My Inspiration

On December 1, 2008, just eleven days before his third birthday, Lance, my son, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He is the inspiration for me to join the JDRF Bike Ride for a Cure and to raise money for Diabetes research. They have been making great advances in treatment options and will hopefully find a cure for this disease within Lance's lifetime.

There are generally two types of Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 is far more common and you probably know someone within your family or close friends with this condition. Type 2 Diabetics can produce insulin, but their bodies do not utilize it very well to get sugars (i.e. fuel) into the cells. This condition is generally treated with diet, exercise, weight loss, and oral medication.

Lance, however, is Type 1 which means his body does not produce insulin. The treatment options for Type 2 patients do not apply to him. He needs regular insulin shots and a prescribed carbohydrate diet. In general, he can eat anything that he wants as long as it falls within his allotted carb amount. So, cakes, candy, cookies are all possible if Mom and Dad plan ahead. He can do everything a normal toddler can do but we have to monitor his blood sugars regularly to make sure he is not getting too high or too low. What he eats, how much he eats, illness, and activity level all impact blood sugar numbers. As we are finding out, predicting the tastes, appetite, and activity level of a toddler is quite difficult.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: How did Lance get this disease?
A: Doctors do not really know how this disease initiates. Genetics may play a part though many children get this disease without any family history. It is believed that a typical virus (i.e. Strep, Flu, etc.) kick-starts the imune system to fight off the infection which inadvertantly attack the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Ultimately, all of the insulin producing cells are destroyed which creates this condition.

Q: Will Lance outgrow this condition?
A: No. Once the insulin producing cells are destroyed, they do not regenerate. Lance will have this condition for the rest of his life.

Q: How did you know he had Diabetes?
A: When there is insufficient insulin in the body, the sugar in your blood stream can not get to the cells where it is needed. So, the sugars keep building up. The body tries to get rid of the excess sugar through the urine. One of the common symptoms of diabetics is to be very thirsty and excessive urination. Lance had both of these symptoms. He could not get enough water to drink. He was chugging the bath water from a bucket! We were going to the potty and changing diapers every fifteen minutes! After Thanksgiving holiday we realized that this was not normal and took him in to see the doctor.

Q: Does Lance have to eat all sugar-free foods?
A: No. He can actually eat anything he wants as long as the carbs are within his "budget". With his insulin regimen he has a prescribed amount of carbs to eat with each meal or snack. We have to plan his food intake to be within this budget.

Q: I heard about this new treatment/drug/study for diabetics. Have you looked into that?
A: We are finding out that all the revolutionary new treatments, drugs, or studies are not qualified for toddlers. Even standard equipment like the pump are not recommended for toddlers. Most of the new stuff is tried out on adults and then teenagers before it becomes approved for all patients.

Post a question if you would like and I will try to answer it.