1 YEAR

One year ago today my little buddy Jaxton was diagnosed with Type 1 daibetes!

Definition Type 1 diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to properly control blood sugar levels. Symptoms Some people will have no symptoms before they are diagnosed with diabetes. Others may notice these symptoms as the first signs of type 1 diabetes, or when the blood sugar is high: • Feeling tired or fatigued • Feeling hungry • Being very thirsty • Urinating more often • Losing weight without trying • Having blurry eyesight • Losing the feeling or feeling tingling in your feet For others, warning symptoms that they are becoming very sick may be the first signs of type 1 diabetes, or may happen when the blood sugar is very high (see:diabetic ketoacidosis): • Deep, rapid breathing • Dry skin and mouth • Flushed face • Fruity breath odor • Nausea or vomiting, unable to keep down fluids • Stomach pain The symptoms in bold are symptoms Jaxton was having. I kick myself everyday for not realizing what was happening to him and taking him to the doctor sooner. The major symptoms started on a Friday and he got a little worse with each passing day. Monday morning I called the doctors office I work at and told them I needed an appt. They got him in that morning. Because I had been around him I didn’t recognize the “fruity breath odor” my main concern was he was sleeping constantly and his breathing was very rapid which breathing treatments were not helping.

Because he had not eaten for 3 days and was dehydrated they decided to check his urine. It was LOADED with glucose, protein, ketones. The readings were as high as the machine would read. They decided to do a finger poke to check his blood sugar level. It was 368. Normal range is 80-120. The nurse practitioner came back in the room and told me we needed to head to the ER and they would be admitting him for new onset diabetes! I was in shock! What? How did this happen? How did I not know? Ive worked some with diabetics, yet knew so little. I called Lantz and told him we were headed to Phoenix Childrens ER and he said he was on his way and would meet us there. In the ER they started an IV and drew some blood. His blood work came back and he was in DKA Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening complication in patients with diabetes mellitus. It happens predominantly in those with type 1 diabetes, but it can occur in those with type 2 diabetes under certain circumstances. DKA results from a shortage of insulin; in response the body switches to burning fatty acids and producing acidic ketone bodies that cause most of the symptoms and complications.[1] DKA may be the first symptom of previously undiagnosed diabetes, but it may also occur in people known to have diabetes as a result of a variety of causes, such as intercurrent illness or poor compliance with insulin therapy. Vomiting, dehydration, deep gasping breathing, confusion and occasionally coma are typical symptoms. DKA is diagnosed with blood and urine tests; it is distinguished from other, rarer forms of ketoacidosis by the presence of high blood sugar levels. Treatment involves intravenous fluids to correct dehydration, insulin to suppress the production of ketone bodies, treatment for any underlying causes such as infections, and close observation to prevent and identify complications.[1][2] DKA is a medical emergency, and without treatment it can lead to death. His bicarb level was at a 6, normal levels are in the mid twenties, and the lower the number the worse they are ( I was later told by his pediatrician that with a bicarb of 6 he could have easily been in a coma) Because he was so sick they admitted him to the PICU! We were at the hospital for 5 days. There is so much to learn about diabetes. Formulas to learn to correct high blood sugars, carb counting, which carbs are ok which ones are not, learning to take blood sugar readings, learning to do the injections, trying to teach him what happened to his body and why, comforting him, trying to understand that we were not to blame…..so many things happening around him. At one point he had 6 different IV bags going into him! He was getting blood taken from him every hour for the first couple of days! It was rough! But, he is a trooper and by the time we were released, he had started to give himself his injections once in a while and was handeling the finger pokes like a pro! I would be lying if I told you we are pro’s or handeling this well, even a year out! There are many days where I cry! I am thankful that his disease is one that can be managed with medication, don’t get me wrong…I just wish that he didn’t have to have this trial. He takes his blood sugar 6 times a day, he has to have a minimum of 4 injections a day (that’s a great day by the way) If his blood sugar is over 300 he has to check his urine for ketones. Gone are the days of running out the door on a whim. Now there is a checklist Do you have your meter? Do you have enough test strips? Do you have enough needles? Do you have alcohol wipes? Do you have your vial of insulin? Does mommy have your emergency supplies that include a glucagon pen, snacks in my purse or his bag, frosting in a tube, extra meter….when you don’t check and recheck you get a phone call from the school saying Jaxton says he is out of needles, or Jaxton forgot his insulin or we just used his last test strip…etc… 1 year later and here we are…….learning everyday how to take care of his body, still fighting sometimes about food choices he is making, still trying to let him be normal and just be a kid, mommy still trying to understand why….. Jaxton I love you! I am here for you! You wont have to fight this alone! We will keep praying for a cure, for some breakthrough in the research that will make his life easier, normal. But until that day, we will continue to thank God for insulin, for that is his miracle that keeps him with us!!!!