My five year old daughter got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last week. She had a three day stay at the hospital and off we sent home. She is on humolog 3X a day and Lantus 1X bedtime. Ever since she is feeling better she has developed a huge appetite. Not only she eats big meals three times a day but every 10 minutes she is begging for more food, mostly carbs. I mean her stomach turned into a bottomless pit! She has never been a big eater before diagnosis and she may have lost a couple of pounds at the hospital. I was wondering if anyone out there has an experience like this with their appetite following a Type 1 diagnosis. TIA.

She is probably feeling better. Discuss the insulin pump with her Dr. they start kids off pretty early these days it will be the best control and make her life as normal as can be. Go to www.minimed .com they have a great section on type 1 in kids.

The fact that she is eating well is good. But you should test her blood sugar before meals and when she asks for more food between meals. If it is low, this could be increasing her hunger. In which case, it could mean that she is on too much insulin. The requirement for injected insulin often declines temporarily during that initial honeymoon period.

Cheers,

Mark

Thank you for the responses. I will check out the link.

My daughter from birth ate very little. At age 9 we finally found a doctor that diagnosed her as diabetic. I think she had glucose problems for a long time, but according to the medical literature this is not likely. She grew normally til age 4. After that the doctors just kept giving me the line "she will grow". Getting her diagnosed was a nightmare. They hospitalized her for 2 weeks and she ate everything in sight. The first week she gained 10 pounds. Then the doctor cut her calories to prevent to quickly a growth. From then on for a few years she ate more than a working man should need. It was interesting to watch her eat. She did not seem to be eating quickly but at the blink of an eye the plate was empty.

I hope your daughter does well. It is a tough road but just hang in there and things will get better.
Betty

My daughter was exactly the same way. I would try to fill her stomach with what we call "freebies". I would grill her up a burger w/ cheese and no bun, hot dog with no bun. They even have jello cups that are sugar free and that's a freebi. lil'smokies is one that my daughter loves, even sugar free gum is a great way to treat her sweet tooth any time she wants candy. My daughter loves juice so we bought her the gatorade "Propel" it has a few carbs in it but it's does it's job better that juice.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for the responses.We check her sugar several times a day, before meals, 2 hrs. after meals, and before bedtime. We even did it in the middle of the night for a while after coming back from the hospital.

I think she has entered the "honeymoon" stage. In the last couple of days she needs less humolog and her sugar is within the limits. However, the appetite/food obssesion is still there. It's like she does not get that "You are full. Stop eating" signal from her brain anymore. I always have the zero carb snacks handy, sugar-free jellos, cheese sticks, crsytal light, cold-cut, etc. But some of those stuff are not calorie free! I hope her appetite will go down to a reasonable level or we may have to deal with weight issues on top of her Type 1 D.

Type 1D is new to me. Could you explain a little?
Betty

Type 1 Diabetic is when they are insulin dependent. They sometimes call it "juvenile" diabetes. It's been diagnosed more in children and not because they are over weight or eat to much carbs/sugar, but because their pancreas does not produce it's own insulin, there for they are now insulin dependent and require insulin shots daily. The only thing that boggles my mind about this is that they "doctors/scientist" do not know why this happens "it just happens" my daughter was diagnosed and no body in my family or my husbands family has it. My daughter is no where near over weight, she is very thin, very active in her gymnastics, and preferes grape nut cereal over anr sugary cereal. So when she was diagnosed, it was a real shock. When we were asking questions they really could tell us why this happened.

Her symptoms where: frequent urination; rapid weight loss; irritable; fatigued

Hope this helps.

My daughter otherwise is a robust five year old. Noone in our families have type 1 or 2 Diabetes either; and like anthrought's daughter my kid is not overweight, she has a normal height/weight ratio. The doctor's explanation was that her body was fighting off a virus, not necessarily related to her pancreas, and produced antibodies. Somehow the antibodies attacked the Beta cells in her pancreas, and destroyed them. Beta cells are responsible for insulin production in the pancreas. Therefore, that's why Type 1 D needs regular insulin administrations since Beta cells are no longer alive.

