Hi everyone! My name is Kelly, my daughter was diagnosed a year ago, just 2 days after her 3rd birthday. The week leading up to her diagnosis she seemed to be comming down with a cold. She was still potty training and had a few diapers that leaked through during nap time. On the night of her Birthday, a Thursday, she was extreemly irritable, we thought WOW bIrthday overload. The next day she was sent home from daycare for vomiting and with what was suspected to be a stomach virus, it was going around.
That night my husband and I slept in the living room with her trying to keep fluids down, giving her gingerale (not knowing) and keeping a close eye on her. By the next morning she had started to keep some fluids down, I called her pediatrician at 8:30 to let them know what was going on and they said, keep an eye on her sounds like maybe the virus is making its way through, but if anything changes we are here until 2.
Shortly after that things started to change, all of a sudden her words didn't make sense and she looked off. I thougth, no i don't like this, I'm taking her to the Dr, i packed her in the car and called the pediatrician on the way. In the 10 minutes it took to get to their office, her breathing had become a bit labored and she did not look well at all. I walked in holding her, the NP came in looked at her, didn't examine her and said to me 'OK, I am going to call Winthrop and you are going to head to the ER".
On my way to the ER, still thinking that my poor baby was dehydrated and how was I going to handle them sticking an IV in her to hydrate her.
When we arrived at the ER, I ran in with her in my arms, at this point she was lathargic, barely awake and her breating was extreemly labored, all this downfall in less than 2 hours. They took us right into the pediatric ER.
EVERYDAY I THANK GOD for the attending physician that was on that day. As I walked by with her he asked the nurse to get a blood sugar. While others were already checking my daughter out and already determing they were going to need to start a line, the nurse came over with this huge hospital meter and all it would register was "CRITICAL HIGH" It was at that moment the Trauma Team arrived and I didn't know what was happening.
Before I had time to think, the Dr grabbed my with both hands and said, "It is 99% likely this is the onset of diabetes, and she will be ok".
Every Dr. in the ER was working on my little girl, trying to get an IV started, trying to get an actual Blood Sugar, she was so little and so dehydrated they were having trouble and finally the Dr went right into her vein, no asking, he needed to save her life, AND HE DID. Her blood sugar was 975.
The incredible doctors there did their jobs incredibly, at no point during our stay did I even know that my daughter was listed in gravely critical condition, I found this out later from family. They just worked dilegently to save my daughter.
We later found out that they did have her worried, they weren't sure she was going to make it, but she was a little fighter. We were told that it was likely that a virus had caused the sudden onset, though she would have developed at some point.
When all of this happened, something else in me took over, becasue I didn't really CRY until a few weeks later. I just focused on learning everything I was going to need to take care of my daughter.
And now, a year later, I ask DOES IT GET EASIER?
Some days we go through so many strips determining is this her being a 4 year old or is this a low/high? We have battles about food, I know thats normal with any 4 year old but it can't just be she'll eat when she's hungry, she needs to eat.
And you could wake up with the same #, have the same breakfast, the same insulin dose, the same activity and one day your next check will be ok and the following off the charts.
My daughter is in daycare full time, and they are wonderful about it, but sometimes its hard because eveyone else isn't watching her for symptoms like I watch her. I have educated many of their staff, but theres always the fill in. Everytime the phone rings when I'm at work and I see the daycare number my heart skips a beat.
I find it difficult sometimes to come up with meals that she will eat.
I know people say it does get easier, and maybe I am just venting a little, and for that I thank anyone who does read my whole rant. I guess I am just looking for someone who understands.