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Original poster

Could this be diabetes?

84 replies

Mincepiedermama · 20/12/2005 19:19

My ds1 (nearly 6) has always had big reactions after eating sugary stuff. (Going wild or feeling sick).

Over the past few weeks things have got worse. He keeps on feeling sick (and has been to quite a few parties recently with party food). He's generally very down. He's pale with dark circles under his eyes and he needs to wee a lot.

I'll take him to the doctor tomorrow.

I'm thinking diabetes. Does anyone have experience of this?

OP posts:
AChristmasCarolinamoon · 22/12/2005 21:54

oops, just re-read my first post - when I said it's ok for an adult, I just meant it's not someone else's responsibility (parent or school) to make sure you take the right amount of insulin, as it is with a young child.

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 22/12/2005 22:34

Thanks very much for the book recommendations and the links. I'll follow them up.

I wonder if any other mumsnetters have experience of this?

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gingernut · 23/12/2005 01:07

Spidermama, there was this thread a while back, but I don't know if Bagpipes posts any more.

HollyLogos · 23/12/2005 05:36

Hi spidermama, sorry to hear that ds1 does in fact have diabetes. My best friends son was diagnosed 18 months ago at (then) 8 years old. He learned to cope with it very quickly, measuring his blood levels and injecting himself. He also learnt very quickly to recognise the signs of hyper and hypo.

He's managing very well indeed. In fact he now has a permanent insulin pump into his tummy which makes life much easier (he can eat not so 'appropritate' foods now and again)

I am sure my friend would be willing to chat to you if you wanted, the only problem being that she left this am for Xmas hols and won't be back until 2 Jan. CAT me if you want to and I'll pass it on. I actually posted on here for other parents at the time because she was desperate to talk to other mums going through this.

I do hope that you are OK - it is a terrible shock when your suspisions are confirmed. I hope ds1 will be home very quickly, do you have other children? My friend has 3, her ds2 has diabetes and is the middle child.I hope you manage to have a happy and healthy christmas altogether. Do contact if you would like to speak to her. x

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 13:47

Hollylogos, thanks very much. I will CAT you as I'd love to be in contact with other parents.
My ds2 is five. I have four children and he's the second born. We're hoping he'll be home in time for Christmas and they say it depends on my confidence with getting his routine sorted out (including the injections and meal planning).

Gingernut thanks very much for the thread. I'll have a read of that now. x

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Kittypickle · 23/12/2005 13:57

Spidermama, so sorry to hear this. If you'd like a different perspective on this, my DH was diagnosed when he was 7 and I'm sure he would be very happy to help in anyway he can. A friend's little boy was diagnosed a year or so ago before he started reception. He had a honeymoon period (which I guess they've told you about) and is now well controlled and things have been OK with the school dealing with it.

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 21:12

Hi kittypickle. Thanks. I'm interested in people like your dh who have been living with diabetes from an early age. How is he doing> Is he often ill? Do you worry about complications?
Sorry if I seem a little green. It's quite scarey at the moment.

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Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 22:09

The nurses say his blood sugar level is still too high despite the insulin. They've upped the dose but now I'm really frightened.
What does this mean. They seem confused so how the fuck am I supposed to feel?

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followthestarlover · 23/12/2005 22:14

oh sm so sorry to hear about your little boy

i don't have much knowledge about diabetes, but a lady i worked with had it and in the 3 years i knew her they were still trying to work out her insulin!
think it's fine now, and hopefully it won't take as long for your ds...
but from what i could see, to start with it can be trial and error in getting it to an appropriate level. they'll alter it and then see how he goes, and then review and maybe alter it again and so on and so on..

hope they get it figured out soon! will he be home for christmas?

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 22:15

We had been aiming to get him home tomorrow night but this may well be a setback.

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followthestarlover · 23/12/2005 22:18

oh poor thing... well here's hoping he's out tomorrow!

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 22:18

Thanks.

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geekgrrl · 23/12/2005 22:18

sm, you must be so worried and upset.
Fingers crossed for your ds being home for Christmas.

hoXMASchick · 23/12/2005 22:32

do you know what his blood sugar levels are spidermama?

AChristmasCarolinamoon · 23/12/2005 22:33

SM, I guess they want to start off with a fairly low dose and see how he does with it - too high and you risk a hypo (which they would be able to cope with, you'd just prefer it not too happen when everyone's still getting used to the diagnosis).

Like someone said earlier, there's often a "honeymoon period" where some of the insulin-producing cells seem to bounce back for a few months before packing in again, so I think it can be hard to tell at the start how much insulin to give, because it varies between individuals.

Hope you get him home for Christmas.

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 22:38

Thanks you two.
Hoxmas earlier on today his levels were around 21 I think. He's on 5 units of insulin and they've had to give him an extra shot tonight. I'm still hoping they'll let him come home tomorrow but it seems to be a setback.

OP posts:
AChristmasCarolinamoon · 23/12/2005 22:38

oops, just read down the thread and realised starlover's already said the same thing .

AChristmasCarolinamoon · 23/12/2005 22:39

Poor little mite. Is he feeling a bit better in himself now?

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 22:41

He feels fine in himself. A bit angry that he's having to go through all this but really keen to get home for christmas.
He's well physically, and emotionally he seems to be processing things slowly. He doesn't like the jabs and can't quite believe he's got to have them every day now for life.
I wish I understood why his sugar is up.

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followthestarlover · 23/12/2005 22:43

bless him... it'll all be second nature though soon enough.. just one of those things you do, like brushing your teeth etc etc!

is he at the royal alex?

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 22:45

Yes he is starlover. That's a great thing for me as it's just a fifteen minute walk away or a five minute drive. DH is still there now with him because of this extra complication. I want to be with him early in the morning for his first insulin jab so I should be asleep but there's absolutely now way I'll manage to sleep at the moment.

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Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 22:47

I want to run to the hospital now and be with him but I have the baby here and the others. It's a bad feeling.

OP posts:
followthestarlover · 23/12/2005 22:47

good that he's so close! i had my tonsils out there when i was 8! lol there was a big rocking horse

you should tell him that we all think he's VERY brave!

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 23/12/2005 22:48

The big rocking horse is still there. He had a go on it. It's almost full size!

OP posts:
hoXMASchick · 23/12/2005 22:48

21 is pretty high, but he's certainly in the right place. it's so hard with little ones, getting the dosage right. i do hope he's home for christmas.

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