Another Checkup

T-Bear had another checkup today, this time with the nutritionist at his pediatric endocrinologist's office. He's "officially" out of honeymoon phase, which means his body is no longer producing any insulin at all (during honeymoon, there are still a few stubborn t-cells left spitting out insulin; within about 3-6 months of diagnosis they are usually killed off). We've adjusted his carb/insulin ratio to try to bring his BS back down into the target range (it's been a bit irratic this week). And, we're going to have to add testing and injections every time he eats, instead of just at major meals and bedtime. That'll be finger pricks 5 - 7 times a day (more if he's experiencing symptoms), and injections 6 - 8 times a day. I was REALLY hoping to get him on an insulin pump this year, but he's changed his mind and wants to stick (heehee) with the injections. He's one of those kids who just doesn't like change or new things.

Also today, Brother Bear enrolled in the Panda Study, which tests and tracks siblings and children of folks with Type I (Juvenile) diabetes (aka T1). They drew five vials of blood for testing, and we should know in 8 - 12 weeks whether or not he has the genetic marker for T1 and is at risk for developing it. If he does have the marker, they'll be testing him 2-4 times a year to see whether or not T1 is developing, with the hope that they'll be able to slow it down or (eventually) stop it entirely. BooBoo Bear, I think, is just not ready to have five vials of blood sucked out of his little body for testing, so I'm putting off enrolling him in the program until he's able to make the decision himself. In the mean time, I'll just worry about him.

On the positive side, T-Bear's A1c was 6.8 - YAY! - That is a TOTALLY AWESOME number! I was concerned that our vacation drove his A1c out of the ball-park, but we seem to have done pretty well with his management, despite all of the eating out and guestimating carbs (something I'm just not very good at).

And, we've got Family Diabetes Camp coming up this month! Three days of all-out camp-type activities for the kids (in cooler weather!) during which fully trained medical professionals will be worrying about T-Bear's BS levels (instead of me), meals that someone else has prepared and come with the carbs calculated for you, additional training for the kids and the parents, and, most important of all, NETWORKING with other T1 families in our area! Yeeeeeehaaaaaa! I'm sooooo hoping T-Bear will find a "new best friend" who is on a pump, so he can see exactly what it's all about and that it really is a great thing. Not that I'm pushing for a pump, or anything :)

So, that was our day. I'm gearing up for more exact and intensive BS control now that T-Bear's out of honeymoon. I've already ordered the totally nifty and rad Salter 1400 nutrition scale, which calculates carbs based on the actual serving of each food, and can store up numbers for recipes for a total count (okay, that's so uninteresting for most of you, but when you cook from scratch and have to calculate every carb precisely, this is a really awesome thing). And, I'm looking at watches with several alarm settings, plus a timer, so I can be reminded when it's time for meals and snacks based on last-eaten (3 hours is optimum, minimum 2 hours from consumption to next testing), plus T-Bear's regularly scheduled Lantus dose.

That's probably waaaaay more than you ever want to know about or family life. Thanks for reading :)