Its been forever since I have been on Juvenation. Lots of things going on here. We have had 3 (of our 4) children diagnosed with Type 1 within an 18 month period. I am Type 1 as well. All 4 of us are using insulin pumps too. 3 of us are on MM and 1 is on an Animas Ping. I am working towards getting the ping changed over to MM. Its ironic how all of our diabetes is different but yet the same. I just hope and pray that I am a good diabetes role model to my children. Because Lord knows I have been diabetic so long that I have learned the tricks to get around some things. The kids and I do a majority of our testing together.
OMG, I don't know how you do it, but I guess a person can do anything when they have it. That sounds smart to streamline testing, pump companies, etc when it's possible.
Hang in there! I'm sure you're a wonderful role model for your kids.
Welcome back Regge, it sounds like things are under good control there. You will have to look up Meri here, there are three type 1 diabetics under her roof, as I recall. I think she has her own website where she shares their story.
We are very glad to see you back here again :o)
Just making it through one day at a time is an amazing feat, and we're all proud of you for doing it for 4 people. Congratulations! If we can help you in any way, just let us know :o)
Wow... There seem to be a lot of people on here that are diabetic and have diabetic children, or have multiple diabetic children. I was always under the impression that type 1 was, for the most part, not genetic. Is that wrong? Or is it environmental? I know that no one knows for sure, but... does anyone know more about this subject? Regge, are there a lot of other type 1s in your family or your town?
I find this really interesting because there is no one in my family with type 1, other than a second cousin (is that what you call the child of a cousin?), whom I just met and doesn't live anywhere near me. I know 2 other people in the town that I grew up in that are type 1 (though of course that doesn't mean there aren't more).
I have to give you a lot of credit, Regge. You and your kids must be amazingly strong people. :-)
I was always told that Type 1 hits like a bolt of lightening in a family. I don't know if it is genetic. We have a family of Type 2s. My maternal grandmother, maternal aunt, my mom...I was originally dx as a Type 2 when I was 19yo. I had the classic Type 2 b/c I had rapid weight gain of 65lbs in 1.5months due to Depo Provera birth control. It wasn't until I had a stroke that I developed the Type 1 or Type 1.5 really b/c I have alot of insulin resistance. The kids...I have no idea what happened. I can't think of anything environmental. They all had viruses right before diagnosis that it probably stemmed from.
The last visit we had on the 13th with the pedi endo she said she has a family with 7 children of which 4 are diagnosed with Type 1. Last May when we participated in the Tour de Cure there was a family with all 4 kids diagnosed at different ages. So I don't know the factors that played in this.
But I tell you what it has done in my life is it made me really think about what is important in my life. Petty things don't bother me much but making sure my kids have their insulins and doctor appointments is what consumes my thoughts. One of my sisters that has distanced herself is going through alot of petty drama and all I can think of is how she really doesn't understand the real part of life and taking the "real" stuff in consideration. My life is good and I wouldn't change it at all. The kids' diabetes has helped me take care of my own diabetes a little more each day.
I tend to think that it's either genetic or viral, or a combination. It seems like most of the type 1's I've met are the only ones in their family, but then I met a woman in our area who has three children, and all three are type 1. This makes me think that for some it's very heavily genetic, and for others it's either totally viral or maybe there is a small genetic component.
In my family we've never had a type 1, but my paternal grandfather and his parents were all insulin dependent type 2's from a reasonably young age (my great-grandparents both died in their early 50's and my grandfather was diabetic since maybe his late 30's - he lived to near 90). My husband has a sister who is type 2, but she has been morbidly obese (I hate that term, but it's the only thing that applies) since her 20's, so that's clearly the cause. I don't really think there's a link between type 1 and type 2, but maybe genetically people can be predisposed for either or?
Regge, I feel the same way! After a diagnosis of Diabetes, (my daughter), I look at things differently. Those little things that used to really bother me seem so insignificant.
One funny example...my boss came into the office, and said, "Wow, you already have a dent in your new car! Aren't you angry?" I told him that the dent happened AFTER Sarah was diagnosed, and since then, things like dents just don't really bother me too much!
I have been told by more than one endo that it is genetic in the way that autoimmune disease in general is related to other auto immune disease.....I was misdiagnosed as type 2 because of my age/weight at diagnosis but we couldn't control with oral meds and I lost 100lbs that first year because my A1C went up to 15.2 So when I switched endos, she asked me: do you have anyone in your family with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Crohns, Thryoid issues, Celiac disease (or do you have any of those she asked) As soon as I told her my mom has RA, I have 2nd cousins with Lupus and Crohns, she sent me to get the GAD antibody testing and confirmed her thoughts: type 1, autoimmune So she said the relations with those disease increased my odds of any autoimmune which tells me there is some genetics involved.... sorry for rambling but wanted to share what my doc said (and another endo since then) in case it was of any use! :-) I also recently read a statistic (now I have to find it) that a mother with T1's children have a 5% chance of being T1 (thats not taking into account if dad is genetically predisposed to T1 or autoimmune either!)
Regge, your outlook is awesome, I almost had a panic attack when I read the title and was hoping you were a college aged person with diabetic roommates (at least that'd be easier than being the mom and supervising all the eating and testing) You definitely are up for the mom of the year award!
3 diabetics under one roof here. My dad is type 2, my little sister and I type 1. At first I didn't thing having siblings that were also diabetic was very common, but now I am beginning to think otherwise?
It's genetic. This has been shown in identical twins. If one is a T1 diabetic, the other has an 80% chance of also being diagnosed.
Since there's not a 100% chance, it's not TOTALLY genetic - there is also a trigger.
So.......people are 'predisposed' to diabetes. If they encounter a trigger, they get it.
I Googled this topic last year and found that approximately 70% of the T1 diabetics in the US do not have another T1 in their family, or among their relatives. T2 is much more likely to be genetically based than T1. There was a very long discussion in the T1 forum on another D site. The title of the discussion was "What Do You Think Caused Your T1?" (That might not be the exact wording.) The great majority of the replies named viruses and other factors, rather than genetics.
Some of you are saying it can still be genetically based, even if there is no family member or relative with T1. I had not heard that before. Interesting!
Have any of you had a child, or yourself, tested for the gene that would predispose T1? I told my son in Atlanta that he could have my grandkids tested. He and my DIL decided not to do that. They don't want to know. There is no T1 on his or her family trees.They feel safe.
My dad's side of the family has a history of type 2 so I'm sure my brother, sister and I are all predisposed. It is the "trigger" that I find so strange! When I was diagnosed, I was almost ten, where my sister was barely three. But my older brother has never had any signs of it. I guess its just luck of the draw.