In December 2012, my seven year old son Owen became very thirsty and hungry - we wondered if he was having a growth spurt and we also wondered if he was thinking so much about food and drink due to his current favourite computer game, Minecraft. He had a few viral illnesses that threw us off the scent for a while, but before we knew it, he was gaunt from weight loss and when we asked a doctor from our after hours clinic on Thursday, December 6th to investigate diabetes, Owen did the fasting blood test on the Friday morning.
On Sunday, December 9th Owen appeared lethargic, upset and very much unlike himself. We rushed him to the emergency department at Guelph General Hospital where he began to suffer leg cramps from low levels of potassium and cried from the pain. His blood glucose level a that time was 26, well above his target range of 4-10. It was determined that Owen was experiencing ketoacidosis and was very, very ill.
Owen was admitted to a bed in the emergency ward where the doctors and nurses hooked him up to an I.V. of saline, glucose, insulin and a very high dose of potassium. Owen was in critical condition and was closely monitored throughout his time there. Fast forward 24 difficult hours and we moved up to the paediatric ward for a week to adapt Owen to the insulin and to teach us all about type 1 diabetes (T1D).
It has been just over a month since Owen's diagnosis. Within that period, we have ridden the highs and lows of the newly diagnosed. Owen has adapted as he must, but has his dark moments too. It is much more likely to hear laughter in our home now than a few weeks ago. We have shifted our family's food culture to include carb counting and adhering to a stricter schedule for snacks and meals. I am a creative cook and prefer to eyeball measurements (except for baking) and this measuring business is cramping my style! Seriously, once I used measuring cups and spoons for a while I am back to eyeballing portions in Owen's favourite dishes and cups. The adaptive process is swift and merciful - that feeling of strangeness is all but gone now.
Last night was difficult. Owen told us that he was seeing double and his vision was blurry. His blood sugar level was around 13 mmol/L and I felt helpless to intercede in his fight with T1D. I have begun increasing his vitamin D supplements and based on research with children with T1D, 2000 IU's of vitamin D may slow down the ravaging of his pancreas' ß cells. More on that later.
I have been taking copious notes since entering the hospital and will share some of them here. I would like to include my research and recipes as we proceed on this journey that is juvenile diabetes. Owen is talking about his feelings and he winces when the needles hurt, but he bears it so well, we remind him that it's okay to cry or be upset and he takes it in his stride. Owen is a superhero and like Ironman needs his arc reactor, Owen needs his insulin to save the world. All in a day's work.
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