They told me that too, since I had told them that my daughter recently had the hand, foot, mouth virus. But they are not positive that it was the cause of it.

Antrought and Betty, just curious, what is a typical breakfast your feed to your kids? My daughter (she is five) eats one whole wheat tortilla (8" diameter) with reduced sugar peanut butter and no-sugar fruit spread, reduced fat milk (6-8 oz.), 1-2 eggs, and a cheese stick.

My daughter loves plain oatmeal; regular cheerios; wheat toast; bacon, sausage. I really try not to limit her of what she can eat because she was never really a bad eater. I mean she loves her junk food once in a while but what kid doesn't. To me it's just a matter of balance. If you are really interested in a nutritional diet you can go on diabetes.org and they have great research on that web site about nutrition

also on www.medicalnewstoday.com they have great updates with the progress and studies that doctors/scientist are doing research on, like the insulin inhaler and the cell tranplant. It's really cool.

also on www.medicalnewstoday.com they have great updates with the progress and studies that doctors/scientist are doing research on, like the insulin inhaler and the cell tranplant. It's really cool.
Thanks for the link.

I have never heard of 1D. There are a lot of different names attached to diabetes and for the most part isn't relevant except to distinguish type 1 or 2. I am type 1.5 or also called LADA. That is a type 1 with an adult onset. The thing that separates the type 1 is that it is an autoummine disease, which is from a totally different cause from any of the others.

http://www.diabetes.org/other-types.jsp This is the American Diabetes Assoc. The “Diabetes Mall” has good information on this too.

When I was dealing with my daughter it was back in the Stone Age. We had no way to test blood glucose but could test for ketones and urine test for glucose. As I mentioned before getting a diagnosis as to what was wrong with her was a nightmare. They had her records since birth and the diagnosing doctor told me no one had ever done lab for glucose.

The diagnosing doctor set the diet rules and I am forever grateful. What he said was “a healthy diet as any child would need”. Therefore nothing was ever restricted because of diabetes. It was called a “free diet” which most doctors frowned on but Lilly Drug Co. doctors did not object. She was able to participate in Lilly camps and activities at which a doctor was always with them. Kids camps are great. :) They accepted that the “free diet” was as good as the only other one out there “the exchange diet”. There never was any diet issues with her. If her glucose was up we tried to not eat things that we knew sent it up. But without being able to check for glucose we had little to go on as to what does what. Other diabetic children that we knew were constantly in and out of the hospital. We had been told to expect to have 4 hospital stays of about 2 weeks each per year. But she did not have, nor has she ever had a hospitalization for a diabetic crisis.

She still eats a regular diet and has very little damages from the elevated glucose while she was little. I know there were years that her glucose was no telling how high since we had no way to check. She is now on the pump and holds a government job that requires very strict annual physicals. She has never let diabetes stand in her way and never as an excuse for anything.

I think she is a success story and your daughter can be also.
Betty

I have never heard of 1D. What does the "D" denote? There are a lot of different names attached to diabetes and for the most part isn't relevant except to distinguish type 1 or 2. I am type 1.5 or also called LADA. That is a type 1 with an adult onset. The thing that separates the type 1 is that it is an autoummine disease, which is from a totally different cause from any of the others.

http://www.diabetes.org/other-types.jsp This is the American Diabetes Assoc. The “Diabetes Mall” has good information on this too.

When I was dealing with my daughter it was back in the Stone Age. We had no way to test blood glucose but could test for ketones and urine test for glucose. As I mentioned before getting a diagnosis as to what was wrong with her was a nightmare. They had her records since birth and the diagnosing doctor told me no one had ever done lab for glucose.

