Calling Spidermama: Diabetes

[LillyPink]

Hi

Posted a few days ago about dd drinking and weeing a lot and my suspicions were confirmed, she is diabetic.

Have been in and out of hospital all weekend, and things seem very wierd at the moment, we are trying to adjust to this news.

Her b/m was 30 when she was admitted and the nurse said she was amazed she was so lively!

Would love to talk to you or anyone else with diabetic kids for reassurance and advice etc!

I hope you don't mind me posting here again, my nephew went for his appt with a paedetrician after a high glucose reading. It turns out he doesn't have diabetes and the Dr that referred him was just being over cautious.

Hi Kid.

That is very good news, and re assuring for you that the doctor was over cautious. What was the reason for the high reading then?

The glucose reading was 6.1, the paedetrician said they wouldn't usually be concerned unless it was 11 or above. I don't know what a normal reading should be. They also checked his spleen, liver and kidneys and everything seemed fine.

Hi lilly. Your meter looks similar to \link{http://www.bayercarediabetes.com/prodserv/products/contour/index.asp\my ds's} but a different make. I'll have a look in Boots as we could do with an extra one.

The weeing and drinking thing would only be a worry if your dd's readings were consistently high over a period of time lilly. You're right to test for keytones though. My ds has had keytones again, a few weeks ago when he was ill, but he's fine now.

I met the mums group through the diabetic team. They put me in touch with a woman who's son's the same age as mine and she invited me along. I was almost moved to tears to see ds hanging out with other diabetics and talking about the condition. It really did him good.

I've started work so my dh is doing all the morning monitoring and injections at the moment. So far so good.

Hi guys - RachD here- I posted before- about easter eggs, but should have told you about my name change - assumed you would realise it was me - sorry.

Was REALLY pleased that Sm got a lot out of the 'meeting other diabetics' - I knew you would Sm !
Lets hope Lilly, gets sorted on that front soon too.
It is REALLY nice to talk to people who understand, isn't it?

Interesting about what monitors you have.
I have a freestyle mini and it is pretty good.
Speak to you both soon.

Hello Oblomov. I like the name.

cheers spidermama

Obolomov - re read your post and its obvious that it was you!! lol.

I was thinking the other day, SM, that there would be a few more mums on here with diabetic kids. Well, maybe there is but they don't want to post or something?...

How are your sons readings lately? Have they settled down now? DD is on antibiotics for a chest infection and was quite unwell Sat, but it didn't seem to affect her readings thankfully.

'Oblomov' even (!)

I've been thinking about this honeymoon period thing, and I'm a bit confused actually. Let me see if I have this right: The pancreas still produces some insulin therefore insulin levels may need adjusting as it would lead to hypos?

When it stops producing, sugar levels will rise and therefore need more insulin???

DD hasn't once needed her insulin amounts adjusted, and has only had a handful of hypos. Her levels are generally between five and seven, with the odd higher ones but no higher than eleven.

The nurse said to expected to see her levels rise gradually. I'm a bit confused tbh.

Hi Lilly,
sorry to crash your thread when you're obviously getting good support, but as my dh is an insulin dependant diabetic and has been since age 10, and I also studied Biochemistry at uni, I think I may be able to help.

Some people with type 1 diabetes still produce some insulin, to varying degrees, and some don't. My dh takes over 100 units of long acting and short acting insulin every day as he produces next to none. This amount has risen gradually over the years.

It sounds as if your dd's insulin regime is fine atm. Her doses may rise in the future as her natural insulin production decreases, but this can happen over years.

Your dd's levels sound really good. You're doing a great job :)

My dh leads a totally normal life despite the occasional hypo. I'm glad to say he hasn't had a major one for a couple of years as usually he can recognise the signs and have a sugar hit. He goes through phases of being good and not so good with his control and sometimes gets p*ssed off with the constant monitoring, but on the whole he deals with it very well. At 38 he has none of the possible side effects as yet.

HTH

Thanks TangerineCath - please don't apologise for posting, every bit of info and advice is really really appreciated

I just feel as if I am waiting for something to happen, almost.

Its great to hear that your dh has it under control so much. Has he always had very good control over it? I am already worrying about when she is a teenager and her hormones are making her levels go crazy. (Shes only five!!!)

I didn't know him as a teenager so I can't really say for sure, but from what he tells me he did go off the rails a bit with drinking & partying etc, no more than any other 18 yr old but with his diabetes it was harder for him to recover from the hangovers! Fortunately he hasn't done any long term damage. He hardly drinks at all now though as the hangovers are so bad, which is handy as he generally drives :).

His consultant at the time was the old fashioned type who put the fear of god into him as well (If you don't control your diabetes you will die a horrible death) which was a little over the top but I think it was always in the back of his mind that he had to be careful.

I suppose it will very much depend on the severity of your dd's diabetes and her temperament when she is older.

It's only natural that you would worry about the future now as she has only just been diagnosed and you're still getting used to it, but I'm sure that as time goes on you'll just see it as part of everyday life and worries of the future will just be the normal ones of every parent.

Really nice posts tangerinecath.
As Lilly says, please don't appologise, for 'gatecrashing' - which its not - I know it looks like a conversations between sm, lilly, & I - but its not a closed conversation - honest - and we are really enjoying contributions from others.

thanks Oblomov :)

Good posts tangerinecath and welcome to the thread. The more people I hear from who have experience of the condition the better I feel.

Lilly your dd's readings sound great. Well done to you. Is she a good eater then?

