By Amy DeMay, MSHA, Coalition Administrator
Your child has been complaining of being very tired all of the time; in fact, there have been no arguments about bedtime in several weeks. During the day, he comes into the kitchen and drinks water by the large glass multiple times over just a few hours, and is even asking you to stop and get something to drink while you are out. He’s been ravenous with his meals, and wanting to snack often in between, telling you he is “Sooooo HUNGRY, Mom!” but he is a growing boy, so maybe this is normal? However, he seems to be losing weight at the same time… Not being sure of all of these changes, you contact his pediatrician and they see him, run some tests and give you a diagnosis that you had not ever thought about… Your child has Type I Diabetes, a disease where your child’s pancreas does not produce the necessary insulin that helps deliver blood sugar (glucose) from the blood stream to the body’s cells for energy.
Where do you start? Having your child receive the diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes can be overwhelming. There are many things to learn about, many new actions that need to be taken daily and there is the awareness that you cannot be with your child 24 hours a day to monitor his or her actions.
But there is good news in all of this… Although there is a lot to learn in the beginning, there is also a lot of support available for you so that you can help your child with learning to manage this disease and have a quality life, just like other children. With new advances in technology, counting carbohydrate intake, monitoring blood sugar levels and managing insulin has become easier which can give you peace of mind.
Looking specifically at the support system you will need, you will start with a team of healthcare providers – an endocrinologist who specializes in diabetes care (or a diabetologist), a certified diabetes educator, and a registered dietician, preferably one trained in diabetes care. This team will help you and your child create a plan to keep your child’s blood sugars in a healthy range by determining the healthiest diet choices and timing for meals, the amount of insulin needed, delivery routes for insulin and what tools will you use with your child to test blood sugars. This team will help you with the medical treatments needed, but there are also practical considerations that impact the lifestyle of the child and the family… like changing your typical shopping list and having different types of snacks and food in the house, to incorporating daily exercise into the family’s routine and how to feel comfortable that your child is okay, even when you are not around to monitor him or her. Those discussions are often best had with a support group made of other families who also have a child with Type 1 diabetes. They often can be found by connecting with your local healthcare systems, or by connecting with local organization such as the Diabetes Coalition of York County (www.diabetesyork.org).
You will also be learning about different types of insulin, from rapid-acting insulin to intermediate to ultra-long-acting insulin and various types in between. Your healthcare provider team will work with you and your child to determine the best methods of delivery, which might include a syringe with a fine needle and a vial of insulin, or it might be an insulin pen that is pre-filled with insulin and has a dial to set the amount of insulin needed. Or, your provider might determine that an insulin pump is the best method, whereby a small device containing insulin is either worn or surgically placed under the skin to deliver insulin when needed.
To determine the amount of insulin needed, your child will need to have his or her blood sugar tested. Testing might be done in the morning, before each meal, before bedtime and possibly even during the night. There are a variety of ways this can be done, including the traditional finger stick and use of a handheld glucose monitor. Newer technology has also allowed for continuous glucose monitoring devices that are attached to the body and placed just under the skin, which allows for blood sugar monitoring regularly with notifications sent to an app on yours and/ or your child’s phone or smartwatch to show an increase or a drop in blood sugars out of the safe range. Some of these systems even connect directly to an insulin pump so monitoring and management can all be done continuously and instantaneously.
The biggest way that one has some control in this situation is by ensuring your child has a healthy diet and is getting regular exercise. Ensuring that foods provided to your child include a healthy balance of fruits and whole grains, mixed with lean proteins and vegetables will help your child’s body manage blood sugar levels. Getting out and getting some exercise, from joining a child’s sports league, like soccer, baseball or bowling to playing active games outside with the other kids in the neighborhood like tag or kick-the-can, to doing things together with the family like going on a bike ride or taking a walk, all can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels as well as a healthy lifestyle. It is important to note that children in the age group are referencing the actions of their parents, so making healthy choices yourself, both with your diet and your exercise levels, can help your child learn to make good choices too. Be sure to make these efforts as a family to help your child have the most success possible with managing this disease. The family as a whole will benefit from these choices in the end. Working with your team of healthcare providers, you can learn about the diet choices and receive ideas and suggestions for creating a healthy lifestyle for everyone.
If you would like to learn more about Type 1 Diabetes, please check out our video resources on our webpage, www.diabetesyork.org Our Coalition and its members are here to provide support to you and your child in managing Type 1 Diabetes.