The diagnosing doctor set the diet rules and I am forever grateful. What he said was “a healthy diet as any child would need”. Therefore nothing was ever restricted because of diabetes. It was called a “free diet” which most doctors frowned on but Lilly Drug Co. doctors did not object. She was able to participate in Lilly camps and activities at which a doctor was always with them. Kids camps are great. :) They accepted that the “free diet” was as good as the only other one out there “the exchange diet”. There never was any diet issues with her. If her glucose was up we tried to not eat things that we knew sent it up. But without being able to check for glucose we had little to go on as to what does what. Other diabetic children that we knew were constantly in and out of the hospital. We had been told to expect to have 4 hospital stays of about 2 weeks each per year. But she did not have, nor has she ever had a hospitalization for a diabetic crisis.

She still eats a regular diet and has very little damages from the elevated glucose while she was little. I know there were years that her glucose was no telling how high since we had no way to check. She is now on the pump and holds a government job that requires very strict annual physicals. She has never let diabetes stand in her way and never as an excuse for anything.

I think she is a success story and your daughter can be also.
Betty

Betty;

Sorry for the confusion. I use "D" instead of typing diabetes every time. I am also a member at a different diabetes board that where I picked up that abbreveiation for it. Type 1 D means Type 1 Diabetes.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Since my daughter got diagnosed only 2 weeks ago every bit of information other parents share with me is invaluable. My God, I looked at the mirror this morning, it looks like I aged ten years since her diagnosis.

I too am on other forums but have never heard it refereed to as 1D. What I see is “type 1”. I think I can understand your frustrations and what you are going through. The thing is you will go through it and not just get stuck.

There have been enormous improvements in handling this monster. If you have not looked in to see what the pump is about that would be good for you to do. You might check out a Yahoo forum “pumpers” Some doctors want the patient to be in control before they will prescribe a pump and others will do it right away. I’m not sure if that is the whole name or not but should be able
to find it anyway.
Betty

I too am on other forums but have never heard it refereed to as 1D. What I see is “type 1”. I think I can understand your frustrations and what you are going through. The thing is you will go through it and not just get stuck.

There have been enormous improvements in handling this monster. If you have not looked in to see what the pump is about that would be good for you to do. You might check out a Yahoo forum “pumpers” Some doctors want the patient to be in control before they will prescribe a pump and others will do it right away. I’m not sure if that is the whole name or not but should be able
to find it anyway.
Betty
We are considering putting her on a pump in the next coming six months. My husband and I are doing a lot of reading on pumps as well as on non-invasive methods of checking blood sugar. We have to poke her little fingertips 6-8 times a day. I feel horrible doing it but it has to be done. There are some noninvasive devices advertised and some in progress, some soon to be FDA approved. We are hopeful that there is continuous progress in this area. I have even heard of artificial pancreas within 10-15 years.

It is tough to have to stick your little one. But it sure beats driving blind like I had to do. I don't see nor hear on the forums much in favor of the alternative test sites. My meter, Acuc-Chek Aviva can, so they say, be used for alternative testing. But the reading isn't as accurate and I have a harder time with it than the fingers. I don't know how the other brands check out except what I read on these forums.

My daughter was about as bad as it come when doing anything medically. To take a throat swab we would have to put her back to the wall and hold on to her. That is heart breaking. In the hospital they gave me an orange to practice on. I had done it just a couple times when a nurse came in and handed me the syringe and told me to do it. I could have just about died but I would not let my daughter see that. I could have booped that nurse good but in retrospect that was probably the best way to do it as I don't think I would have ever been ready.

If technology advances as much in the next 15 years as the last it will be amazing. I think the FDA just gave an approval for a nasal insulin. It is being used in other parts of the world. I have not seen any reliable reports on noninvasive blood test but that is most likely just over the horizion. Some time ago there was talk about using fluid from the eye instead of blood but haven't seen anything on that lately. Recently I saw a report on cell transplants. That is done as simple as giving an IV. One problem with that is that it takes about 4 donors for every one done. Those cells migrate and then work as the originals did. There is lots of potential. Time will tell.

