Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Diagnosis Day 12-27-2010 (Pt. 1 Diagnosis)


I'm sure that lots of you recognize "that" look.
For a few days before Christmas Isaac was starting to have symptoms of type one diabetes. A few times he had wet the bed..Which had never happened before. On Christmas Eve I noticed in a picture how small his arms looked in a picture of him making Christmas cookies..Then I also noticed how thin his face and rest of his body was looking..He has always been lean and very athletic.But this was different. I thought maybe he was having a big growth spurt causing the bed wetting-he had also been bear hunting for several weeks in which he hiked for hours and double digit miles back in the mountains-explaning his weight loss(and getting taller/looking slimmer-.back to the
growth spurt idea)..In about 2-3 days he had lost alot of weight.He had complained of chest pain at our Church Christmas play and a few other times. Christmas Night he also started to drink more and urinate more in the night. The last two symtoms hit the morning when were going to the Dr. The morning we got up to go to the Dr.s office he came back out of the bathroom and said he could hardly walk across the floor...(Again, something he has never complained of..fatigue) He has never been a complainer..
Then he sat on the couch and starting throwing up..that morning is when it hit me how seriously ill he was and could not get to the hospital fast enough..(I had been looking up the symptoms on the internet)


There was 18 inches of snow on the ground that morning. We had an appt. scheduled with our pediatrician. He told us to go on to the hospital , that his office would not be opening until one that day because of the snow. So we headed to the Niswonger Childrens Hospital apx. 45 minutes away.

 Within about 10 minutes at the childrens hospital ER we found out he had type 1 diabetes and was in DKA(diabetic ketoacidosis-which can kill). They said the reason he had not shown symptom's earlier was because of the good physical shape he was in (very active) and his healthy diet. They figure he had been sick awhile. His A1C was over 13. His blood sugar at diagnosis was close to 500. (His A1C is down to 6.7 now)
 I knew diabetes was a very real possibility with his symptoms..Which had only been showing for a few days. It was still shocking to "hear" the diagnosis......
In our room...that we would end up staying in for nine days.

His first meal they sent up after diagnosis. (With mamaw)

IV's in both arms..We were almost sent to the PICU to be put on an insulin drip.
They had to keep uping his insulin dramatically over the next several days. Our local children
hospital has no Pediatric Endocrinologist so the doctor's there kept in touch with East Tn. Childrens Hospital which is over 2 hours away from us..That is where we go to now for our quarterly check ups.
He decided that he wants to "celebrate" his diaversary.(Diagnosis day) So that is what we are going to do.
Thank you Lord for bringing us this far. And for always being there for/with us.
God is so good.
My son is a fighter/survivor.
One year later!
Praying for a cure.

3 comments:

Heather said...

I remember diagnosis day for both of my girls very vividly. So hard to look back on those days, but we have come so far. The first year is the hardest, Happy Diaversary! I hope that you celebrate in style!

Kelly said...

This brings up so many memories for me too. So glad that he is here today with you all to celebrate! God is Good!

Tracy1918 said...

Wow...your story sounds so familiar to ours. But yes! God is good. He has faithfully brought us through and will continue to do so. I'm so glad you're doing well. I hope you celebrate this life-saving day, Sweet Friend!