Trying not to panic…i was dx’d T1 on 1/5/16 in middle age after going into DKA. It’s been a difficult road adjusting to this new twist in my 50s. My 9 y/o grandson has been very involved & “helps” with my monitoring when he visits. He was looking at my Dexcom receiver this morning & was wondering if it would tell his bg. I explained how it was attached to me but we could test him with my meter. His FBG= 148!! Last night, he had some pizza & about five (yup, i know) small juice boxes & some Sprite. But by this morn, he should have been back to normal bg.
I sent him home w a new glucometer & strips i got at a health fair & showed him how to test. Asked him & his mom to check fbg for a few days to see. Of course, i’m being accused of being a little alarmist. Do you think so?
If he is indeed T1D, i know it’s not the end of the world. But i know how this dx has rocked my world & how you parents of T1D kids struggle to raise diabetic kids who can enjoy their childhoods, and i’m praying like CRAZY this is an aberration. His mom was recently dx’d with myasthenia gravis, another autoimmune disorder, so the primal scream in my brain right now is huge.
Thoughts?
P.s. sorry i’ve been M.I.A lately. Work project is kicking my butt these days
Alarmist or not…if it’s coming from a place of love, then they should be OK with it. I’d want to know, and I’d want others in my family to know, if one of our loved ones were diabetic. If he is; indeed, diabetic, time will tell and they’ll thank you. If he’s not, then at least you (and they) will know you were concerned enough to even worry about it.
Not to mention meters aren’t all that accurate, so 148 on your meter could be in a normal range for your grandson.
As far as Diabetes, I can honestly say that except for the first 6 months when we limited ourselves because of all the learning required, we have let our son live a normal teenage existence, including no sleep “sleep-overs” at friends houses, going to sleep away camps, playing soccer and baseball, yelling at him to keep his grades up, making him clean the house, etc.
We are less concerned than many here with our ability to control his diabetes and as such have a balance that works well for us.
Thank you, all, for your perspective & encouragement. I’ve asked my DIL to check his fbg & after meals for a few days, and to schedule a ped appt. it’s encouraging to know that you all can manage D & help your kids have a full life of sleepovers, sports & snacks Sometimes i read so many posts about the struggles & sleepless nights that i forget there is another side. I will stay watchful but hopeful no matter what. I’m a grandma…that’s my job
Hi @Alex27, we were away fro a bit but just wanted to say that it doesn’t sound alarmist at all. Probably best to just check a few times and if necessary go into the doctor for a quick check.
But on the flipside, I was freaked out recently by a high BG reading on one meter – 154 after eating. It turns out this meter reads 30 points above the other three we had lying around, pretty consistently. So remember that meter error is real!
Good luck and I hope your grandson is totally healthy with no signs of T1D!
Of course you did the right thing! it’s normal for a grandparent to be worried about his grandkid.
At the same time, I would not worry unduly. There are many reasons why this number could be quite normal, most already mentioned, plus another one – he could easily have smuggled in some sugar before you tested him: that would be a perfectly normal thing for a kid to do. Also, for kids, perfectly clean hands are essential – my 12-year-old kid was trapped many times by a fake high BG due to sugar-coated hands…
So don’t worry much – it’s probably nothing! But why not get him tested anyway, there is no harm in that.
Some time last year, my non-diabetic girlfriend had me test her for fun about 2 hours post-prandial, and she was 185—we did multiple checks, and confirmed it was elevated, which it really shouldn’t have been at that point, at least not to that extent. She was convinced she had diabetes and I was a bit concerned too, but we did a few checks in the weeks following, and every single one since was completely normal, even after some pretty carb-heavy meals, and she had her A1c checked, which was smack in the middle of non-diabetic range. So I would never read too much into any one reading (which really applies to many medical tests, not just blood sugars), and I’d just keep an eye on it for a little bit. Hopefully you’ll experience what we did and find it was some weird fluke. If not, then he will be lucky to have your support, so no going out on any ledges!
Sometimes i read so many posts about the struggles & sleepless nights that i forget there is another side. I will stay watchful but hopeful no matter what. I’m a grandma…that’s my job 
