Recently Diagnosed - Please help

[Anay]

My son (9 yrs) is recently diagnosed with type 1 (Blood Sugar Range 500+). We have started with insulin (both fast and long acting)and currently his blood sugar levels are normal. Doc has suggested few tests after 45 days like TSH, Thyroid Antibodies etc. Please let me know what are the different tests or specific procedures tha need to be performed to confirm / control further advancement of the disease.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

[Forum-vol-wak]

I am not a physician, but the mom of a diabetic.  I can tell you that the tests that you mentioned are normal standard tests the doctor runs every 6 months or so on our daughter, it is common for people who have diabetes to also have a problem with there thyroid.  

  I would not stress over these tests. They are routine to make sure that things are going well and your child is growing properly.  Diabetes can affect several parts of the body including the rate of how fast your child grows.   We had a time when our daughter was not growing at a proper rate. I was told that it was because of the diabetes.  You just need to take a deep breath and relax, it sounds like our doctor is just making sure he has a base line tests for the future. .  

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

Just one more comment here... I picked up on the wording of your question: "...to be performed to confirm / control further advancement of the disease." This is just a note to help educate you about the tests you have mentioned. Some of the things that your doctor is testing for don't have anything to do with the diabetes as such, but are testing to see if your son's immune system is attacking any other endocrine glands in his body besides the pancreas. You see, we type 1 diabetics have an autoimmune disorder that caused our bodies to attack our pancreases. The same disorder sometimes causes other endocrine glands such as thyroid or adrenal glands to be attacked. The thyroid is the most common gland to be attacked, and most doctors continue to check our thyroid function for the rest of our lives when doing routine annual blood tests. This is just to make sure that IF our thyroid function is damaged, it is caught before we start to feel bad and have serious symptoms. Most of us are fine, but some type 1 diabetics do eventually have thyroid issues as well. The good news is that if this happens, the fix is much easier to deal with than the diabetes is, for the person is put on a simple dose of thyroid medication and it doesn't vary from hour to hour like our insulin dosage does.

More than likely your son will be normal, but your doctor is following the normal protocol to check his thyroid. It sounds as if you have a good doctor.

[JOKO123]

The basis tests are the A1C (Hemoglobin test) this is drawing blood and reading your son's average blood glucose levels over the past three months, a good range is 7 and under, the lower the better. Also a 24 hour urine test to test for protein and/or sugar in the urine, uou may want to ask  your doctor about that...

Although I am sure your son hates doing it, the best way to control the blood sugars are testing at home, before and two hours after meals, you can always adjust the insulin and after a while you will get the hang of knowing a good amount, the best way os to try a sliding scale...such as if he is in the range of 100 - 150 he takes X amount of novolog.  I know it is trial by error but that is the best way and the doctor is cannot tell you a correct amount of insulin to put him on, anything he tells you is also trial by error.
I am so sorry that your son has to go through this and empathize, at times it will be difficult but there is no other way, believe me I know.

[Whitetoenail]

Hi There,
  Just reading your post and the responses from others, and thought I could maybe add some information of use.  I've been a type 1 diabetic for 12 years, and in addition to the hemoglobin A1C test every 3-4 months, I also have my kidneys and lipids checked yearly along with the other blood work (A1C).  Diabetics typically are at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, so a check of lipids (HDLs and LDLs) is important!  Also, the kidneys can become worn out after recurring high blood sugars, and can start to fail, so hence that check.  Also, I see an opthamologist (eye specialist) every year to six months to check for damage to my retinas, another complication of uncontrolled diabetes that can lead to blindness.
  Anyways, enough of the bad stuff;  I know it can be overwhelming to be suddenly faced with so many frightening tests for complications!  Don't forget that with perseverance and help, you will be fine!  I think it is very important to have a GP that will provide you with all this information, or at least let you know when you need these tests done and refer you to the people who can help.  I had a doctor who didn't let me know I needed to get these tests, and when I needed them, and I ended up switching GPs because of this.  You should be able to feel protected by your doctor! Sort of like if you're in a car...You are in the driver's seat, and your doctor is available in the passenger seat to direct you if you make a wrong turn, or aren't sure where to turn!  
  Hope you're doing well!