April 13, 2015. 12 days ago, we received the confirmation I had suspected and dreaded. Our oldest son, Cooper, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I had made an appointment for him with our pediatrician after being suspicious of a few symptoms, namely, he had been drinking a ton of water and urinating frequently. The night before our appointment he was up in the night 4 or 5 times. Our doctor immediately sent us to St. Luke's Children's Hospital in Boise for a 2 day stay. (Most kids newly diagnosed with T1D are in the hospital for at least 4-5 days, so we felt blessed to get out of there as quickly as we did.)
In the hospital
I've learned that most people don't know that much about Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Many are familiar with Type 2 Diabetes, but Type 1 is quite a bit different. It is an autoimmune disease that destroys the beta cells in the pancreas. The beta cells produce insulin that allows the body to use the glucose you get from food and turn it into energy. It is genetic disease that requires constant treatment with insulin. It has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. There's no way to prevent it, and while there are treatments for it, there is no cure. Cooper is a growing boy, so unlike Type 2 diabetes, there are no carb restrictions--- except that we obviously want him to eat healthy, as everyone should, and we need to give him insulin for whatever carbs he eats. And just because he CAN eat whatever he wants, it doesn't mean that he should based how high or low his BG levels are, and when he received his last insulin dose.
Cooper never really felt sick. Thankfully I recognized the signs and was able to get Cooper diagnosed before DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) set in. DKA is very dangerous. It's when your body breaks down fat stores because without insulin, your body can't utilize the glucose in your body. This leads to the production of ketones. When ketones get too high, ketoacidosis sets in, which can cause seizures, coma, brain damage and even death. Although Cooper's blood glucose levels were well over 400, he only had a trace of ketones.
Happy to go home after a 2 day stay in the hospital!
I don't know why Cooper developed Type 1 Diabetes. He's a healthy active 9 year old boy. We are a healthy active family. We don't really have any family history of T1D. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine something like this would happen to us. I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I will likely never again get a good night's sleep. Right now we get up 2-5 times a night to check Cooper's blood glucose (BG) levels. Even when things settle down, we'll still need to check him in the middle of the night. The fear of Cooper's BG getting too high or too low is very real: too high leads to DKA. Too low, which we've learned happens SO fast, leads to confusion, diabetic coma and even death.
My life is now consumed with though of Cooper's chronic condition. What are Cooper's BG levels right now? Is he too high or too low? How many carbs are in the snack he is eating? How much insulin should I give him? Is he going to be running around after he eats and cause his BG levels to drop quicker than expected? I'm most anxious when I'm not with him- school, scouts, field trips. I have become a hovering mother who doesn't want to let him out of my sight.
Despite all the worries, I am incredibly grateful for the decision I made as a college freshman to study nutrition and become a registered dietitian. That knowledge is now incredibly invaluable to me. It hasn't changed the anxiety I feel as a mother, but my knowledge of nutrition and how insulin works has made it easier to know how to best treat Cooper. I'm also grateful for a friend and roommate, Brittany McIntosh, for everything she taught me about T1D. Watching her has given me comfort that Cooper can live a full and normal life, and that in time, T1D will only be background noise to both Cooper and our family. There will always be things that keep us on our toes, but I have faith that we can handle it.
I'm also incredibly grateful for modern medicine. 100 years ago this disease would have killed him. There was no treatment. And while there are still risks, we know that if we work diligently to control his BG and keep it within normal ranges, Cooper can and will lead a long, healthy and happy life. I'm determined to make that a reality. We have an amazing pediatric endocrinology team in Boise we're working closely with. There's new research underway to come up with better treatment options, and hopefully one day, they'll find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.
Cooper on his field trip this week- The Old Idaho Penitentiary (and yes, I chaperoned!)
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