE, Canadian Journal of Diabetes Care, Sept 1996

"You WILL want to read The Sun, The Rain, and The Insulin yourself and make it a part of your professional and personal library, for the need to share it WILL arise. You may even find an interested administrator anxious to read these accounts for families during their week at "Diabetes Camp", for they are real life scenarios, and they are real children in our schools. Welcome Dr. MacCracken into your practice by reading her book...I guarantee you will not be disappointed." -- Deb Ilardi RN, BSN, Editor, National Association of School Nurse Newsletter, Jan. 1997

From the Publisher

Our foreword by Dr. Allan Drash, internationally respected pediatric diabetes expert, says it all. "Dr. Joan MacCracken has written an important book. It is unique in the diabetes literature. Through a series of vignettes, she provides examples of potential family concerns, including compliance issues, acting-out behaviors, immaturity and rejection of the disease by both patients and parents. Much more importantly we are taken through the steps of resolution in a real-life arena In many cases, problems are worked out. But as always the case, there are also some failures.

"This book can serve as a detailed road map--a how-you-do-it in the day-to-day management of diabetes. It can provide extraordinarily important insight for the older patients and certainly for the parents of children with diabetes. It also will be a valuable tool for diabetes professionals and others who interact with children with diabetes including teachers and coaches.

"I heartily endorse this book, knowing that it can provide comfort, education, and direction for its readers."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Tiffin Pr of Maine; 1 edition (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964601850
• ISBN-13: 978-0964601857
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,499,372 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book,a must for families of diabetics!, September 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sun, the Rain, and the Insulin : Growing Up with Diabetes (Paperback)

This book is so well written. Being a mother of a 12 year old girl who has diabetes, I could not put the book down. I laughed, cried and felt like I was there with the characters in the book. It gives the reader a good insight as to how it feels to have a loved one with diabetes, and how you are not as alone as you may feel in this situation. It also has an educational value, without feeling like you are reading another "facts only" manual on diabetes.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to Parenting a Diabetic Child, August 4, 2000

By 

Wendy S. Pratt (Venedocia, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sun, the Rain, and the Insulin : Growing Up with Diabetes (Paperback)

I read this book as I sat beside my 13 year old daughter's hospital bed-- she had just been diagnosed with diabetes. It presented important information in a much more user-friendly way than the formal diabetic education we were receiving. It showed the challenges we would face, and helped me understand more the impact on the entire family.

I highly encourage all of those involved with diabetic children to read this book. I will be loaning my copy to my daughter's counselor so that she will be better equipped to help my daughter cope with her diabetes.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for any who know a child or adult with diabetes!, April 7, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Orono, Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sun, the Rain, and the Insulin : Growing Up with Diabetes (Paperback)

What a rewarding book for anyone who knows a child or adult with diabetes. I laughed and I cried with the characters. Teachers, parents, relatives, friends, and others will gain useful information while they enjoy a delightful story.