An all too familiar scene played itself out overnight and this morning. Hayleigh went to bed, a few minutes later she was thirsty. Then she woke up in the middle of the night crying out after checking on her she said she was really thirsty. She got some water and was back to sleep. She was the first to wake up this morning and no good morning Mommy, no Hi Mommy like usual, just "Can I have some juice", she was thirsty AGAIN!!! Well because if you are a T1 parent you know where my mind went, and yes, I got her juice, and got the meter ready. Set the lancer to the lowest possible setting because she has the tiniest fingers, and asked her if I could check her. She see's Cliffy do this multiple times a day and previously used to ask to be tested. I told her it was just a little poke but it might hurt a little bit. She is a very tough 2 almost 3 year old and still let me.
Now our meter only takes around 4 seconds from the first beep to the beeps when the number appears but my heart was thumping away like crazy. I wanted to close my eyes tightly and not open them to see the number. The kinda feeling you had as a kid to a scary movie, hide your eyes behind your hands and slowly peek out thinking you won't be as scared. Well when it beeped, I gathered up enough courage and looked at the number to see a beautiful 83!!! And this about 15 minutes AFTER having juicy juice, after having those 15 grams of fast acting carbs!! BEAUTIFUL! No other words it was a very nice site to see.
Once D enters your life, and more unfortunately enters your child's body, it causes you to become a bit paranoid. Paranoid that maybe the next flu is going to destroy your little girls body the way it did your sons, or that too much thirst is something other then just being thirsty. The girls did have the TrialNet study done and both tested negative, which put my mind at ease a bit, more so then it was before. But Hayleigh's thirst overnight and this morning brought the concern back into play. Thankfully we can test her and get an answer here and now! I only wish sometimes that Clifford was just as lucky and we were more educated on recognizing the symptoms before they did as much damage as they did. This is why it is very important to understand just want some of the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes are. It may make the difference of life or death. When Clifford was diagnosed last February he was admitted in DKA. The doctor explained he was very sick, but would come around. His body laid their helpless on the bed, he didn't respond to anything, he looked as if he was in a deep sleep. I did my best not to cry, but my boy couldn't hear me and just touching his head and pushing back his hair while he laid there helpless sent the tears flowing. Take a moment and educate yourselves with the symptoms of Type 1 if you are not already familiar with them. And educate others, it could save a life.
Type 1 diabetes signs and symptoms can come on quickly and may include:
- Increased thirst and frequent urination. As excess sugar builds up in your bloodstream, fluid is pulled from your tissues. This may leave you thirsty. As a result, you may drink — and urinate — more than usual.
- Extreme hunger. Without enough insulin to move sugar into your cells, your muscles and organs become depleted of energy. This triggers intense hunger that may persist even after you eat. Without insulin, the sugar in your food never reaches your energy-starved tissues.
- Weight loss. Despite eating more than usual to relieve hunger, you may lose weight — sometimes rapidly. Without the energy sugar supplies, your muscle tissues and fat stores may simply shrink.
- Fatigue. If your cells are deprived of sugar, you may become tired and irritable.
- Blurred vision. If your blood sugar level is too high, fluid may be pulled from your tissues — including the lenses of your eyes. This may affect your ability to focus clearly.
When to see a doctor
Consult your doctor if you're concerned about diabetes or if you notice any type 1 diabetes signs and symptoms.
