Sydney's doctor said Ask me again when she's about 12 or 13.
by Kim Erickson Kim-Erickson@excite.com
My daughter, Sydney - age 6, was diagnosed just before she turned 3. We heard about a pediactric endo group at a very respected Children's hospital. We wanted to get the best care possible for her, so that's where we went every 3 months, even though it was 3 hours away and I have two children younger than Sydney. Her blood sugar was always a roller coaster , ranging from 30's to Hi(over 600). It frequently rose and fell 300 points in less than an hour. We were told that's the best to expect from a child her age and we were doing everything right. It was very frustrating to say the least. Not to mention making her eat when she didn't want to, and not letting her when she did. I'm sure you all can relate to that! I had read about pumps, and seen ads in the magazines, so I ask her doctor about it. He said, "Ask me again when she's about 12 or 13." Meanwhile her Hba1c's were between 9 and 11! Then one day while at the skating rink with our homeschool group, I overheard a lady telling someone about her son being diabetic and he had just gotten a pump. I, of course, said, "Excuse me, how old is your son?" She said 10., and went on to tell me that his doctor was trying pumps on even younger kids, and he is only 45 minutes from here! I immediately got her records transfered and made an appointment! A couple of months later(Aug.'98) She got her Disetronic pump, and our lives have been radically changed for the better. Any drawbacks we have encountered have been minor compared to the many blessings the pump has brought us; not just for Sydney, but for the whole family. We don't panic if we're stuck in traffic or someone offers her candy. Now she just says, "Thank you" like any other kid. Her first Hba1c after the pump was 7.5. She loves the freedom, and it's a lot better than 4 shots a day! I think by getting her pump at 5 years old, Sydney will grow up very accoustomed to wearing it, and be much healthier because of it. When the CDE asked the doctor what in the world he was doing putting a 5 year old on the pump, he said, "I'm not. I'm putting her mother on the pump." That is basically true. At 6, she does some things for herself (Boluses, finger sticks,etc..)but, most of her care is done by her Dad and me. The way I see it, we were responsible for her care before the pump too, it's just that now we can all do a better job!
Kim Erickson
Anyone can contact me at Kim-Erickson@excite.com