Type 1 diabetes

There is no real answer to the question how, or why. My daughter was diagnosed in november of 2000. She was sick for a year building up to it, and everytime I took her the the er they said she had the flu, and kept giving her sugary med’s. Well the day she was diagnosed she had lost 10lbs, was throwing up, and thirsty, and had laid down in bed sleeping all day. Turns out she was within 72 hours of death and falling into a diabetic coma. She was 5 then, she is now 6 1/2. Her blood sugar at diagnosis was 1500! fifteen hundred! I’ve been told 99% of people dont live to tell about #’s that high. I was in another group and posted my intro so I will copy it in here for you so you can know the personal hell I have been through in the last 18 months.
Angela
My name is Angela (24), and I live in Fremont, California. I have 3 daughters Theresa (6), Ashley (5), and Katherine (3). My story started on November 24th, 2000. During the year of 2000 my daughter Theresa seemed to be sick a lot, so I would take her to the doctor. I was always told that she just had the flu again and she was pumped full of sugary medications. On 11/24/00 my daughter had lost about 10lbs, and she was throwing up, constantly thirsty, peeing frequently, and sleeping a lot… it turns out she was 48-72 hours from going into a coma that most likely would have lead to death. I took her to the er, she was seen by the same doctor that had said she had the flu all year and he told me that she had diabetes. What did that mean? They tested her sugar and only got HIGH, so they tested her blood, and tested it twice to be sure it was accurate. It was 1500! They said she should have already been dead, and that most people dont live to tell about having #’s that high,
especially juvenile’s. It took them all night before they transferred her to Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital @ Stanford, where she spent 2 1/2 months recooperating, the first 2 weeks in PICU with 6 iv’s in her, unable to get out of the bed, having to pee in diapers, she couldn’t eat (as she got all she needed through feeding tubes). When she was finally able to mobalize again, she had to use a urinal right beside her bed, and she had a very basic diet without too much solid food, and everything was plain. I spoke with a dietician during this time, and I think I was able to understand the food guidelines pretty well being as I was raised vegetarian so I was checking product labels over a several year period growing up before I started eating meats (at age 18). I was pregnant during this time with my 4th child, and in the year leading up to my daughter Theresa’s diagnosis, I had left my girls father due to severe domestic violence. I started getting sick in the
hospital. I was taking my younger two daughters to the hospital with me every day to see Theresa since I had noone available to watch them ( no friends or family in the area ) … It only took a week, and Child Protective Services took Ashley & Katherine away from me. I lost my job, my home, and now my children…. As soon as Theresa was released from the hospital she went into a seperate foster home, in Stockton, over an hour away from me in Fremont. Ashley & Katherine had been in a ER foster home in Oakland (20 minutes away) but were soon transferred up to stockton to be closer to their sister Theresa. Ashley & Katherine were placed in a home together only 5 miles from the home Theresa was in. This was supposed to be for Theresa’s best interest but oddly enough Ashley & Katherine would not see Theresa for FOUR months nor would any of them be allowed to see me. I gave birth to a son Michael, on Feb. 19th, 2001. I found an adoptive family for him not too long after my girls
had been taken, considering that it wouldn’t be fair for me or any of my children to try and take on another child with the current circumstances in my life. I found a wonderful loving couple in Berkeley, and made their life better with the gift of my precious son. The day he was born Children Services came to the hospital where the adoptive parents were there with me and took my son into a 3 day protective hold. They interogatted the couple over and over, looked over their home study, and even grueled the adoption attorneys. Finally after 3 days they were allowed to pick him up from the county office and take him home. Can you believe?? my new son in a foster home?? Everyone involved was outraged. All this because my daughter was diagnosed with diabetes.
It is now a year and a half later and my kids are finally living with me again, but are not legally mine once again yet. They kept them all for all this time even though it had nothing to do with Ashley & Katherine. Every time I have asked social services they said they kept Ashley & Katherine with Theresa because it was in the best interest of her health. Well Ashley and Katherine should have been returned as soon as I got permanant housing back, which has about 2 months after they were taken. And Theresa no more then a few months after. I have taken parenting classes, diabetes classes, went to counceling, taken mental evaluations, drove hundreds of miles to meet with pediatric endocronologists…. I know what to feed her, when to feed her, what shoots her #’s up.. what keeps them down, how many times to test her… what to look for in highs and lows… I have her 30 days average to 165 which for her is good. She has been waking up with morning lows that we are working
on… 50-70’s … she gets high more then anything because of stress, not food. For any of you that might not have known, and the doctors have verified this for me, Stress can cause your blood sugars to get you severely high or low, as can depression in us adults. We have to stay moderately happy and in balance for good health. The best mentor in my life right now, is my new child care provider Teri. She has been diabetic since she was 5, and she is now 40. She has more patience and knowledge then any woman I have ever met. She is very strong willed, and keeps me going and never wanting to give up. Getting my kids back after having them bounced around for 18 months (they were in 3 seperate homes, for the last year a home all together thankfully and not too bad of one although they learned a lot of racism there and my children are mixed.. something I never wanted them to have, but we are working on) is difficult. They are readjusting… They have mixed feelings about me, they
are unsure if they are staying or going.. it is like meeting them all over again as we have to regain our bonds and our trust with each other. They are testing me left and right, and it has been grueling at times. I love my daughter’s with all my heart, and it will be another year of being under a microscope to regain my legal custody of them… but they are my angels, and no matter what they do.. I cant give up the fight…. an ending note… my kids were sick last week and usually when they get sick I check all their blood sugars out of curiousity… my diabetic Theresa(who by the way is type 1 insulin dependant currently at 16-18 units a day)was at 82, Ashley was at 166, I thought it seemed somewhat high but maybe ok so I checked Katherine to compare hers to Ashleys and see what I thought…. well Katherines was 251!!?? I think I just might have 3 diabetic children on my hands. I will be taking them next weekend back to Stanford where they are having a family diabetes
day, and they have found a new string to test for to see if the rest of the family has, or is at risk of having diabetes, after that to the Dr. they go… I dont know if my youngest if going to get used to shots easily if she is… but they can handle it together, and we will handle it as a family and get through it. Sorry so long, but I wanted everyone to know my story and who I am since I just joined the group a few nights ago. My prayers and best wishes go out to you all, and thanks for the opportunity to share and voice my opinions with you all.
Angela M.
Mother of Theresa, Ashley, and Katherine
Fremont, CA

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2003 at 12:43 am and is filed under diabetes info. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.