My daughter was diagosed with Type I diabetes in December 2007. 2 different pediatricians told me that she had a virus and a diaper rash. My duaghter had a yeast infection from the front to the back of her. She also had thrush in her mouth. I argued with doctors for 2 weeks because of these infections and the fact taht her lips kept turning blue and she was having labored breathing. She was lethargic and nonresponsive to anyone. When I got her to an emergency room her blood sugar was 905 and she was in respiratory distress. Katie had to be transferred to another hospital and stayed for 9 days until she was under control. If you notice any signs like what I have listed above.....please take your child to an emergency room and insist on tests that rule out diabetes. Had I listened to the pediatricians that originally treated Katie, she would be dead.
Have you got her on an insulin pump? I've been on one for 7 years and it is awesome. Much better than shots!
Hi B.,
I feel for you, because my seven year old son Jonah too got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on December 9th last year.
Expect that Jonah wasn't having any other symptoms than having to pee a lot and drink insane amounts of water. He was feeling ill with stomach ache and dry mouth only for one night. The next day we put him on the scale and he had lost 5 pounds. So we called the Doctor right away.
Within 2 hours he was in the ICU of Tarzana Regional Hospital ( by the way great place to be) with a blodd sugar level of 815, but feeling fine. He stayed there for 4 days.
He has adjusted fine, checking his own blood sugar and reading labels to learn about how many carbs the products have. He is really brave.
I still don't understand that this has happened, before this he never even got an ear infection, has gotten no shots period, has not even gotten circumsized. We are vegetarians, eat well, live a healthy lifestyle.
My husband has several auto immune diseases though and that as well as the environmental effects of living in L.A. area are the most likely culprits.
We are moving to Sedona Arizona soon to at least get away from the smog etc. To make things easier for him in the long run.
If you like you can email me privately, to talk...
Best wishes, truly
P.
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Dear B., Thanks for the warning. Mothers are God's messengers for sure. I know how it is to try to tell doctors that something is not right with your child, and they do not listen. Just keep on being a devoted mother and so will we.
Thanks, C. N.
B., You are amazing! Type 1 diabetes is often mis- diagnosed and the signs blamed on an infection. Unfortunately it is all too common and too many kids do die before they are diagnosed properly. You have great inner strentgh and I hope you and your family continue to do so well!!!
My name is S. andI have teenage kids and started a diabetes center and diabetes clinic and worked in the field with wonderful families like you for over 20 years. good luck my dear and by the way you sound I don't think you are going to need luck--just plain old good common sense that you already have!
Wow, thanks B.. Its nice to know how diligent you are as a parent. I was adopted with Type 1, but my adoptive family was not aware until I my blood was tested on a routine test for birth control at 16! I had always had flu like symptoms, but my mother thought I was either doing drugs or just sick. I wouldn't eat and my sugar would naturally go down. So it was never suspected.
I was on oral medication for 10 years and then on shots (up to 6/day) until I learned to control my sugars. I started on a pump when I was pregnant with my first child and swear it is the best thing ever.
Good for you taking action and becoming educated. You are your childs best advocate.
B.,
I am sorry about your daughter's diagnosis of diabetes. You are half a year into "your new life" and I bet that you all have managed beautifully. My daughter (13 now) was diagnosed at age six and has always been a great example of how to live with this disease well. She does anything she wants and we just work the diabetes plan around it. When your little one is a bit older she can attend diabetes day camp (in San Diego it's Camp Wana Kura through the ADA) and a bit later Camp Conrad Chinnock in Big Bear or somewhere else. If you haven't heard of them yet, also check out Children with Diabetes on the web. They have great conferences for families and an excellent website.
I really wanted to say to Petra (I think) that the cause of diabetes is still a mystery. There are many theories but none have yet been proven. What they do know is that it was not your diet or lifestyle that causes diabetes. The genetic marker is there for some (or no) reason and one day the switch is turned on and your child develops diabetes. What we can do as parents is simply accept that it is now just one facet of your child, just like red hair or long legs, like athletic ability or a sour personality. All of these attributes require a certain attending to in order to maximize the positive or minimize the negative. All require that a parent coach the child into independence for successful adulthood. Your ability to accept this massive change in your family's life will determine how well the child accepts it. Greater acceptance = greater compliance and greater blood sugar control. I hope this helps.
After reading your posting, I had to respond. It is unfortunate that your little one had to go through this before being diagnosed. This experience, when shared with others, is something we can all learn from. I hope your daughter is doing better, considering what she has to live with for the rest of her life. Thanks for sharing.
Dear B.,
I am so sorry for what you have gone through. It is wonderful of you to share your situation to help others to be aware of what to look for.
Thank you!
B.
