Son newly diagnosed type 1

Oh, what a way to start the new year! I'm sorry, but thank goodness you found out what's going on and he's under a doctor's care!

Has the doctor suggested an insulin pump?

Yes, carbs make the blood sugar rise. Carbs are in the obvious food made with flour and sugar, but also potatoes, rice, root vegetables, corn, fruit, and honey. Other vegetables have carbs but in much lower amounts. Meat, poultry, fish generally don't have any. Dairy products vary in amounts. Whole milk has fewer carbs than non-fat, skim or 2% milk.

Since he is on insulin, the amount to inject depends on his blood sugar and his blood sugar depends on the amount of carbs. Fewer carbs in the diet, less insulin to be used.

Activity like sports and walking around in general can lower blood sugar which is why type 1s, especially, have to be careful about going too low since they're also on insulin. Normally, a type 1 should carry glucose tablets or gel which are available over the counter at any store that has a pharmacy section.

The diabetic counselor will explain the use of insulin, I'm sure.

Generally speaking, he (and everyone!) will benefit from regular meals made from whole, natural food. A piece of protein (meat, chicken, fish), salad food, a couple of vegetables and a drink that does not have sugar. Beware of fruit juice and fruit because they have a lot of carbs. Snacks can be something like string cheese, celery with cream cheese or peanut butter, nuts, sugar-free yogurt.

I recommend the book Diabetes Solution by Richard Bernstein, M.D., who is a type 1 himself and also a medical doctor. This book explains diabetes, medication, exercise, food and has menus and recipes in the back.

Also, this website has a lot of information about blood sugar: www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/

There are some type 1 members and I hope they respond to your post. I'm glad you posted and don't hesitate to come and ask all your questions! You might even ask your son if he wants to join and post, too.

I hope he's doing better today!

I would think it's fine to graze as long as he's not eating food like potato or corn chips, popcorn, crackers, candy, etc. Eating carbs like that will raise blood sugar and high blood sugar needs more insulin to bring the blood sugar back down to normal. It's a delicate balance. But the amount of insulin depends on what his blood sugar is, as I said, or what he's going to eat.

I'm not a dietician and I'm not a doctor. I can only tell you what I know about blood sugar and food. I do know that people don't need to eat bread or potatoes for nutrition because we can find all of that nutrition in other food but we are so used to having bread and potatoes that we feel it's not a real meal without it. I grew up eating a lot of bread with and without meals, so I did find it hard to get used to not eating it every day. But dieticians will tell you that you should eat something like 45 gr of carb per meal which will keep any diabetic's blood sugar very very high. So, although what I think and do is not what a dietician told me to do, I was able to control my blood sugar without meds for about five years. I'm type 2.

In any case, you and your son will need to learn about injecting the amount of insulin according to his blood sugar levels, etc., so this is true no matter what he eats. If there's a change in food plan, it's probably best to do it gradually for both mental and physical reasons.

Here is a website that has different forums dedicated to various topics about everything to do with low-carb eating:
forum.lowcarber.org/index.php?

Maybe a satisfying snack could be a slice of ham or turkey wrapped up with a slice of cheese. In the summer I used to smear a little mayo on a large lettuce leaf and put a turkey or ham slice and a cheese slice and roll the whole thing up. Two of those make a tasty lunch.

And, eggs are great! Hard boiled eggs, egg salad, deviled eggs, omelets.... yum

Hmmmm! Mayo puts my sugar up but those snacks do sound yummy Lanie. :)

Thank you MsOuchie! Bless you and Lanie both. I decided to take my young lad shopping so we could read labels together and start learning together.

I think we did pretty good for a start. We got some yogurt with stevia, some wholewheat bread and some crackers that are under 9 grams only. Some lettuce and veggies which I think the lettuce used as a wrap is perfect for him thank you Lanie! I got him some jello with stevia for a treat and cheese strings, lunch meat etc. Oh and some soups. We looked specifically at the carb and sugar counts so I hope we did it right.

MsOuchie I'm on 50 mgs a day right now of prednisone and I don't think I could deal with all this otherwise!!! I will check out the link for the recipes. Thanks so much! I'm sorry you are dealing with RA and type 1. I can't even imagine. Yes lupus is similar in alot of ways. I'm on plaquenil too.

I'm just so relieved we found out too before something awful happened. I'm still nervous that his sugar is so high. Maybe we can skip carbs altogether for a bit or keep them really low? Also I'm grateful that the pen injections are so easy etc.

Lanie, thanks for the link. The boy does not like eggs! He's gonna have to learn to love them lol.

I will digest (pun intended) all this wonderful info you have so kindly provided. Thank you :)

Glad to help Lanie. Thank you for making my link hot. :)

MsOuchie, mine is just a prednisone boost as well pretty much the same as yours. I started before Christmas just to get through it because I started to flare and I'm supposed to taper this week. Which I'm hoping will be ok.