My daughter was afraid of the pump for many years after it came out but it finally reach a stage that she thought she could trust. Pump manufactors have sale people whose job it is of course to cell a pump. What my daughter did was go to the level up from the sales people. They sold several different kinds of pumps and therefore did not have the bias that a particular sales person that was selling their brands. They worked with her for several hours showing different pumps and the advantages and disadvantages. Pumps are expensive so they go all out for sales.
:cool:
Here's hoping for the best for you.
Betty

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in here. I read that some of you wondered about how your child "got" diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is one of those conditions that falls in the "autoimmune" category. This means that it isn't considered inherited and such so it won't matter who all in the family has it. For one reason or another, the body turns on the beta cells in the pancreas. My diagnosis came after a bout with bronchitis. The immune system basically goes into hyperdrive to fight something and turns on itself. I have dealt with this for the last 11 years and finally feel better and FAR more in control now that I am pumping. Good luck to you all

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in here. I read that some of you wondered about how your child "got" diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is one of those conditions that falls in the "autoimmune" category. This means that it isn't considered inherited and such so it won't matter who all in the family has it. For one reason or another, the body turns on the beta cells in the pancreas. My diagnosis came after a bout with bronchitis. The immune system basically goes into hyperdrive to fight something and turns on itself. I have dealt with this for the last 11 years and finally feel better and FAR more in control now that I am pumping. Good luck to you all

I am glad ythat you feel better now that you are on the pump. We are considering pumping for my daugter too. She has an endo appointment in July so we will discuss it with him in detail.

My son was 6 when he was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. My daughter, which is only 12 months older than my son, was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes when she was 11. We don't have any family history of Type I Diabetes in either of our families. Although, my husband has several aunts and uncles on his mom's side that has Type II. It is a bewilderment to us as to why we ended up with two children with this disease. They are now 22 and 23 years old and are doing okay. My son has fought it hard through his teens, not wanting to be different, refusing to take his blood sugars and just randomly giving himself insulin injections. It was horrible for his father and I. Now, he is back to testing occasionally, especially if he feels it might be low. He has a history of having a seizure when he has a low blood sugar. Neither of my children were or have ever been overweight. That is more associated with Type II. I think it was harder on my son as he was so young and my daughter had watched her brother with it for 4 years before she was diagnosed and knew what it entailed.

Good Luck! As your daughter grows up, keep an open line of communication with her as she may rebel against it all at some point. It will be easier if she can talk with you about anything.

My daughter did the same thing after she was in the hospital (she was 20 months old when she went into DKA and stayed in the hospital for 6 nights). She ate so much the nurse couldnt believe it and she did so for the next few weeks after. When i asked the diabetes specialist about this he said it was normal as her body was making up for all the nutrients it lost leading up to the diabetes. It was weeks before that she was drinking & peeing alot and I had no idea she had diabetes so I guess this all does make sense. Give it some time. My daughter's appetite isnt as big as before but she does still eat alot at times. I'd also like to add that I am told by our team not to restrict any kind of food just treat her like as if she didnt have diabetes

My daughter did the same thing after she was in the hospital (she was 20 months old when she went into DKA and stayed in the hospital for 6 nights). She ate so much the nurse couldnt believe it and she did so for the next few weeks after.>> as before but she does still eat alot at times. I'd also like to add that I am told by our team not to restrict any kind of food just treat her like as if she didnt have diabetes

Ginger,

What you were told, treat her as if she didn't have diabetes, is about the best thing that was told us. That concept wasn't accepted back then but I bet you run into more people that would not accept that now than when we were going through it. But she did well and now after 37 years she still eats that way and has very little damage from the diabetes and has never been hospitalized because of a diabetes crisis.

How old is your daughter now?
BVan (Betty)

hi, i'm from the uk. my son who is now 24 was diagnosed at age 10. that is such a good piece of advice, treat her just the same as if she didn't have diabetes. i think it took me about 2 years to really come to terms with his condition and be able to talk about it properly without getting upset. and the need to find out everything i could about it, talk to anyone who knew anything, read anything i could lay my hands on, i just had to soak up information. i worried about him going off to uni, drinking, not looking after himself properly, but off he went and was fine. it seems like the end of the world at the beginning, but truly it isn't, it's like a grieving process that has to be got through - and you will get through it.
sue