My son was just diagnosed with Type I diabetes

[RAM]

My little boy, my pride and joy, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes 2 days ago. Yesterday his mom and I went to the clinic to learn how to administer insulin and monitor his blood sugar. I'm sure it doesn't surprise anyone, that with a 5-year-old boy, he's terrified of needles...well, then again, I know of very few people who are NOT terrified of needles!

He's obviously scared, and his mom and I (his mom has remarried since our divorce) are not exactly happy...it's probably more accurate to say we're scared for him and feel awful that he is now insulin dependent!

I'm sure our feelings are completely normal. I've been doing some research on websites such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and other sites to arm myself with knowledge. It's not making it much easier, as the consequences from having diabetes can be severe if not properly managed, yet with proper management, he can lead a full and normal life. His doctor went so far as to say it's quite possible (and perhaps likely) a cure may be discovered in his lifetime, given some of the new findings by researchers.

Anyway, support is always good so I wouldn't turn that down, but I'm also looking for how others have dealt with it and what it's been like, either by having diabetes themselves (both type I and type II), or by having a loved one with diabetes.

I appreciate your thoughts...

[sublimestylee]

Thats tough at such a young age. My younger brother was diagnosed with type 1 when he was in 7th grade, the first few months were very challenging, but after that everything fell into place and everything has been going pretty good since then. Just always keep an eye on that blood sugar and things will be ok. I wish the best for your little guy

[rr5025]

Dunno if its ok to use but my ex had diabetes since she was probably 10 or so (don't really remember) but she had an insulin pump so she didn't do the whole injection thing. It was also movable i believe, sometimes she had it on her *** and other times her chest. That might be a good thing to look at.

[rap138]

Originally Posted by sublimestylee

I wish the best for your little guy

+1

[bassmanandy]

I'm 20 and have had type 1 since the age of 2, take good care of him and everything will be fine , e-mail me if theres anything you want to know

[NickMarinelli]

RAM:

I was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes back in 1977 at the age of 14. A little older than your son, I know, but I think I can share some insights with you which may help you out.

First off, check with your Endocrinologist and see if the insulin pump is an option. If he is scared of needles, than sticking him once every two or three days will go over much better than three or four times daily. Also, if you get one with continuous glucose monitoring, you won't need to constantly prick his fingers for blood tests. FYI, here is a link to the system I will soon be put on:
http://www.medtronic.com/our-therapi...ment/index.htm

I don't know if you have other kids or not, but if you do try not to indulge them with lots of sugar-filled junk. As a matter of fact, try to remove all of the sweets from the house. At 5 years old, he won't have much willpower to resist sneaking these treats. It doesn't mean he's weak or bad; just that he is young and doesn't really know any better. As he gets older you can relax this rule as his willpower gets stronger. Also, if possible, include him in all activities that you have with your other kids.

Finally, when I was younger I did not take good care of my Diabetes. As a result, I now go to dialysis three times a week, deal with a lot of gastrointestinal problems, and recently had my left foot/ankle amputated due to infection. Not a lot of fun by any means, but totally preventable had I taken care of myself better when I was younger. Instill in him the importance of keeping good control of his blood sugar and eating a proper diet. This will give him the best chance of avoiding a lot of the bad things which can happen.

Good luck!

[lexxmexx]

I remember reading a recent internet article that there is going to be a cure for Type 1 diabetes. So don't worry so much about it.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by lexxmexx

I remember reading a recent internet article that there is going to be a cure for Type 1 diabetes. So don't worry so much about it.

If anything there will be a cure for Type2 long before Type1. Tho there is a lot of viable treatments and possible cures coming up. A lot of research in this.

I'm very interested in the study of this (currently trying to get into some PhDs studying it).

My father and grandmother have (had in the case of my grandmother) T1DM. So I'm used to the disease, it has been around me all my life. Got my father out of a hypo solo at the age of 6 or 7, so been pretty in the know for a number of years.

Def. get him into the habit of controlling it pretty strictly. There are a lot of serious consequences for running close to hypo or hyper glyceamic. From heart attack, stroke to blindness and neurophathy.

Quite an interesting one (slightly on topic) about neurophathy is they may have a highly effective treatment soon. In the form of a methylated version of an immunosupressive drug (no longer acts as an immunosupressor, but has the unexpected bonus of practically reverting neuropathy.

Make sure to keep pretty regular with your diabetic specialise and to try different insulins if you have any additional problems.

Another interesting thing I read recently is that over half of people with Type1 diabetes have had it kicked off by a viral infection (can't remember which virus it was). But obviously there are other ways to be predisposed to this disease.

Also, I'm sure you wouldn't, but please don't fall for any homeopathic stuff, your lad can't produce the hormone insulin, nothing can replace that. Tho I've seen people trying to sell that you could, seriously dangerous thing to play with

All the best for you and your son, it will be hard, but I am sure you'll all be ok

[Gordon of Eden]

Originally Posted by lexxmexx

I remember reading a recent internet article that there is going to be a cure for Type 1 diabetes. So don't worry so much about it.