It's been a bad flare complete with an eczema explosion and asthma to boot so maybe that's why my dose has been high. Or maybe I'm just getting fat hahaha. Oh but it's been nice to have this break from the pain!! I hear you!!!

We have to be at the children's hospital for 8:30 this morning to learn more. The Dr said yesterday when I called for my son's insulin dose that we should expect to be there for three days this week.

They gave us a video to watch and it made me start crying. I can't stop crying about this. I just feel like my poor child is now a slave to insulin and his life is changing and I have to stop thinking that way.

As someone who has been sick their whole life and at the drs or getting tests done and on meds I just sincerely hoped my kids would never have a life like that. Not to say my life is dreadful, it certainly isn't. I still manage to work full time in a job I love and enjoy life, I'm usually that optimist that just keeps puttering along. I have a very happy life! I know my son can do the same I guess I'm just a little heart broken that he has to. That he has a challenge to push through like his mom. We want an easier life for our kids.

Maybe it's hormones or the initial shock of it. I'm sure he will be fine eventually just as I'm sure I'll stop the water works eventually lol.

I'm grateful for the replies and to be able to come here and be an emotional drama mamma. Thanks :)

Hello Acquiesce:

How is your Son doing today? Are his blood glucose numbers at all better? Was the appointment satisfying to you and your Son? Does he like his Endo? That’s good that you have 3 appointments this week(okay not with the way you have been feeling), so if you forgot to ask some things, then you can get the answers faster and they can set you up with all that you need sooner. What was his HbA1c? Sorry, so many questions.

Are you doing something special to help your Son feel better? Does your Family have a pet? We’ve always had pets. If any of us weren’t feeling good, sad or upset and even happy, then we’d hug them, talk to them and usually take them outside for a walk like most do. They are a wonderful therapy. You need pet therapy now too. Gosh Acquiesce! It’s okay to cry, including your Son. You were hit with a devastating shock. It’s a normal emotion in such cases and it does give some relief and usually some strength to carry on.

By saying this, believe me, I am not minimizing your pain, fear, worry and work ahead. Just saying that my Parents had 3 little ones(ages 3, 4 and 4) with Type 1 Diabetes to raise plus a non-Diabetic twin. Then one of my first Cousins had 3 little Boys in a row with Type 1. She wanted a Baby Girl but decided she had her hands full with the 3. We know no one in our Family before us who had Diabetes. It makes no sense. I give Parents and other Caregivers of Children with serious/chronic diseases, so much credit and admiration. They have such a sad, full time job. They’re Boss!!

Looks like we were on the same page with the Pred burst. I was going to start tapering today but I had a bad RA day yesterday(the coldest day so far), so I may have to rethink the taper. It’s only 4:00 a.m. as I’m writing this, so I’ll wait until my wake up time and see how I feel then. My Rheumy and Endo let me handle my own dosing of meds since they know that I wouldn’t abuse the medications and I know what I need. I hate taking drugs!

I’m glad that it’s just a burst for you also. Yes, it’s most likely that you are on the higher dose because of the Eczema and Asthma. I sure hope that you will be able to taper successfully. Good Luck to you!
No, we don’t always get what we want especially the good health of our Children sometimes. We wish their pain upon ourselves, so they could have a normal, happy life.

That is great that you feel fulfilled and happy with those conditions on your shoulders. Severe RA, is also a horrid disease. If there was a choice of cures, I’d be right in line for an RA cure. Thankfully, Diabetes is manageable after one gets the needed info and regime figured out. Through the years with RA, I’ve only had a few medications that put me in remission for a while. None of these biologics have worked for me and the side effects are scary too. Years ago, my Rheumy said that I had remarkable stamina. I’m usually cheerful(sometimes a fake smile, like others do) and I usually push through the pain and fatigue to get done what I need to. It sounds like we have that in common.

I remember graduating from high school, heading to the big city and College with such excitement and confidence in the future even with Diabetes. about 8 months after my first Baby was born, I was dxd. with RA and there went much of my happiness, job and so many fun life experiences.

I’m grateful for a Good Husband, our home” , our Kids and other loved ones, medications, pets, plenty of food, enough money to pay the bills and so on. I don’t suffer from Depression like so many do and I feel content for the most part and happy even, when the pain is bearable. Okay, I feel better. Thanks! :)

Sorry, this is so long. You can wake up now. :D Enjoy your day!!

MsOuchie, are you in Ontario too? We just had our winter finally arrive and it's cold! Lol

I'm not sure what hba1c is. But his numbers are pretty much the same. He gets high through the night then lower in the morning. That seems weird to me but I guess I will understand it eventually. We upped his lantus last night and bit by bit his humalog. (hopefully spelled right, ive been calling them "L" and "H". LOL

He's still hitting 16, 17,18 which worries me but he got down to a 7.9. I just can't wait til we get him nice and leveled out but it will take time. Poor fella is so tired. Waking him for glucose tests doesn't help.

