On October 9 2005 my son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He was 3 years old. I was visiting my Grandmother in Germany (I live in Canada) when Hayden started to show symptoms. He was drinking and peeing alot, at first I thought it was a bladder infection. After a few days later he started to loose weight so I took him to a doctor as soon as we got to the clinic Hayden started to vomit. In broken english the doctor told me that it was just gastrianits, take him home and give him lots of fluids and get him to eat. So what do I do, I try to hydrate him with ginger ale, apple juice or anything he is willing to drink! The following day Hayden was not responding to me so I rushed him to another clinic with one look and a quick explanation of what was going on the past few days he was rushed to emerge where he was diagnosed and addmitted. Our lives have changed forever. Hayden is now 7 and doing great! But that fear of loosing him will haunt us for the rest of our lives. We will never sleep the same again. We will never eat the same or play the same.
People dont understand this deasease because it is silent. I struggle with this because I really do feel alone. We live in a small town, Hayden is the only child in his school with diabetes. We really dont have anyone to talk to that really understands what we are going through.
The beauty of the internet, Tara...you're not alone out here.
There are a ton of people who have gone through what you've gone through, are going through what you're experiencing, and have already gone through what you have not. Just ask!
In Canada here alone there are over 200,000 people living with Type 1. Of course, they're not all on Juvenation...yet...but give it time...
Thank you for sharing Tara...I am also the parent of a child with diabetes.
Our middle daughter, Baylee (now 11) was attending a week long church camp in the August 07. The leaders told me Baylee had not been feeling so I checked on her during my lunch breaks. That Friday, we picked Baylee up early because she was feeling really bad. We asked her if she was nervous about being in the church play and told her she didnt have be in the play. We thought she had a virus because I also got sick Friday night. Over the weekend, I got better but she got worse so we continued to pump water in her to help flush the virus out. By Monday, I decided to make an appointment for Tuesday because I weighed her Monday night and noticed she dropped 10 pounds...she only weighed 62 to begin (that night I made her sleep with me). As soon as we woke up, I called the doctor to get an earlier appointment because something we really wrong with her. When we got to the doctors, they took us to the exam room, I asked if she could give a urine sample. (Looking back I am very glad I did). The pediatrician thought she also had gastric virus and told me if she didnt feel better in 24 hours to take her to the emergency room. We were checking out and the doctor ran to us up front and showed me some numbers on a sheet of paper (I didnt know what I was looking at). He said they needed to do a blood sugar check...her blood sugar was so high...their meter couldnt read it. He told me I had to rush her to the emergency room because she had diabetes. At the ER, I had to get a wheelchair because she didnt have the strength to walk in the door. Her blood sugar was 698...and in the beginning phase of dka... I am so thankful we asked for the urine test. With diabetes, there is no break...always counting carbs and calculating insulin. Baylee has been on the insulin pump a year in March.
I know you feel alone but you are not alone. Baylee was one of two in her elementary school with type 1...now in 6th grade, there are 10 kids with diabetes. I am here if you need to chat. I live in Richmond, VA.
Never think you are alone we may all be in cyberland but, we can all help you when you need s omeone to talk to! Please keep coming back whenever you need a lending ear. Or type I should say!
Hi I know how you feel when my daughter was diagnosed in nov 2008 I had been back and forth for months saying something was not right with her. Finally in nov I took her to er and we were told within 20 mins so we had to be airlifted to vancouver childrens hospital the docs said if we would have not taken her she would have slipped into a coma very soon. I also live in a small community. I live in Gibsons BC. She is three and the only child with diabetes under 14 on the whole sunshine coast. I wish we lived somewhere else sometimes. How is your son treated at school by the other kids I worry about my daughter being teased or being known as the diabetic girl. Where do you live?
Prior to diagnosis when you know your child is sick, and then find out what it is.. can be really scary. It was for us. Our daughter was diagnosed at 23 months, and it resembled the flu, except for the loss of weight, soaking through diapers, and the increased thirst and our doctors didn't know she had diabetes either. We too, were lucky. As now she is a healthy 5 yr old. Her initial blood sugar was 1076 and they didn't know why she was not in a coma already. I know the feeling and you're right. Unless you live with it, or care for a child with it, people don't really understand even if they want to. It's a lot of work. We live in a tiny town too, and I am so glad for the internet - so I can connect with other parents who deal with the same thing that I do.