My ds is a good eater but his readings are nothing like as stable and never have been. He's had some wild readings over the holidays so far and we just can't quite work out why. His diet is really good.

He's got his appointment with 'the team' today. In fact I'm just about to leave the house with him. He has written a load of questions to ask them and he'll also have the coeliac test today. I'm absolutely terrified at the possibility. I'm not even allowing myself to think about it until we get the results.

He's calming down in terms of his emotions now, which is great. I've just bought some more GI and GL type cookery books to try to get his readings more stable.

I'll report back after the hospital visit.

Well he had the blood test for coeliac disease today and I'll have to wait until after the bank holiday for the results. His overall reading (can't remember what it's called, but glyco-something-or-other test in which they get an average reading for a three month period) was 8.2, which isn't as bad as I'd thought it might be.

There was a poster on the wall about a new method of BM monitoring. A sensor is permanently in the tummy continuously monitoring so you can get a better overall picture. I don't think it's readily available yet, but it's great to know things are happening.

Lilly our local dietician does a walk around the supermarket taking us through GI and GL friendly foods. I've signed up for the next one as my new diabetes posse recommended it.

Keeping my fingers crossed for your ds coeliac result SM. Try not to worry about it and enjoy the bank holiday weekend if you can.

That bm thing sounds interesting.

I would say that his average level sounds really good. Is it a blood test that they do?

That walk round the shop with the dietician sounds great too. I'm going to join our nearest support group, so hopefully will meet some more people there.

Thanks, TC for answering my questions.

I'm glad to hear your ds is better emotionally, dd seems Ok with it all at them moment, and was even checking up on me in the supermarket! She questioned the sugar content in a few things that I bought.

I got her an easter egg today too, its only a small one and it came with a toy so hopefully she will be pleased with it. Did the same for her sis too.

Spidermama - the three month test is...an Hb1Ac - they call it - gives, as you said, an average blood sugar - ds's was pretty good.
Diabetic specialist, ime, place ALOT of significance on the Hb1ac -it tells them a lot- as as you said.
Sometimes your sugars and swinging all over the place, over a period of a few months. And then I dread going to have my Hb1ac done. But funnily enough, especailly when they have been varied, they come back better than when you've been stable - which makes you feel a lot better !!!!
Lilly dd, sounds as though she has incredibly balanced sugars, that don't swing to the extremes - so her Hb1ac should be very good.
Must dash, back later.

Hi all

Have you had ds results yet Spidermama? Hope they were good.

Easter went OK-ish for us. The plan was that DD waould only have one easter egg (from us) but a few well meaning friends also bought them too!

She has got a bit upset that she couldn't gobble them, but got over it quite quickly. She was upset again yesterday about having diabetes for the rest of her life. to be honest I feel rather down when I think about her having to inject herself and monitor her blood forever too.

I told her life isn't fair sometimes and we talked about children who were in wheelchairs or in hospital all the time, and she soon cheered up and said she would rather be diabetic!

Her readings were very odd yesterday. She was going on about having some easter egg, so I gave her a small amount after breakfast, knowing we were going out so she could 'walk it off'.

Anyway, a couple of hours later she was 3.2! Its so confusing.

PS SM - what does your ds have to boost him up at school before PE?

Well yesteray was an odd one. Her level was 6 before brek.

School called me and her levels were 19. We tested her again at school when I got there and they were 24.7 They hadn't been that high since first diagnosed.

So we walked home and I tested her when we got back. She was 5.6. So I presumed that maybe the tester at school was damaged somehow.

So, got a new one anyway and we done a test at school this morning with both monitors. New one said 8.8 and the old one said 7.5!!!

I'm at a loss. Surely blood sugar levels can't rise and fall in such a short space of time????

ps hope everythings OK SM!! Feeling a bit lonely on here!!!!

bumping for Spidermama

Have been reading up on coeliac disease and am feeling a bit panicked. Did DS get the all clear? According to what I read a high percentage of child diabetics have it even if they have no sypmtoms yet. Did you have to request the test? God that would be the icing on the bloody cake

Hello lilly,

Sorry. I've missed you updates. I've been posting less these days as have started work again. Just a quickie to say we have just had the test results back and they're negative. WHOOPEY!!!!!!!! I'm so relieved and I must admit I'm surprised. I was bracing myself for the worst.

Must go. Baby pulling my arm, shouting and smelling rather unfragrant!

hi Spidermama

Great news about the results, you must be so relieved

Work? Whats that then?!?! I feel like I have never been to work (well OK its been five years now!!) Are you full or part time? Must be difficult with the little one too.

Had a bumpy couple of days here. DD had bad asthma yesterday and has been put on abntibioitics for chest infection and soluble steroids to help the asthma. The steroids push sugar levels up, so were in to 'new tterritory last night!!

Actually used (on advice of nurse) the quick fix pen, 2 units. It certainly done the trick. A bit too much if poss as I had to wake her in the night to eat a biscuit as she went too low.

Seems to have settled more today but I upped her morning insulin by one unit. I didn't know whether to be more worried about the diabetes or the asthma!!

Also the stupid f*ing pharmacist gave us sugary amoxicillin and stupid me didn't check until I had gave her some. I had checked the prescription but didn't check what he gave us Anyway, we took it back and swopped it.

What a weekend. Me and Dd2 have a cold aswell!!

Have a nice bank holiday, hope your ds is still doing ok levels wise!!

Spidermama/Oblomov

if you are diabetic, are you more at risk of catching colds/bugs etc? Or no more so than a non diabetic?

Just wondering.