I just wanted to share this with you all just to explain my recent absence...

[Hawkemotorsport]

Hi All,

 

I just wanted to explain the reason why I have been absent from the forum for a little while.  Back at the beginning of the month, my daughter of 3 years old started to act strange and telling us she felt a bit wrong. Thinking it was a cold (as she had a slight temp) we treated it with Calpol and it seemed to help. As the month progressed her temp went back to normal but she was getting irritable, sleepy and very lethargic, spoke to the doctor to which they just said keep an eye on it as it could just be a growth spurt etc..

 

A few days later before her bed time she asked to go to bed, something that concerned me greatly. I was up until the early hours with my wife stating that something was not right with that and insisted that we take her to the doctors in the morning. When waking her the next day (she normally is up at 6am) she was awake but pretty much unresponsive, not talking or anything.

 

Taking her to the doctor and doing some tests showed that her Glucose levels were really high and her keytones were really high as well. She was suffering from Ketoneacidocis. We were told to take her to ER right away. My wife took her to the hospital it was confirmed she has Type 1 Diabetes which is an Autoimmune disorder which isn't related to diet or exercise but is caused by something as simple as a Cold of flu virus, the doctors still don't know what causes the body to do this but it does happen.

 

So this was a massive shock to us and she had to stay in hospital for 5 days while doctors got her blood back into a less toxic state and the glucose under control to some extent, we also had to learn how to treat our daughter moving forward. She needs 4 injections a day and all her food needs to be calculated before she can eat etc..

 

After 5 days my wife and my little girl came back home from hospital and we started to get to grips with the new adjustments.. However on top of all this my wife at this point was due to give birth to our second daughter in the next couple of weeks, this obviously put the pressure on to make sure we were confident with treating our daughter in time before the baby was due to arrive..

 

Fast forward a few days to a Saturday, we felt confident enough to take our daughter swimming as we want to make sure she does not feel that anything is a miss in normal life.. however my wife was complaining of irregular short sharp pains during the day. That evening they started to get worse, so my wife called the hospital for advice, they said it was nothing to worry about and to just keep an eye on it..

 

We went to bed and that's when the pain kicked in, yes my wife was in labor, as we have no one at home to look after our 3 year old and due to covid only allowing 1 person in with the mother, I had to stay at home while my wife went in on her own. She ended up spending the night there and the labor seemed to be long like the last one. I managed to get some friends around early in the morning to babysit our daughter so I could go and see my wife and hopefully the birth of our baby girl in between giving her, her injections.

 

Luckily when I arrived she was being prepped for a C section as there was no progress, so I arrived got into scrubs and right into the operating room where my wife was, the operation was taking a little while and time was approaching to administer our daughters next injection.. luckily our 2nd daughter was born with just 5 mins to spare and I got to hold her, I then had to rush off and tend to our other daughter..

 

As my wife had a c section she is not allowed to do pretty much anything for 2 weeks and not able to do any lifting, driving or work for 6 weeks. In the first few days our 2nd daughter started to lose too much weight, So back to the hospitals to work out why our 2nd daughter isn't gaining weight and after an anxious wait (thinking it could be the same issue), the blood tests all came back fine and all it was down to the fact my wife was so stressed with what was going on it was effecting her supply.

 

So this is where I have been, looking after my girls. Needless to say its been one of the worst and best months of my life, heartwrenching but also joyful... its a odd one to feel...

 

The good news is, that we are getting there with our daughters blood glucose levels, our new little one is now putting on weight and my wife is back on her feet, So I should be able to update you all with new offers etc ..

 

I just wanted to share this with you all just to explain my absence

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Wow, what a month! Congratulations on the new arrival. Sounds like you're getting to grips with the first daughter and getting into a routine. Good to hear you're trying to keep life as normal as can be, for her, too.

[TAFKARM]

Congratulations

[cast iron]

congratulations all coming good in the end

my dad had a similar escalating diabetes experience, when he had the flu, they just couldn't get it under control, then as quick as it occurred it was all over and back to normal! i hope your outcome is as simple? but so far its looking good for you all

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Congratulations to you all.

 

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

My you’ve really been through it, (some what of an understatement). I really hope that’s the end of it and life can return to normal. Well as normal as bringing a second baby home can be. I’m sure you’ll very soon get to grips with the diabetes as will she. My wife worked in primary school  for many year and looked after quite a few diabetics, most of them learned how to deal with it themselves through their Primary school years

[Kingster]

Wow.
 

Glad it’s all worked out - but family first, the rest can wait. 

[jeff oakley]

As others have said, you and your wife have been on the emotional roller coaster. Congratulations on the birth but also well done for being so in tune with your child to see something was not right and getting her help.

 

Having diabetes is not as bad as it once was, although hard on your daughter, but there are excellent support groups out there and she will be looked after now medically.

 

All the best to you all

[Nic Chase (NICO) - Shropshire & Mid-Wales AO]

Congratulations and what a roller coaster journey. 
Good to hear everything is getting better. 

[Hawkemotorsport]

Cheers everyone for your kind comments.

 

Yep onwards and upwards 😄

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

We have a saying here that amounts to a bit of an in-joke, and that is "...we'll do that when the heat's off!" 

I must say the heat has been on you like a blast furnace! Type 1 diabetes is commonly hereditary I believe, although your experience says it's occasionally 'out of the blue' as it were. I have a cousin by marriage who's a type 1 and she has had to manage her condition all her life - successfully I might add. If it's managed well it becomes a manageable nuisance almost, and as someone else said, it is less of a burden as medicine progresses.

 

I wish you all the best of luck and send congratulations on the new addition to your family - she looks perfect! My son and his wife have a daughter of eleven months and both he and his wife are doctors but it doesn't save them from the angst of this baby being theirs! 

[CarbonWest - Chris Broster - Bristol & Bath AO]

Wow, that is a traumatic but ultimately joyful experience. As a Type 2 Diabetic I am not affected in the same way as your daughter but it does take a mindset change; once done you can get on with living your life. It sounds like you are juggling things well and providing the best medicine - time, support and love!

 

It goes without saying that if it is getting too much and you need to vent at some one about anything; throw it up here and we will all listen!

 

Best wishes