Type 1 Diabetes

[nickers]

I took my ds2 to the doctors today because a few things have been concerning me.
his random vomitting, but with no fevers or illness
increased thirst
weight loss (he has lost 900g in 3months)
very poor appetite

dr took his blood pressure which was low 88/59 (norm for his age should be around 115/76

he sent us for a blood test and said he may have diabetes.
It was a shock, i was not expecting this, still hoping he may not have it but have to wait until the BT results come back tomorrow.

so i just wanted to ask if there is anyone out there who has a child with Type 1 diabetes??
what did this mean to your, child and family....im freaking out about it and have done nothing all day

[jaspen]

Hey Nic - hope you get some answers as to what is up with your little man and hoping its not as drastic as Diabetes. I don't have first hand experience with any of my children having Type 1 (dad has Type 2 but wouldn't consider them the same) but have had numerous close friends and relatives whose children have been diagnosed with Type 1 - usually around the age of 4 - so if noone comes on with direct experience I am happy to help answer anything you might want to bounce around that I know about.

[skybie]

hey hun, not sure if ur on FB or not but if u are theres a group called australians livng with type1 diabetes, plenty of mums and dads on there for support should u need it.
Keeping everything crossed that its not diabetes,but should he have it, he'll be just like any other little biy and be able to do everything his friends can do!
as much as i hate having it, i couldnt imagine my kids having it
lots of hugs
xxxx

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

My sister was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 18 months. There's only a few years between us, so I don't remember a lot. I remember Mum and Dad had to go to Diabetes Education Classes, and they were shown how to take her blood sugar twice a day and inject her with insulin. The insulin amount isn't preset, it depended on what her blood sugar was, so they were taught how to work out how much she needed. They were taught what kind of foods she should eat/avoid, and how to recognise a high/low blood sugar without a tester.

Every year when she started a new grade, they would take pamphlets in to the teacher to show them the basics of diabetes, especially the signs they needed to watch for to tell them if she was having a high/low blood sugar. When she was first in school, I remember Mum gave the preschool teacher a jar of liquid glucose fir if B ever went low.

Ah, I oughta stop there, it sounds scary! It didn't effect our lives much, I know B was a bit embarrassed about it as she got older, because she was different to everyone else. She learned how to do her own blood sugars and needles at around 10. She had a few hospital stays, but nothing huge.

I know it seems scary, but if your son does have diabetes, you will get a lot of education and support. It's not as scary as it sounds

[organic-girl]

How terrifying for you!!!! I really hope the tests are negative but google 'food matters' there is a link on there that directs you to information about reversing diabetes without medication.


---------
Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

YOU are what YOU eat!

[Yael]

My niece is type 1, she was diagnosed at age 4. Her symptoms were thirst, and havinbg lots of accidents because of this (my SIL had a baby 3 weeks before this, this all happened in the week my DS was born) which at first my SIL was thought was from attention becuase she was going and getting the drinks herself.

Apparently a lot of times a virus precedes it, which seems to knock out the insulin producing ability of the pancreas. I think my niece had gastro or something a few weeks before.

They had a lot of ups and downs with it, mainly because my niece is a very strong willed individual and things like physical exertion can affect sugar levels, and in children they can swing rapidly. She has a peg in, which directly delivers the insulin, but I think my SIL still has to monitor her ongoing.

My close friend was just diagnosed with type 1 at age 30 (her mum was diagnosed at at 48), but it is easier for an adult to monitor it.

I don;'t think it is easy, no medical problems are, but as far as things go if it is managed well there shouldn,t be terrible long term health effects and they will and an live a long and happy life and not being restricted from things. You don't want your child to have anything wrong with them, but if they are going to have something more serious, then this seems to be on the better end of the choice to have IYKWIM?

[skybie]

How terrifying for you!!!! I really hope the tests are negative but google 'food matters' there is a link on there that directs you to information about reversing diabetes without medication.
!

Before i get incredibly furious!!! how niave are u??? u CAN NOT reverse type 1 diabetes!!!!
Nickers please do no believe this bull, IF your little man has got it, it is NOTHING u have done wrong in regards to food/ excersize ect, his body for whatever reason has attacked the beta cells (insulin making cells) in the pancreas, these do not regenerate, EVER. this is why type 1 diabetics die without insulin replacement in the form of injections/ insulin pumps.
Nickers im sorry for getting mad, but its this kind of thing that gets everyone confused about the difference between the types of diabetes and everyone thinks anyone who has type 1 just needs to eat better and excersize more when this is absolutely not the case!

[PumpkinZulu]

How terrifying for you!!!! I really hope the tests are negative but google 'food matters' there is a link on there that directs you to information about reversing diabetes without medication.


---------
Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

YOU are what YOU eat!

Um. You know that there are two types of diabetes, and that type one has nothing to do with lifestyle, right?

[~Hestia~]

No personal experience but have my fingers crossed that it's not diabetes

[Laranna]

How terrifying for you!!!! I really hope the tests are negative but google 'food matters' there is a link on there that directs you to information about reversing diabetes without medication.

Are you for real?!?! You can't reverse Type 1 diabetes! You might want to check your facts and don't believe everything you read on the Internet.

Nickers must have been a real shock but you will have lots of support xx

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

hun, am hoping the results come back negative, hopefully no matter the outcome you can find a way to manage his symptoms and get him back to 'normal' asap.
FWIW hun if it is Type 1 diabetes there is NOTHING you could have done, no diet or exercise regime would stop him getting it.
Again just hoping everything comes back negative and you can find whatever else may be causing it.

