My 2 year old niece has diabetes

I am a type 1 diabetic who has had diabetes since I was ten years old. I am on a pump. I personally think a pump is the best thing in the world. My daughter is a type 2 diabetic but if she would have been a type 1 or would require insulin I absolutely would have her on a pump in a flash. I only wish they had been available when I was a kid. She might want to think about a continuous glucose monitor too. With a child that young it is hard to know if they are going hypo. The continuous glucose monitor isn't usually covered by insurance and can be quite expensive, but knowing your child's blood sugar is dropping would be worth it. They aren't completely reliable enough to not still finger test, but they do give an idea of trends and alarms can be set for dropping or rising blood sugars. As far as the pump is concerned children generally change the site every 2 days as opposed to the several shots a day. I can't imagine why anyone would not be in favor of the pump.

Hi Uncle,

I've had type I since I was ten, also.  I just wanted to suggest that if you're looking for a great deal of wonderful advice and information, both dlife.com and diabetes.org (the ADA website) have forums that are much more involved than this one, with separate areas for type Is, parents of type I children, and even an area for people on a pump.  You might want to check those out.  You can ask any question you can think of and instantly have a bunch of people in the exact same situation answer you.  This site mostly has type IIs, and they have their own set of issues, but they won't necessarily know about dealing with a type I two-year-old.  Not that I don't think this site is great--it serves its own purpose--but those others may be more of what you need at the moment.

I wish you and your niece luck.  I thank God I was old enough to understand what was happening to me when I got it.  (Not to mention that's 8 fewer years with the disease that might cause complications.)  I feel bad for the really little ones.  Anyway, I should shut up before I depress you.  Good luck and happy surfing! 

P.S.  about the pump-I have had a pump for 6 years now, and I love it, but I'm not sure I would have one on a child that young.  I'm not saying I wouldn't, just saying I don't know.  I suffer from a ton of low blood sugars since I got the pump (although most people actually experience fewer lows) and if your niece had the same problems it would be much more difficult because she is so young.  The continuous glucose monitors that come with the Medtronic Minimed pump cost $1000 initially for the transmitter, and then $350 a month (if you want to use them continually) for the sensors, and I don't think they work that well, especially at catching lows.  The technology is still brand new, and of course insurance won't cover them yet.  So it is definitely not a decision that should be made lightly.  Pumps are awesome, but if a parent makes a mistake estimating a meal bolus and a two-year-old's blood sugar drops, it could be a mess.  If they can hold off until she's five, then she'll be much better equipped to tell you when something's wrong.  That's just my advice; take it for what it's worth.  And definitely check out the pump areas on those two websites for more ideas.  Hope this helps.