Please help.worried about my son

[protea]

My son is 2 1/2.I was concerned that he was having low blood sugar as he would demand a drink or food in the morning as soon as he opened his eyes.I have hypoglycemia.I was diagnosed earlier this year.I asked his dr about it and he said to go ahead and test him first thing in the morning when he wakes up.so I tested him this morning and his level was 169.he had not eaten or drank anything since 8pm the night before.So would I be correct in calling that a fasting glucose level? My concern is that the dr told me the safe levels are between 50-100.He is well above that.Is this something to be concerned about? He does have 2 bad heart valves as well so he is not your average child.he is growing well.He has been sick for as while now with fever of unknown origin.we are still trying to get to the bottom of this.But now I am concerned about his sugar levels.Please can someone advise me on this.If you read my posts on recurring fevers for children then you will know what we have been going through the last 7 months.Thanks in advance.

[Zoelula]

Many of us believe the ADA is extremely conservative in allowing blood sugars up to 180 post prandial (when damage is known to begin at 140) and up to 7.0 A1C. Many forward looking doctors and endos prefer their diabetic patients to be closer to 6.0 (not easy I know, I have got myself down from 7.2 to 6.5 this year but want to work harder to get nearer that 6.0 mark.

[Zoelula]

Good news! I'm so glad to hear it! 5.3 is indeed in the normal range. If you still are concerned about blood sugar, it can't hurt to limit sugar consumption (children today eat way to much sugar and junk food anyway imho!). Good luck on finding out what is going on with your son's health and I hope it is something minor leading to a healthy and happy New Year for your little guy (my great niece was just 2 and it's an amazing age!)

[protea]

Thanks to all who have helped me through this.The dr called today and let me know that my sons A1c level was 5.3%.I am very happy.He is now a comprehensive metabolic blood test on him to see if we can find the reason for all the drinking and peeing and the decreased appetite.Thanks again for all your support.You have truly been wonderful.

[Lis875]

https://www.accu-chek.com/us/glucose-monitoring/a1c-calculator.html#

An A1C is simply the average blood sugars of the past 90 days.
Check out the above link.

I believe the current guideline for diabetics is 7% or lower.
I have had diabetes for almost 20 years. When I was diagnosed I was 8.1% The majority of the time I have been 6-6.8% I was as low as 5.4% but that was during my pregnancy. I would be pleased if I had your son's b/s. It is wonderful that you have kept his b/s so even. Normal is 100-120.

[protea]

Ok I really need help.The dr called back and said that his fasting number was 94.We are still waiting for the A1c test to come back.Is it possible that the a1c test could be a higher number than the fasting number?
Why am I getting higher numbers when I test him fasting.He was 133 this morning and they had him at 94?
Could there be another reason for his extreme drinking and peeing? I really don't want something to be wrong with him but I am concerned about the difference in numbers.Twice when I have tested his fasting he was 99 and 93.So he has had low numbers with me too and he has also had 122,148 and 133.Please could you help me.I appreciate all the help and support you have given me.

[protea]

Thanks for all your help.I did him again today fasting and he was back at 122 again.Which I guess according to some people is not high but I would like to make sure as he is a special boy.Thanks again and I will let you know.We should have results by Tues or Wed.

[Zoelula]

If you've heard good things about the docs there and it's where his other docs are (which means they can easily confer), sounds like a good place to go. Then you can see if you feel good about the endocrinologist after you start working with him/her.

Yes, having food on your hand can influence numbers. I once took my usual blood sugar and got a reading in the 400s and before I screamed in shock I remembered I'd been spreading (sugar free) jam and hadn't washed my hands. Always important to wash (and then dry) his hands before testing.

Hang in there and I'll be anxious to hear how it goes.
Zoe

[protea]

Thanks so much.You have been such a help to me.I was wondering if we do indeed end up seeing a ped.endocrinoligist should we stay where his team of heart drs are.That would be Riley Childrens Hospital in Indianapolis,IN.I have heard they have a good team there.I also read that children could have juice or food on their hands and that could alter the test result.I guess waiting for the lab test and the A1c test will be the best.Thanks for all your support and for the sites.I will definitely let you know how it all goes.

[Zoelula]

I hesitate to make predictions as I'm not a doctor and it sounds like your son has a complex medical picture. But I can understand your wanting some ideas of what may lie ahead if he has diabetes. The good news for someone so young is that they are doing research and finding new information all the time, working on several promising areas and diabetes care has already come a long ways in recent years. If your son does in fact have Type I diabetes there is a lot of support in the real world for parents with Type 1 children, when he gets older there is even diabetes camp for kids so they can have fun, learn about their condition and meet others like themselves. To treat Type 1 diabetes there are basically two different options, what we call MDIs (multiple daily injections) and insulin pumps which are set to control insulin flow over the day and are worn next to the body. I think many young people in time get pumps as they give better blood sugar control and can allow a more normal life without the need for injections several times a day.

If your son has Type 1 diabetes, your (and his) life will change, there is no doubt about that. You will have a lot to learn at first and that is always stressfull. One thing you will have to do is make changes in how he eats, and the good news is that he is young enough to make that a bit easier.After you get over that initial learning curve, the goal becomes keeping his blood sugars in range with allowing him to live as normal a life as possible. I absolutely believe that a good medical team is essential (especially at first), but so is support from others, both your friends and family and maybe just as important, what will become your "diabetic family", in your case, other parents like yourself. There are lots of sites out there with a lot more regular input from people managing their own diabetes. I am not allowed to post other websites so I'm sending you a private message.

[protea]

Just to let you know I checked him again this morning - fasting and he was 148.The dr did tell me to do the best of three.and I guess he was right.I will wait till next week and see what hapens.Thanks for your support and help.This is all new to me and my family.Could you tell me with number like his what will be the outcome.Will he have to take therapy or shots and will I have to test him all day?I like to know ahead of time what to expect.Thanks again.

[Zoelula]

An A1C is an average of all the blood sugars for a period of a couple months. Yes, getting him checked out sounds important especially with the other problems. Now, you should forget it all for a couple days and enjoy Christmas!

[protea]

I spoke ot the dr and he said that my son is dew for blood work on the 28 so he will check his sugar then as well as a A1c.Not sure what that is.I will let you know when we have the results.Although I checked him again this morning - fasting and it was only 99.So maybe that 169 was a fluke.Anyway I think its good to have him checked out with all that he is going through.

[Zoelula]

Hi
I'm sorry you are going through so much stress with your son's health. Yes, 169 as a fasting blood sugar is much too high. Please talk to your doctor about this. Let us know how it goes.
Zoe