Juvenile Diabeties

[kgp20]

My best friend's 14 month old son was just diagonsed w/ diabeties. His sugar was at 600 when he was admitted to Children's hospital,he was in a DKA state and is still in ICU. What are the major causes of Juvenile Diabeties?  Can anyone offer advice to help her through this challenging time.

[RecklessPrincess]

Just thought I'd reply to this as my daughter was diagnosed at 15 months.

We went through a tough time of it, but it is really important to know that your friend will get through this.

At first I was really scared, and felt like I was bombarded with information that I couldn't understand.

We are really lucky to have an excellent support team at the local hospital, including two fantastic Paediatric diabetes nurses.

Looking back now I realise what an achievement the past four years have been, for all of us, but especially my daughter, who although still plays up at meal times, is pretty well controlled, and deals with the whole school and blood test thing vey well.

When they are so tiny, it's really hard to think any further than the next feed/meal, but I can assure your friend that she will become an expert, and instead of seeing the diabetes as a disease, she will hopefully view it the way I have come to: as a lifestyle.

Hope this makes sense, and is of use. Much of the info we got at the beginning was really vague, or really negative. It's like swimming through thick soup sometimes, but there are moments when you can congratulate yourself (think about things in small steps, it takes a long time to be confident with the smallest of things)

Sorry for the long post, but your post took me back to a time when I wanted real advice, and support, not reams of info that didn't make any sense.

RP

[JDRF-Team-sgg]

The cause of Juvenile Diabetes is thought to be a malfunction in the autoimmune function of the body. People carrying certain genetic predisposition can become type 1 diabetics (called Juvenile Diabetes because it frequently happens during childhood, when viral attacks are common) when a viral infection somehow triggers the body's immune system to attack it's own insulin-producing cells as well as the virus. Researchers have even identified certain viruses that are thought to be the primary culprits because their structures are similar to the insulin-producing cells.

Diagnosis of diabetes is traumatic for loving parents, and I would ask you to put them in c ontact with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (www.jdrf.org). If they follow the "Newly Diagnosed" link on the web site, they can send an e-mail and be matched up with a volunteer who can give them individual one-on-one support. Many of the volunteers are parents of type 1 diabetics, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation offers many venues of support, from individual contact to printed materials to help educate them about their son's condition and his care.

What a good friend you are to care enough to contact this forum on their behalf. Do send them to the www.jdrf.org web site for support from folks who have been where they are now. They are not alone, and their is comfort in having folks understand their feelings and their fears.