Our first day of treatment

Here is an excerpt from an email that I sent out after our first day of treatment. "Okay here is the raw real side of today. Hard and it pretty much sucked....I truly feel like I am right in the middle of the thunder and lightening. You know that feeling you get when you get very embarrassed and there is that fuzzy ringing in the ears and your face is flushed. That is how I feel. We started the blood glucose testing today and as everything new does with Carter it literally sent him over the edge. Dr. Jelley basically said first thing that it wasn't a fluke he had high blood sugar, he definetly has Type 1 and emphaized the fact it is a lifelong disease without a cure and Carter's health depends upon our managment of it. We are currently going through a "honeymoon" phase where Carter's pancreas is still producing under 20% of the insulin his body needs. After 6 months to a year when his body stops fully producing insulin "things will get very hard in controlling his blood sugars" and the shots may have to increase up to 7-10 times a day. I'll just let you guess how Carter and I reacted when we heard that. Carter had to sit through all of this information. As a mom wanting to protect her child I can tell you it was and is gut wrenching.

The two insulins we are mixing together for him morning and evening will provide fast and medium acting insulin to help his body meet it's nutritional needs. Basically what had been happening to Carter and all kids with diabetes was their bodies starve themselves to death. He said treatment and recognition of diabetes is less than 100 years old. He went on to explain the genetic predisposition for Carter's gene and that is likley to be triggered by a virus that causes an autoimmune attack on the body's own pancreatic beta cells. Of course me being the glass is always half full asked if there was replacement therapy for the beta cells or any way to stop the pancrease function from deteriating. I was met with a very very bleak NO.

The last hard part is our new diet. Please pray for me. Carter has to eat exactly 38 carbs a meal with 3 scheduled snacks a day that have 15 carbs each. The meals have to be on the same schedule each day. We test Carter's blood sugar 4 times a day and do a morning and evening shot.

Please keep little man in your prayers....Laura

P.S. Marci if you are up for the walk on Septmember 23 we would love to do it! Thanks