Obviously waiting for this cure is a bad idea. Diabetes is a very pro-active affair.
I'm sorry you all are going through this but trust me, with a little patience and alot of dilligence and effort, taking good care of his diabetes will become 2nd nature. It's not a sentence, just a call to make some changes in the way you live.
I was diagnosed at age 26 (now I'm 46) and I was an still am afraid of needles. What I realized was that the pain, discomfort and possible complications of un-contolled diabetes was much worse than the treatment. Alot for a young guy to deal with I know but with your help he will be able to adjust his mindset and properly take care of himself.
Things like the insulin pump can be amazing in his treatment but I truly believe people should learn to use needles properly and not fear them.
The most important part is blood testing. I test at least 4 to 6 times a day and adjust my insulin intake accordingly. I take fast acting insulin 3 to 5 times per day and use a slower insulin before bed. Once he learns how his body reacts to insulin and diabetes in general he will develope his own regimine that will work for him.
Watch out for low blood sugar as well, keep lots of glucose on hand. There is so much info so feel free to PM or email me, I'm happy to help.
Dave

[RAM]

Thanks to everyone for your awesome support and knowledge! I wish everyone who has to manage it, either for themselves or for a loved one, the best wishes I could offer.

So far, the hospital has us calling each day about dinner time to check in. They've already adjusted his nighttime dose from 3 to 3.5 units of the long-acting insulin. It's definitely an adjustment.

Fortunately, things seem to be better with him than with me! He knows to pick which finger gets pricked. Tonight he played a practical joke on me...he screamed when I gave him his dinner time shot. Then, when I took out the needle, he looked at me and started laughing, saying it didn't hurt! Little bugger!!! I want to cry every time I think about it, but he's pretty cool about it!

The hospital gave him a teddy bear that has diabetes and patches on his body where he's allowed to get injections. After I gave my son his injection tonight, I let him give a shot (of air, of course) to the bear!

An interesting side-note: his mom and I are probably on better terms than ever in the last couple of days! Her husband (who I like to begin with) is an incredibly organized guy who took copious notes during our lesson yesterday and has been keeping great records that he was able to share with me. They gave me a list of foods they've found he likes that are diabetes-friendly.

As far as the homeopathic stuff: I understand some people are happy to partake, and that's cool...just not for me, particularly with diabetes. I'm a firm believer that checking blood sugar and administering insulin is long-tried-and-true, so why mess with it?

As far as a pump goes, his doctor said he's too young yet, but it will be an option when he gets a little older.

Again, thanks so much for all your support! As a parent, I have to say his health and well-being comes before even my own! To see such a young little guy with such a serious condition with so many serious potential complications is really overwhelming! I'm going to be as disciplined as I can to help him manage, and I'm grateful he's got a mom and step-dad that are equally diligent.

By the way: the diagnosis was basically his 5th birthday present. His birthday was Tuesday, and he was officially diagnosed on Wednesday.

[RAM]

I've got another question...I realize this is far more individual than not, but I'm curious about the low blood sugar thing. Obviously it's a concern. But, how often have you experienced such low blood sugar that you had to do something immediately, such as eat candy / drink juice / or worse...been unresponsive where someone else had to inject you with the emergency needle? Is it primarily a function of not taking your insulin as recommended? Is it something that happens to everyone with diabetes? Is it common?

[popinfresh]

Hey mate, try look at it positively!

A have a fair few diabetic friends, most are over the top hyper and friendly people, great to be around and always a laugh (I know it's a generalisation but hey). Plus, my close friends who are diabetic go away on camps to help younger diabetic kids and teach them all about it, look at sending your son to one of those if you have one in the area. They seriously have a blast. I've never once heard them being down about being diabetic as well.
Plus, needles and things are becoming a thing of the past.
It's definitely no light hearted matter, but it's hopefully not going to stop your son achieving any of his goals in his life.

Oh, and if your son is pretty cool about it, best thing you can do for him is be the same. Look at activities and groups for diabetic children, and outings like those camps.

[allexcosta]

Sorry to hear.

My uncle controls his type 2 with an herb called pata-de-vaca. You may want to do a search on that.
Also, it seems that ketogenic diets such as Atkins or South Beach may be of some help.
Finally, ask your doctor about using Metformin with type 1.

I know type 1 is an auto-immune disorder, but some of the info above can be helpful.

Also, auto-immune diseases can somehow be psychosomatic, so you may want to look at that.

Best wishes...

[metallicafan18]

Hey, I'm 15 and I have type 1 Diabeties as well. I was diagnosed when I was in 7th grade. I think I was 13.

I'll be more than glad to help out with anything. I know how hard Diabetes can be, but I'm still able to go out and have a good time and enjoy life. You just have to be a little extra cautious.

Anything you were wanting to know? I'm more than glad to help.

[EricF]

I don't have much to say other than I hope your family adapts to this new situation as quickly and easily as possible.

