Monday, April 4, 2016 ( sorry these first few posts are all out of order :) This was written just a few weeks after diagnosis
I have so many posts to get caught up on, but I feel the need to do an educational post about my son and his type 1 diabetes. If there is 1 thing I have learned in the last few weeks, its that the world doesn't know much about the disease. I have had so many questions since he was diagnosed! Things like, "oh, so did he just eat to much sugar?" Or, "if you change his eating habits, will it go away" I have realized that people get type 1 and type 2 diabetes confused!! Nothing we did or didn't do could have caused or prevented Parker getting Diabetes. People, (including myself at first) don't understand the diet side of it either. They link diabetes with sugar, which I guess makes sense, but its the carbs that we pay attention too. I have an amazing neighbor who my kids all call Grammy, and she always gives the kids a butterscotch candy. After Parker was diagnosed, she gave all the kids their piece of candy, and then gave Parker an apple :) It was so sweet of her to think of him that I didn't have the heart to tell her then that that apple have 3 times the carbs than the piece of candy did! In the diabetic world, we pay attention to the "Total Carbs" on the nutritional labels. This included the carbs and sugar in the food.
The way the body works, is it takes the carbs that we eat and they break down into sugar. The pancreas pumps out insulin to break down the sugars and keep the bodies blood sugar levels in a healthy range. When you become type 1 diabetic, your pancreas quits working and basically dies. It no longer produces insulin. With no insulin in the body to break down the sugars, the bodies blood sugar levels continue to rise, eventually causing organ damage and eventual death if left untreated. .In a type 2 diabetic, the pancreas can still function and produce insulin, it just doesn't because it is sick. Usually with proper diet and exercise it can be reversed or at least managed.
There is no cure for diabetes yet! I have no doubt there will be in Parker's lifetime. Our daily routine with Parker starts with a blood sugar test when he wakes up in the morning. Usually his numbers are great (between 80-180 is normal) He has had a couple low blood sugars, and in that case we give him some sugar to bring it back up to a normal range. A low blood sugar level is dangerous too. It can cause seizures, and diabetic comas. People often go contentious until they either get their blood sugar level up, or eventually could die.We have to count the carbs in every meal and give him insulin for the food before he eats. Between meals, we test again to make sure his levels are staying in a healthy range. If he wants a snack, its the same routine. We test his blood sugar every 2-4 hours. He has another type of insulin we give him before he goes to bed that helps keep his levels steady though the night. We have to take things like exercise into consideration with his blood sugar too. It can drive his blood sugar low or sometimes even high with physical activity. We now carry a little camo bag with all his insulin and testing equipment with us everywhere we go. We have a journal that we log every blood sugar number and every bit of food he eats. We have to keep in mind when traveling, the snacks and drinks he can have and how long we can go without testing again. We have tested and given insulin in a restaurant already and I snickered as I noticed the people around us watching. :)
We are learning how to give Parker all the foods he use to have and how to control blood sugar levels in the meantime. We cut out a lot of the sugary foods though, and he has yet to complain. We still have a cookie or muffin or ice cream once in a while which I think he appreciates all the more now :)
The signs and symptoms of diabetes can be hard to notice too. Our story is very rare!! The majority of children diagnosed are only found out once they become so sick that they are admitted to the hospital.Things like unquenchable thirst, and frequent urination are big symptoms. When they have to to go to the bathroom. there is very little batter control. This eventually causes weight loss. They could have fatigue, blurred vision, or headaches. These are all very common things in little kids so they can be written off as nothing. I hope that if anyone reading this post has any doubts about these symptoms, they will have their child's blood sugar levels tested. This is a very simple finger prick and 1 drop of blood.
I hope as I learn more, I can continue to educate people about this disease! I am so grateful for a very involved husband and father who is always super supportive in Parkers care. I am so blessed that Parker is doing so well!!
The way the body works, is it takes the carbs that we eat and they break down into sugar. The pancreas pumps out insulin to break down the sugars and keep the bodies blood sugar levels in a healthy range. When you become type 1 diabetic, your pancreas quits working and basically dies. It no longer produces insulin. With no insulin in the body to break down the sugars, the bodies blood sugar levels continue to rise, eventually causing organ damage and eventual death if left untreated. .In a type 2 diabetic, the pancreas can still function and produce insulin, it just doesn't because it is sick. Usually with proper diet and exercise it can be reversed or at least managed.
There is no cure for diabetes yet! I have no doubt there will be in Parker's lifetime. Our daily routine with Parker starts with a blood sugar test when he wakes up in the morning. Usually his numbers are great (between 80-180 is normal) He has had a couple low blood sugars, and in that case we give him some sugar to bring it back up to a normal range. A low blood sugar level is dangerous too. It can cause seizures, and diabetic comas. People often go contentious until they either get their blood sugar level up, or eventually could die.We have to count the carbs in every meal and give him insulin for the food before he eats. Between meals, we test again to make sure his levels are staying in a healthy range. If he wants a snack, its the same routine. We test his blood sugar every 2-4 hours. He has another type of insulin we give him before he goes to bed that helps keep his levels steady though the night. We have to take things like exercise into consideration with his blood sugar too. It can drive his blood sugar low or sometimes even high with physical activity. We now carry a little camo bag with all his insulin and testing equipment with us everywhere we go. We have a journal that we log every blood sugar number and every bit of food he eats. We have to keep in mind when traveling, the snacks and drinks he can have and how long we can go without testing again. We have tested and given insulin in a restaurant already and I snickered as I noticed the people around us watching. :)
We are learning how to give Parker all the foods he use to have and how to control blood sugar levels in the meantime. We cut out a lot of the sugary foods though, and he has yet to complain. We still have a cookie or muffin or ice cream once in a while which I think he appreciates all the more now :)
The signs and symptoms of diabetes can be hard to notice too. Our story is very rare!! The majority of children diagnosed are only found out once they become so sick that they are admitted to the hospital.Things like unquenchable thirst, and frequent urination are big symptoms. When they have to to go to the bathroom. there is very little batter control. This eventually causes weight loss. They could have fatigue, blurred vision, or headaches. These are all very common things in little kids so they can be written off as nothing. I hope that if anyone reading this post has any doubts about these symptoms, they will have their child's blood sugar levels tested. This is a very simple finger prick and 1 drop of blood.
I hope as I learn more, I can continue to educate people about this disease! I am so grateful for a very involved husband and father who is always super supportive in Parkers care. I am so blessed that Parker is doing so well!!
testing his blood sugar with dad.
didn't even hurt!
first successful low carb pancakes!
The older 3 kids have all learned to test his blood sugar.
Super excited to have a banana split for Easter dessert! And his sugar levels did awesome after!
He has made the 100 club a couple times now. Its just fun to celebrate when his blood sugar is a even 100!
He loves to show people his "I have type 1 diabetes" bracelet
We have had insane support!! A total stranger from one of the diabetes sites I belong to on Facebook, sent these to Parker. He was so excited
Enjoying a low glycemic protein bar! He love them!!
We have had a few failure moments too! As hard as they have been, they push me to keep trying until I get it figured out! I refuse to allow Parker's world and childhood to change anymore than needed!!
He is such a rockstar and I love him!!
He is such a rockstar and I love him!!
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