Diabetes Awareness: But she's too skinny to have diabetes......

We have been extremely busy the last few months and I have gotten behind on my bloggin'.....A lot has happened in the Dean house since my last post so I have plans for several posts over the next few weeks!

However, with this post I want to discuss type 1 diabetes misconceptions.  I've touched on this topic in the past, but this issue has been coming up a lot more lately.  I used to get defensive when people would make these types of comments, but then I realized its because they don't know any better.

There are many misconceptions about this disease, but I've put together the ones I feel strongly about.  Here is my top 5 list of type 1 diabetes misconceptions:

1. "But she's too skinny to have diabetes." Although diet and weight are factors for type 2 diabetes, it is not the cause of type 1 diabetes.
2. "She can't eat that cupcake." As is should be for us all, moderation is key.  Also, there are times when sugar levels can drop too low and sugar is needed to raise it.
3. "She can't play sports because her sugar will drop." Exercise is important for everyone including those with diabetes.  Precautionary measures like eating snacks and frequent bg checks can help avoid hypoglycemia.
4. "She'll never be able to have children."  Diabetic pregnancy require closer monitoring, but there is no reason,  with excellent blood sugar control and diabetes management, that mother and baby will remain healthy throughout the pregnancy and birth.
5. "Taking insulin will cure diabetes." Insulin is not a cure, it is their life support.  Unfortunately there currently is no cure for diabetes.

Our insulin pump is the best!

We are approaching our six month mark since starting on the pump.  I have to tell you that getting used to the pump did take some time, but I honestly feel it was the best decision we could have made.  Alyssa has adjusted nicely and honestly knows how to work it better than I do.  Site changes have become much easier and we have had little problems.  I still get up and check her blood sugar between 2 and 3 am, depending on what time she went to bed.  She sleeps right through this check and this makes me sleep much better.  This has helped me catch a couple of lows as well as make corrections for any night time highs. 

In our case the pump has also helped with lows that are the result of exercise.  We disconnect during cheer practice and performances and have had only 2 or 3 lows.  This is because with the pump, Alyssa no longer needs her long lasting insulin that's peak can be unpredictable.  We check blood sugar levels before and after and correct accordingly.

Tumble

Just an update on Alyssa's bg's.... This was her first tumble practice in 12 days. Before practice, her bg was 200.... She had a 15g carb snack prior to practice and drank a low sugar Gatorade throughout. At the end of 30 minutes of tumbling, blood glucose level was 83. Good bye high sugars from last week!! Still on summer schedule for cheer practice, so she's resting up for 3 hrs tomorrow. Happy that competitive cheer is year round :)

Summer Vacation

Alyssa has been experiencing post breakfast highs every morning this week except for today. Also, normally her bg's drop nearly 100 during the night and this week she's only been dropping about 50. (ie. before bed bg's were 200 and this morning 150)

The difference in this week and the others since schools been out for summer is that her cheer gym has been closed this week for the 4th. She normally practices cheer 3 hours a week and also has separate tumble lessons. So I'm sure the decrease in physical activity is affecting her levels. Back to it come Monday though :)

Life with T1 is definitely a balancing act.....

Type 1 Diabetes Misconceptions....

When you have type 1 diabetes you're pancreas does not produce enough or any insulin that lowers blood sugar and in many cases, glucagon, which raises blood sugar when it's low. Ultimately, a t1's body doesn't regulate glucose. So, I think there is a huge misconception that if you are diabetic that you can NEVER eat sugar... not true.... Anything in moderation... and as long as I test Lu's blood sugar and adjust her insulin dose to cover the extra sugar, there are no spikes. Also, believe it or not... there have been times sugar has SAVED HER LIFE!! 

Another misconception is that type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the same.  Type 2 can be linked to obesity, but that is not always the case.....in some cases it's in our genes.... and type 1 has no known cause.  Also, another fallacy is that diabetes is cured by insulin.  Insulin injections help keep diabetics alive, but is NOT a cure.  

Finally, many people think that diabetics cannot participate in athletics.  Not true... exercise is good for everyone.  Exercise does affect glucose levels, but as long as they are checked and precautions are taken, exercise can be very beneficial to diabetics by helping keep bg's within range.

Packing for Grandma's

Since Alyssa's diagnosis, the only people she has been left with are her two older brothers and her grandmothers.  On Thursday, my hubby and I will be leaving for the Florida Keys to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary.  Ahhhh.....4 sun-filled days in paradise!!

Before Lu's DX, all I had to pack were her clothes when she'd spend the night away from home.  Now, packing takes much more preparation.

Alyssa's Packing List

*Diabetes supplies (meter, strips, lancets, alcohol swabs, syringes, & insulin)
*Emergency Kit for lows (Glucagon, smartie candies, and juice boxes)
*4 Breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners, and 24 snacks
 (I pack snacks and meals that I prepare ahead of time that have the exact amount of carbs that she needs for each meal)
*sugar free drinks & water bottles to mix sugar free Kool Aid in
*Schedule
(I type up her schedule and instructions for what to do in the event of highs or lows and add the emergency endocrinologist's number)
*clothes
*favorite pillow & stuffed animal
*games
*movies
*toiletries

Our car will be loaded down on the way to the airport until we drop her off.  What's funny is that everything that I am taking can fit into 1 rolling carry on bag!

Math skills needed....

After dinner last night, Alyssa went in her room to work on a puzzle.  About an hour later, I went into check on her because she was too quiet and she was fast asleep in her bed....7:30p and way early for her?  I pricked her finger (she doesn't wake anymore) and the meter read 434...wth!!  recheck....413!  I calculated the carbs, she had eaten something she had eaten many times before and had gotten her insulin.  I woke her up and had her get in the shower while I made another injection.  Here is where math skills come in handy....

Oddly, Alyssa usually drops about 100 pts during the night...I'm not sure what crazy girl does in her sleep....but normally I try to make sure her levels are between 180-200 when she goes to bed.  Alyssa's correction rate is .5 units for every 50 over 150, but since her bedtime goal is around 200 and I wanted her to drop about 200 pts., I gave her 2.0 units.  Another problem, sometimes the insulin brings her down too quickly and she feels the affects of a low even if she is not (and if she doesn't eat as well).  So, I also gave her a 15 g carb snack.  I estimated with the insulin and the snack that she would wake up with a bg of about 150.  This morning....the meter read 136... pretty darn close!!

I'm not sure where this spike came from (I searched for evidence of a secret snack, but didn't find any??) I think its instinct to want to find the culprit, although there may not be a tangible one.  I mean really, there is no known cause for this disease so it's understandable that there is no known cause for occasional spikes or lows.   I try not to stress too much when situations like this happen, but its hard not to when your a control freak like me :-/