Juvenile diabetes

[jj2]

Today my family got some bad news. My granddaughter has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.
As grandparents, RW and I are very upset but my daughter is in tears. The only good thing is that my daughter (a physical therapist) and her husband (a physical trainer) already know the importance of exercise and they long ago became “healthy eaters.” They will only have to make minor adjustments in physical behavior and diet.
The hardest part of this will be the monitoring of blood levels, the shots, and dealing with a five year old.
Anyway, I’ve been madly reading everything I can find on the subject today.
If you have any information you think is pertinent, please feel free to share.

[Katmar]

Tell them to look into Vitamin D3. Conclusive studies have come out regarding juvenile diabetes and vitamin D deficiency.
Good thoughts are with you and your family.

[JustMeAgain]

JJ,

I don't know a lot about juvenile diabetes, but a friend of my daughter was diagnosed a few years ago (she was a teenager) and has since progressed from shots to an omnipod and for her it has been a tremendous improvement.

You may have already run across info about the omnipod, but just in case you haven't here's a link:

OmniPod Insulin Management System

I understand that there have recently been huge advances in research and that a cure could come in the near future.

Hang in there and good luck!

[Safira]

jj2, I am sorry to hear this. It's not easy, but they do have many wonderful advancements in the treatment now. If she's lucky maybe she'll go through a honeymoon period. (my DH is type 1, has been since he was 12) This is when the body seems to go back to "normal" but really it's just the last cells letting out what little they have left. The nice thing is she'll have time to adjust. Please, please if this does happen explain to her what is going on. DH at 12 thought he was cured. It was "gone" for 9 months and then finally did come back. He thought he had done something bad and was being punished.

Make sure she knows what a beautiful sweet girl she is. After she gets settled a little they will probably have her on a pump. I really recommend them, they are a God send for managing BS. Most now have colored skins, and I know I've seen someone out there that makes bags to hold the testing stuff in that is made with really cool materials. (its a girl'y thing) Anyway, I'll see if I can find the link for you, they are really cute and much better then that boring ugly black bag you get.

If you ever need to chat just send me a note. It's not easy to be a kid with diabetes but it is a better time. They are learning so much more about this disease.

Hey found the link to the cute bags. http://stickmedesigns.com/shop/index.php?cPath=1 Maybe a little expensive for a 5 yr old, but maybe other ladies here would appreciate it. (sorry guys no camouflage)

((hugs))

[jj2]

Thanks all, I appreciate the info.

[Rsunset327]

My wife hates when I bring it up but have them check out her milk/dairy intake.

Google "Time Magazine" milk and diabetes.

I can't do urls

[sjohnson]

Type 1 is caused by an autoimmune response by the body that attacks the beta cells of the pancreas, eventually wiping them out or crippling them permanently. So the body loses its ability to produce insulin.

Insulin is the "key" used by body cells to transport glucose into themselves. In type one, no insulin is present so the cells all "starve" and begin demanding more glucose. This is why blood glucose levels rise so high in a diabetic. The glucose is present in the blood but cannot enter the starving cells.

By going on a pump system, the pump can be programmed to very nearly mimic natural pancreas insulin levels throughout the day and night. This is a background level and is set by time of day by the doctor and diabetes specialists to match the diabetic's personal rhythm.

Also, each diabetic needs a specific amount of insulin to balance out carb intake during meals and snacks. This is also programmed into the pump to match a patient's needs. The nice thing here is that the pump calculates the insulin bolus based on the measured carb intake of the patient.

My son's A1C went from 10 to 7.9 in less than a month after starting the pump. He had to test more frequently at first, but testing is now back to 4-5 times daily. He was diagnosed at age 7 but I've been lucky in that he's managed his condition quite well on his own since the start.

An artificial pancreas may be as close as 5 years or so, but until a drug can be found that suppresses the autoimmune response and stem cells can be coerced into becoming beta cells there will be no cure. In fact, given the probability that some kind of med will be needed to suppress the autoimmune response, I don't think even that qualifies as a cure but it sure beats the heck out of the alternatives.

[jj2]

Right now they are doing the shots and testing five times a day. Our (Grandma & Grandpa) Xmas presents are there already. After ten pokes (what they are calling the test and shots), she is rewarded and is allowed to open one---bribery yes, but eliminated the loud crying when it came time to be poked.
It’s a good thing we got carried away because there is enough presents to carry them through until Xmas and still have some to open Xmas day.
The best news I can hear now is that there is no trouble regulating the insulin.

As for the pump, do they put that on a five year old?

[Safira]

jj2 I've seen very young kids at my DH's Dr.'s office with a pump on. I would think it would be easier for a young child than the shots. From what I've observed (through classes DH and I go to) it seems like they wait a while before putting anyone on the pump. Her body needs to settle down 1st and it could be a year before they will do the pump. I just know some of the parents I've talked to/meet with, at classes it sounded like there kids had been diabetic for about a year before they started the process of getting them on the pump.

They also have pens for delivering insulin. It may make the process of her giving herself a shot easier. (or less stressful)

She's young she will probably adjust to her new lifestyle faster than figuring out her insulin needs. Once you get over that 1st step it really becomes easier and easier.

good luck,

[sjohnson]

...
The best news I can hear now is that there is no trouble regulating the insulin.

As for the pump, do they put that on a five year old?

On the contrary, some patients have extreme trouble regulating the insulin/blood sugar relationship.

My son's A1C was classically high even though he, I, and all the medical staff checked the balances regularly. He even spent a week at a diabetic summer camp where only medical staff calculated doses and meals were strictly planned and measured. He had his same typical occasional low and numerous high BS levels that characterized his diabetic experience.

Yet, we knew other Type 1's that were able to manage fantastically normal BS levels on only one injection of insulin daily.

Only when my son was switched to the pump did we get a handle on normalcy. Every patient is different, that's what makes diabetes challenging to manage.

As far as the pump, I do believe the docs will want to analyze your granddaughter's specific needs for a period of time before going to the pump. There is no age restriction AFAIK. Some insurance companies do not allow claims against the pump and/or the special education and programming needed to use it. Ours covered the pump but not the diabetic education needed, so I spent $800 of our savings. I can't say enough that it was well worth the expense.