[Dirk Diggler]

As far as low sugar goes it will become quite obvious. Clammy skin, generally loopy reactions, wanting to remove clothing, odd tongue motion. The person is usually unaware of what's going on including not remembering after the incident.

Go to your pharmacy and get dextrose tabs and some of the squeeze tube dextrose for emergency situations. Milk can also be very handy.

Last advice and I know it sounds horrible, but consider getting him on a transplant list for a Pancreas. It's very delicate organ and they can take a long time to get a good one.

My girlfriend was diagnosed with type I when she was 7, and she's 40 something now (she'd kill me if I actually told her real age). She's now on dialysis and on the transplant list for both a Kidney and Pancreas.

Good luck, it's not a fun thing for anyone involved and it will be a major change for everyone. But it is very deal-able and once you get in the swing of it will become second nature.

One last thing, tell everyone you know to consider organ donation. There are way too few people doing it these days, it is truly the ultimate selfless gift to a stranger. Just sign the back of your drivers license.

I wish you and your family the best.

[doktorfeelgood]

I was Type 1 diabetic for about 14 months in the early 90's due to some medication my doctors had given me that had the lovely added side-effect of shutting down my pancreas.
I was shooting insulin twice a day for those 14 months and had to totally change my eating habits. But I was able to get it and adapt to the point where it just became a routine.
I was EXTREMELY fortunate that 14 months later, my pancreas miraculosly started working again and so far has not given me any more problems. I'm really sorry to hear that you beautiful young son has been diagnosed with this but as you related the story about him faking the pain with the needle stick, kids have a way of immediatly adapting to a situation where they don't get emotional they just get on with it whereas the poor parents are the ones that turn into basket cases. But you definitley need to be firm with him about what he has to do every day to monitor his blood sugars and what he can and cannot eat. Not to mention carry around some kind of glucose tabs if he starts to get too low. And it will happen. It happened to me when I had gotten off of my routine one morning and went for a walk without having my usual morning piece of fruit for a snack and when I got about 3/4's of the way thru the walk and had expended all of that energy, without having anything in my system to keep my blood sugars up, I started to feel really dizzy and could not walk another step. Fortunately I didn't pass out and I sat down on the curb and took out the glucose tablets that I was fortunate enough to have taken with me that morning and I ate 3 of them quickly. I was OK in about 5 minutes. It was very scary and I made a point to never get off of my routine again. And I never went anywhere without glucose tablets. Getting all the sugar related products right out of the house is something you should do. There are so many products on the market now that are diabetic friendly that he's lucky in that respect. As he progresses thru this, eating all of those foods without sugar will become second nature and he won't even miss the other stuff. It sounds like you're a pretty intelligent guy and that helps a lot because it can get complicated at first. But just pay attention every minute and you'll be fine and so will your son. And do not be afraid to ask your son's physicain any questions that come to mind.
I would like to wish you and your son the Best Of Luck. )-(

[popinfresh]

Originally Posted by RAM

I've got another question...I realize this is far more individual than not, but I'm curious about the low blood sugar thing. Obviously it's a concern. But, how often have you experienced such low blood sugar that you had to do something immediately, such as eat candy / drink juice / or worse...been unresponsive where someone else had to inject you with the emergency needle? Is it primarily a function of not taking your insulin as recommended? Is it something that happens to everyone with diabetes? Is it common?

As I haven't lived through it personally, I can only give accounts of friends.

It does happen, my mate would often get low when playing sports. We used to play hockey and he'd sometimes get to the point where the couch was screaming at him to get off the rink but he couldn't hear him as he was in his own world. He'd finally come off, have some jellybeans and a juice box and be on the go again.
Obviously it's not great for his health when things like that happen though.

[metallicafan18]

I usually get a low sugar once every 2 weeks. My sugar's lately have been extremely high lately, so a low sugar is rare for me.

But in my 3 years of having Diabeties, I have never been unresponsive and have been given the emergency insulin. I can tell when I have a low sugar, so I can treat it before I get to low that I pass out.

My symptoms of a low sugar are shakiness, I get loopy, I don't know here I am, and I get dizzy.

[hubcaps]

Originally Posted by allexcosta

Sorry to hear.

My uncle controls his type 2 with an herb called pata-de-vaca. You may want to do a search on that.
Also, it seems that ketogenic diets such as Atkins or South Beach may be of some help.
Finally, ask your doctor about using Metformin with type 1.

I know type 1 is an auto-immune disorder, but some of the info above can be helpful.

Also, auto-immune diseases can somehow be psychosomatic, so you may want to look at that.

Best wishes...

I am sorry but that is very bad and dangerous advice.

You can't lump type I and type II like that. Insulin is absolutely needed for type I. Not to scare you but with bad management one could go to DKA which could lead to a coma. I'm a pediatric ICU nurse, and the only time type I kids come in are when they are poorly managed. Fortunately, with good management people with type I live relatively "normal" lives.

FYI, Atkins and South beach aren't ketogenic, they are low carb. Ketogenic diets are for neurological disorders like epilepsy. Ketogenic diets can skyrocket your blood glucose.