Just a bit of info re: TYPE 1 & TYPE 2
Type 1 diabetes differs from type 2 diabetes in several important ways. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease where the body still produces some insulin but is not able to use it properly. It can often be managed with diet and lifestyle changes, though insulin is sometimes required. Type 2 diabetes affects more people – around 700,000 Australiansvi - usually those in middle age or beyond.
Once a patient is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which cannot be prevented, they will need lifelong insulin therapy to stay alive. - Taken from the JDFR Fact Sheet

[Traveller]

I've no personal experience but one of the student nurses I am studying with has type 1 diabetes and as we have been studying it she has shared some of what she has experienced. Because she was diagnosed young she doesn't remember any difference which was one big advantage for her. It is just her way of life and she doesn't miss out on anything as a result of it. It is a very common disease nowadays which means there is a lot of research being done on the disease but at the same time there is a lot of misunderstanding (as demonstrated above with the suggestion that diet can reverse type 1 diabetes).

Diet will be a factor in the management of the disease if your child does have it, but so will blood glucose testing and insulin. Type 1 diabetes means the body cannot produce its own insulin so unfortunately there is no way to manage it without injections, but controlling the carbohydrates in the diet can help limit the amount of insulin required.

If your child is diagnosed then there will be a diabetes specialist nurse who can take you through all the treatments and the future that lies ahead. Please be assured that although this sounds really scary, with proper management your DS will be fine. But I really hope it is not diabetes

[organic-girl]

Before i get incredibly furious!!! how niave are u??? u CAN NOT reverse type 1 diabetes!!!!
Nickers please do no believe this bull, IF your little man has got it, it is NOTHING u have done wrong in regards to food/ excersize ect, his body for whatever reason has attacked the beta cells (insulin making cells) in the pancreas, these do not regenerate, EVER. this is why type 1 diabetics die without insulin replacement in the form of injections/ insulin pumps.
Nickers im sorry for getting mad, but its this kind of thing that gets everyone confused about the difference between the types of diabetes and everyone thinks anyone who has type 1 just needs to eat better and excersize more when this is absolutely not the case!

Harsh much? I did misread and thought it was type 2, however there are PLENTY of curable diseases that are deemed 'un-curable' I'm not sure what this case is with type 1, I know it is with type 2. As why I pointed it out. medication in a lot of circumstances is not always the answer and ppl should make an informed descision. I'm sorry OP that I misread, I can understand how finding out such an illness with a loved one feels.


---------
Leah and Dan
Lucy 5
Minnie 2
Pippi due 29 sept

YOU are what YOU eat!

[melbel]

I can imagine you must be very stressed right now Nickers.....try and remember to take some time to breathe hun. Type 1 diabetes is a big thing, I know, I have had for 32 years diagnosed at the age of ten. If you want to talk to people who have children with type 1, KimB on here has two children with type 1 and there is also an excellent australian forum for parents of type 1 children called "muntedpancreas".

You know where to find me if you have any questions.....I will be hoping and praying that all the test results are negative.

[Smoke Jaguar]

Oh, Nic - like you and the kids haven't been through enough in their short lives
As some other posters said, he will adjust to the new reality and it WILL be his reality. I had a friend at school who had T1 and it was just normal for her to get her insulin. Other kids accommodate it, too - no-one at school ever thought it was weird, or a point of difference worth commenting on, so it's not 'social death'.
If any child is gonna have T1, they'd wanna have a mummy like you

[nickers]

Firstly thank you everyone for replying.
we had a really bad nights sleep last night, i kept waking as dh was really restless, then woke again when he went out of the room, i went and checked where he got to and he went to sleep with Tyron....
i was then awake for the next 3hrs just thinking........

The best news today will be if its NOT diabetes, i will wonder why we have been worrying all day and night.....but some of his symptoms really dont add up so it will leave the question to what else it could be??
my only other thoughts would be if it comes back he has really low iron, because he hasnt been eating, could low iron lower your BP??

Organic girl - from everything thing i have read up so far about Type 1, is there is no cure....there is a foundation trying to raise awareness and lots of money to help find a cure, but it is only managable through daily insulin injections.... i got very emotional last night when i watched some video's on youtube with children living with Type 1.
I'm sure if he does have it i will battle ppls conceptions about diabetes daily.....last night dh rang his mum to chat and told her, she herself has type 2, she immediatley connected the 2. Type 2 is not hereditry i dont think, type 1 can be but also can come in someone with no family history of it, we do not know anyone in either side of our families who have type 1.

i guess i cant speculate how our lives may change until we get the results back, so fingers crossed for good news today.
I have my OB appt at 130pm today, scared to hear news before my appt, but also want to know asap..........

Maya- so sweet thank you
thanks again girls

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

hun, take it as it comes and know there are so many people here to support you no matter what happens, if that means getting together info on Type 1 diabetes then so be it, if it means hunting down a million different answers to find out whats happening if it's NOT then we will be there to do that too.
Don't forget to mention to your OB that your worried about your DS, it could explain any increase in BP and why you may seem distracted while there (if you are that is).
If you get a chance hun take some time out, have a some chocolate and just try not to worry until you know more.

[sloane]

i have everything crossed that you get some good news today