His team is awesome and they are totally accessible which is such a relief. Calling the endo every day with his numbers is good too. They answer my questions and I know I'm not alone. He likes the 3 we met so far.

We have two cats and they are snuggle bugs so they help alot, I know what you mean about animals.

I'm sorry you're hurting. I have raynauds too and cold urticaria (allergy to cold temperatures ), arthritis (not ra), enthesopathy etc so I know what you mean about the cold hitting you hard. My heating pads are my best friends lol. Oh and Epson salt baths... Ahhhhh! Relief! Even if it's only temporary ;)

I agree you must have amazing stamina!

So we have a meal plan now and are trying to match his insulin with his carb intake. I was surprised that they approach it that way. I thought we would try to lower his carbs so more insulin wasn't necessary but maybe that is something we can do once we know how his body reacts to different foods.

I hope you feel better!

Yes Acquiesce, I am in Ontario. It was a bit warmer today and it will be still warmer the rest of the week/weekend. Thank you! I felt better today, since it's warming up again. I started my taper.
Did you?

Cold urticaria (allergy to cold temperatures)? I hadn't heard of that one before. I have secondary Raynauds but not Cold Urticaria. I cuddle with Hubby if he's around. Otherwise, I use my heated bean bags. Hmm! I should get a heating pad. Sometimes the core of my body feels so cold. It takes me quite a while to thaw out. :D I usually have a low body temperature. Do you? 94.5 f - 96.0 f.

I figured you were in Canada, Australia or the U.K. because of the mmol you used. Does your Son see his Endos at Sick Kids or CHEO? He's Special to have 3 Endos. I only have one. :) Sweet that he has the Team working for him. Good to know that he won't be left hanging. They really care about Kids. That's a relief that he likes them all. Very important, as you know.

We kind of figured that they wouldn't go for low carbing for him since he is still growing and he needs all the different minerals, vits and enough carbs, especially if he is into sports. At least he'll be able to enjoy a larger variety of foods too. When he gets his free pump his Insulin usage should be about 25% less, as long as he doesn't overdo the carb intake. Later when he is an Adult, he can try low carbing, if he wants.

Yay! He made it to 7.9. That's encouraging. Yes, they'll figure it out eventually. He may feel nausea, thirst, feel sleepy and have a headache at 18 and 19. Drinking glasses of water during the day is a good habit to get into. It flushes his kidneys, keeps him hydrated, helps to get rid of some of the sugar in the body and so much more, if he doesn't already drink water much.

I started using fast acting Humalog back in 1996 and I used long acting Lantus for about 2 years around 2006. I then switched to long acting Levemir which I am still on(split dose) and Humalog. In November, I bought a vial of fast acting Novolog since it was supposed to work faster and it's the same price. I didn't see any difference, so I am still using Humalog. Yes, you spelled them correctly.

Oh cats...that's purrrfect!! They sure do love some cuddling. Our Son and his Wife have 2 cats also.

That's handy that you go with your Son to the appointments. At least you's get all the info then. I have to take a little tape recorder with me when I see my Specialists cuz sometimes, I just miss one or two topics, answers or what have you.

As Lanie said, Dr. Bernstein's book is a good one to read. So much useful and interesting information. Most People can't do his really low carb diet though. I don't know how he does it. He is truly disciplined.
"Think Like A Pancreas" by Gary Scheiner, is another good one and "Using Insulin" by John Walsh also, if you ever get the time to read them with your busy schedule.

Thank you for explaining HbA1c to Acquiesce, Lanie. LOL! Right on! :)

He's still in the teens and tired but he's smiling.... :)

Thanks Lanie! I'm trying! We are meeting with the school tomorrow to go over everything he needs to do during the school day.

Hopefully he will be able to go back on Monday and get back into his routine. I find that a little unnerving but life has to go on lol. I'm just a little bit plagued by the "what ifs", what if his blood sugar gets really low or high, what if he forgets to test his blood sugar or take his insulin.. what if he loses his diabetic stuff..

Given his age though I think he understands the importance of doing all those things in order to feel good and be healthy so I'm hoping he will be diligent and responsible. But he's also a teenager lol. I'm sure there will be some "oh oops" moments where I get a text or phone call. I feel sorry for my co workers when I go back to work lol... I'm going to be slightly frazzled for the first while! I'm supposed to go back Monday but I'm wondering if I should take another week.

They didn't mention a medical alert bracelet but I thought of it and ordered one already. I have one for my cold allergy because I can go into shock and it gives me some peace of mind. I guess that's why I thought of it right away.

All the support we have received has been so awesome and I'm especially grateful to you and MsOuchie for all of your help, kindness and suggestions! It has made such a difference :)