CUIDADO E DIABETES NA INFÂNCIA: As Frações de Tempo

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is considered a metabolic syndrome of multiple origins, caused by a total lack of insulin or the inability of insulin to perform its function properly. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and is responsible for metabolizing glucose, making DM a direct consequence of the lack of this hormone. In the case of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM1), it can be diagnosed at any age, but in most cases, it begins in childhood or adolescence. According to the Brazilian Diabetes Society (SBD), DM1 concentrates a total of 5 to 10% of all people with the disease. The aim of this study was to comprehend the experience of being a family caregiver for a child diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and the meanings attributed to it. The methodology used was hermeneutic phenomenological research, with a qualitative approach. The data was collected using an in-depth interview, which made it possible to establish cognitive and emotional connections about the experience, producing new understandings about the phenomenon experienced. The research participant was a woman, mother of a girl diagnosed with DM1 three years ago. The data was analyzed and interpreted by reducing the volume of information and building a structure to get to the essence of the experiences and reveal the main meaning of the phenomenon. In this process, three units of meaning emerged: "Chronic too soon", "An uninterrupted present" and "The clock and the sand: constant time", which formed the structure of the phenomenological theme: "Fractions of time". This theme represents the essence of the phenomenon experienced by the research participant in relation to her experience of caring for a child with DM1.