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Original poster

My life has been changed for ever this Christmas.

73 replies

Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2005 21:45

For those who missed the other thread I thought this punchier title might attract your attention.

Four days before Christmas I took my ds to the doctor, along with a sample of wee, because he was tired, ill, very thirsty and weeing all the time. The doctor sent us straight to casualty at the childrens hospital and they diagnosed Type 1 diabetes. They kept him in for three days and I finally got him home on Christmas eve when I'd shown I could be trusted to continue the regime of four blood tests and two insulin jabs every day.

Insulin injections are keeping him alive and he has to have them all his life, along with regular meals and snacks at specific times. I've now got a fridge full of needles and emergency medical stuff just in case.

Phew! I also feel really lucky to have him and to live in a country and in a time which has insulin.

It's a lot to get my head around (and his). He's doing so well and even doing the pin prick finger blood tests by himself. He gets angry though and has outbursts.

I'm already obsessing on information about the condition and feeling a good deal better than I did a few days ago. Still a bit up and down though.

So that's my festive news.

I think this might even qualify me for the special needs threads? Possibly?

OP posts:
popsycalindisguise · 29/12/2005 21:47

oh goodness me!
Glad that you have found out now though!

I am considering taking my ds1 (aged three) t the docs as he is weeing and drinking loads,,,

ladymuck · 29/12/2005 21:47

Oh you poor love (and ds too).

I'm sorry to hear this. Presumably no idea as to why?

LadySherlockofLGJ · 29/12/2005 21:48

All this on top of poonoomia ???

You have my respect...........

BournemouthBaubleBabe · 29/12/2005 21:48

Oh poor little lamb - glad you could get him home for Christmas.

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2005 21:48

Could be that popsy. I was hoping it was just a urinary tract infection but alas.
Good luck. Take a sample of wee when you go.

OP posts:
QE2 · 29/12/2005 21:49

What a rough ride for your ds and for you. It takes a lot of getting used to but you will find you adjust your lives accordingly and it will all become second nature to him. How old is he? A lad in my ds's footy team has diabetes - he is about 12 - and you wouldn't know, he is such a star.

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2005 21:49

They don't know why ladymuck. Heredity is a factor and the current theory seems to believe the trigger is most likely a virus.

OP posts:
moondog · 29/12/2005 21:50

Bloody hell SM!
It's a bit sad and happy isn't it???
What a thing to discover? How old is he??

(Also,how was Christmas with your mother??)

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2005 21:50

He's 5 QE2. Thanks for that. I really need to hear about other older kids who are happy and ... well ... alive and healthy.

OP posts:
motherinferior · 29/12/2005 21:50

Oh honey.

As I know others have said, the one 'good' (hah!) thing with diabetes is that so very much work is being done on it. But that is, I know, a very cold and flabby sort of comfort.

TreeFuses · 29/12/2005 21:51

This reply has been deleted

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ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta · 29/12/2005 21:51

Oh Spidey! I just emailed you earlier to ask how things were - had no idea all this had happened! Am and

Glad you are amassing lots of information - can you talk to other parents in the same boat, I would imagine it would be helpful?

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2005 21:51

Moondog, the situation brought the best out in my mother so I guess that was a silver lining. Christmas was really nice actually, against all odds.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 29/12/2005 21:51

Oh, poor DS - and poor you. I don't blame him for being upset - it's not easy at all. I only have gestational diabetes and I'm 30 and I've still sobbed over it.

Really glad you've found out now - thank goodness for insulin, definitely. He sounds like he's doing REALLY well though - doing the pinprick tests isn't much fun, is it? What a lucky boy to have such an on-the-ball mum though x x x x

moondog · 29/12/2005 21:53

You may at least gain some sort of comfort(??) from knowing that the regime will be part of his everyday routine from an early age and thus arguably something that it is going to be easy to become accustomed to.
(Sorry,so badly put,but hope you know what I mean.)

It is a given I think that in 2005,living a full life with Type 1 diabetes is taken completely for granted.

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2005 21:53

Thanks Franny. I've emailed you back.

Hunker, do you have to inject insulin? What are your blood sugar levels? My ds's was 33 yesterday.
They're still trying to get his dose right.

OP posts:
moondog · 29/12/2005 21:54

Glad that Christmas was good-a massive comfort I'm sure.

XX

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2005 21:55

Yes moondog I think you're right he will have an almost normal life thanks to insulin, although he won't have any sponteniety around the issue of food. There are well known complications (gulp!) but if it's well managed one can apparently reduce the risk of these.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 29/12/2005 21:58

Mine nowhere like that high, SM - no insulin, I'm diet-controlled. My levels range between 5 and 10 now (not sure what they were before I had the glucose tolerance test and was eating all manner of bad for me stuff!).

I was VERY symptomatic though, which makes me wonder whether I'll develop diabetes proper after I've had the baby - I think sugar really doesn't agree with me.

myrrhthamoo · 29/12/2005 21:59

It must be so hard to get your head round, spidermama - I'm really sorry it wasn't as simple as a UTI. You've had a tough year really, haven't you, with being so ill yourself. I only know adults with diabetes but I guess your ds will adjust to it more readily than you will. It's awful - and I would be devastated if it was my child - but it is manageable, and - as you recognise in your first post - you are lucky to live in a country where you can access insulin and information. I hope they get his dose sorted soon and you an get back to (a different, but still good) sort of normal life.

Original poster
Mincepiedermama · 29/12/2005 22:10

Thanks myrrhthamoo. I think I'm due a half decent 2006 on the health front anyway.

OP posts:
Heathcliffscathy · 29/12/2005 22:19

spider....

he's so lucky to have you and you him.

i'm so glad you're both doing so well.

xxxxxxx

QE2 · 29/12/2005 22:21

spidermama - it's amazong what you get used to when at first you think it all seems so daunting. I bet your ds will surprise you at how resilient he is and how well he will cope with it all, on the whole.

My dd was 8, I think, when she had a catheter put through her belly into her bladder and through this she had to wee. At night she had to have this connected to a drainage bag at the side of her bed so her bladder was continuously emptying. I was devastated and horrified at this prospect, but dd took it all in her stride. I was amazed.

Just thought I'd share this with you to show how kids cope.

sobernewyear · 29/12/2005 22:23

I had a boyfriend who was dxd with diabetes when he was about 6yo (not sure what type). His first symptom was permanent thirst and he was put on twice daily insulin injections (which he soon learnt to administer himself) and always carried biscuits around with him. I met him when we were 16 at school and he's now 46 and a father of three children. He was always aware of his condition and although he would get angry occasionally, it has never really inconvenienced him. I'm sorry you've had such a shock but I wanted to tell you a positive story on the subject.

Socci · 29/12/2005 22:27

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