Toddlers with Diabetes

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Permalink Reply by Bob @ joy of diabetes on September 26, 2008 at 7:26pm

I was diagnosed at 13 months and am now 45 years old. Just so you know, there is hope and joy all along the way, and your little one can live a long healthy life. Technology and medicines have dramatically improved over the years and have afforded many happy, healthy, and long lives..

Keep going.........................

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Permalink Reply by Paige on July 11, 2007 at 9:32am

Stella,

Please don't feel badly! It's hard, especially in the beginning and when they are so little. There's so much to factor in, including the honeymoon. Take care of yourself. I think that it's really easy to wear ourselves out and then we are no good to anyone.

It will get easier.

Paige

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Permalink Reply by Adinsmom on July 10, 2007 at 3:08pm

Hi Susan and everyone. My youngest son is 27 months old and was diagnosed at 16 months of age. He is on Lantus and Novolog and we should be pumping soon. I am immersed in John Walsh's Pumping Insulin book until we go to our Endo appointment in August. The decision to put him on a pump was hard for me. It seemed like everyone was telling me how much better it was but I just wasn't ready. I still wish some form of my dream pump was available until there is a cure.

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Permalink Reply by Susan Anderson on July 10, 2007 at 6:50pm

Hi -

I'm also reading the Pumping Insulin book in advance of my appt in Sept with the endos at Stanford. They are pretty supportive regarding putting Will on a pump. From other mom's I've talked to, they tell me that it's a life changing event.

What state are you in? I've heard some people say that their drs. won't even consider a pump unless you've been doing MDI for a year?

Susan

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Permalink Reply by sarhow on July 12, 2007 at 12:55pm

I have a 2.5 year old with diabetes who was diagnosed at 23 months. I was really thankful that I have type 1 myself so I knew what was coming! that said, it's a whole different ball game with a toddler. In the hospital, I insisted that he be put on a pump-- I'd *highly* recommend it! He was on it 3 weeks after diagnosis. There's really no reason to wait (unless you don't want it-- but really, it's no more complicated than shots). Then about 4 months after diagnosis I bought him a dexcom continuous glucose monitor (which thankfully our insurance then paid for), and I feel like I just can't live without it. My stress level has decreased *dramatically*. So he runs around with 2 devices on him all day and night, but he's used to it, and I have been really able to even out his blood sugar numbers in ways I couldn't imagine before. Or, if they aren't flat, at least I can see what they are doing easily, and now have at least *some* idea of how to manage the insulin/eating. I'm not saying he's in great control, but we have had fewer episodes of extreme highs and lows in any case (e.g., he used to go over 400 a lot more than he does now). I've started giving the insulin *before* he eats and that really helps. I use an extended bolus, so I can cancel it if he doesn't eat what I predicted.

Sarah

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Permalink Reply by Susan Anderson on July 12, 2007 at 1:30pm

Hi Sarah -

I'm very interested in the CGM. Do alarms go off if they fall low or get too high? For that alone, I would pay big bucks! Will has been sick all week and either he's crazy high - in the 300-400 range or he's low 65-50. I feel like I'm testing him 12 times a day and since he's sick, I feel so bad to be doing it. I put him to bed last night at 196 and 3 hours later he was 60!! Normally, he goes up at night!

I like the idea of the extended bolus. I just got the paperwork from my drs. office to see if my insurance will cover the OmniPod. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks.

Thanks for joining the discussion!

Susan

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Permalink Reply by sarhow on July 16, 2007 at 12:44pm

Hi,
Yes, you can set the alarms to go off at the level you want, low or high. There are some problems, like it's not always accurate, but overall it has caught a lot of lows.

Another thing I learned from my endo is that often kids this age will go up as soon as they fall asleep and need a higher basal for that. I noticed that with my toddler certainly. That's probably why he normally goes up at night. I don't know why he'd go low! ugh.

Sarah

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Permalink Reply by Paige on July 19, 2007 at 1:49pm

Wow, I have never heard that about toddlers going up as soon as they fall asleep. That seems to have started recently with my daughter and we have been having to give her injections at night. Today we increased her Levemir from 3 to 3.5 to see if that might help as she has fallen some by morning but is still higher than she had been before this started happening.

Paige

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Permalink Reply by Nicole on January 11, 2008 at 7:11pm

HI Sarah!
My daughter was diagnosed at 8 months of age after a terrifying 24 hour illness and trip to the hospital! She is now 15 months old. My husband and I are doing a good job at managing her sugars and shots....and we just got through her first flu! Wow, that was a challenge! Anyhow, we are contemplating on a CGM and pump. Having diabetes yourself and a toddler on both pump and moniter....I am interested in your opinion on putting a 15 month old on one or both systems. She is also still breastfed which is good and bad....of course it's hard to moniter the number of carbs...but it is a brilliant way to get her out of a low! Would you recommend pumping after she is off the breast or 'why wait'? she is getting insulin injections now...and we are doing a pretty good job under the circumstances.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Goldsmith on July 19, 2007 at 2:10pm

My daughter was just about 5 when dxd 2.5 years ago - not quite a toddler - but ask away. I am totally pro pump and would suggest calling the main pump companies to get info and have them come to your home and show you the pump. At first I did not like to idea of having a machine connected to my kid - but trust me - you get over it real quick. Once they give it a try, most people tend to stay with the pump.

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Permalink Reply by Nathan on February 25, 2008 at 8:36pm

Hi Mark,

I am curious what pump your daughter uses. My son was 3 (now 5yrs old) when he was diagnosed. We use the Animas IR 1250. We love having a pump and find the flexibility amazing.

Nathan

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Stratton on July 19, 2007 at 5:08pm

I'm so glad that you started this discussion! I'm Lisa SAHM to Isabelle 3 1/2 with Type 1 and Alex 16 months. Isabelle was diagnosed in April of this year so we are just learning about all of this.

We have been having the week from Hell as far as blood glucose goes. She has been high for absolutely no reason most of the week. Today for instance she woke up at 6 am (uuuggghhh!) and was 291. An hour later when I finally made myself get up and give her breakfast she was 169. She is usually close to 100 in the mornings. This afternoon she was acting dramatic so I checked her and she was 266. I didn't correct right then because we were going to have dinner in about an hour and a half. She came downstairs and fell asleep in a chair and an hour later was in the 400's! Totally crazy.

I think the thing that I find the hardest, along with trying to find a sitter, is that I am completely responsible for her wellbeing. My husband tries to help on the weekends, but it usually ends up just making up frustrated with each other.

Ok...I'll stop venting. :)

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