Double the Dose

My daughter was 7 yrs old and loosing weight, thursty, and tired. Staying with her grandmother during a school holiday she got a little sick and my mom tested her blood sugar (My husband was also T1 and grandfather T2 so there were meters around). Her initial reading was 591. I worked for a Dr so he called the children's hospital and got her an appointment that very next morning and got dosages of insulin to give her for the night. The following day we went in for the official diagnosis. Fast forward 17 months to June of 1999, 3 days after my son's first birthday. He and I go to bed at 9pm, wake up at 1am soaked! I assume I forgot to change his diaper before we went to bed. Made sure to change it the next night .. Same thing. Grabbed a meter and his initial blood sugar was 487. Beginning of summer and the Doc was away at diabetes camp. We called her office and treated my son as per there protocol until 2 months later when he actually saw the doc. His first A1c was 6.4 (normal tops out at 6.3) We caught it as early as anyone could.

My children are now 23 and 15. Both have been diabetics for most of their lives. At home, I was the odd man out as the only one without diabetes. Both have grown into great kids and aside from the common issues with teen diabetics, we've had NO problems, NO hospitalizations, nothing. I am truly blessed in every way. Diabetes doesn't get the better of us.

Suzanne Helt
St Paris, OH