Hi everyone, my name is Mariana and my son Oliver (soon to be 3) just got diagnosed a 8 days ago after an onset that almost kills him.
Now he’s thriving but my husband and I are not. We haven’t been able to get back to work and haven’t left him with his nanny without supervision yet. I have a few questions and your answer would help me a lot
Today he got his dexcom on top of his Butt but it seems to be all over the place giving me 45 low alerts when on his finger it was 85. This start working properly?
How to you keep track of the monitor? He doesn’t have a phone. We got a receptor thingy but that works only when we are with him. We’d like to have access to his levels when we are at work.
i ordered his an apple watch see if that pairs with the monitor which seems absurd for a toddler. Any other way?
I’m doing great with the carb counting but it’s so time consuming. How do other parents do it? Will this be like this always? How can we eat out with him?
Bananas seem to raise his glucose a ton and it was his favorite food. I always though it was so nice he liked them as they were so easy and healthy… Do you guys eat them?
Do your kids have the pump? Now seeing the monitor is so off makes me worried that the pump can be off. Does that happen?
Sorry for all.the questions this is all so new.
Thanks in advance for your help
Mariana
@T1DToddlerWelcome Marianna to this Community Forum! There are many questions you will have and please continue asking - we welcome questions and there isn’t every too many, especially from newly diagnosed and their families. I’ll try answering some of your questionsand skip the one directed toward parents - my kids are all more than a half century old and don’t have diabetes.
Your Topic, no weighing foods doesn’t go on forever, although I advise to weigh food from time-to-time just as a reminder fir yourself. After seven decades with diabetes, I keep a scale on my kitchen counter to weigh certain foods. When figuring out how much insulin is necessary for a meal, remember that quanty of what is eaten is most important. And on that theme, it may be better to wait and see how much your son actually eats before giving insulin dose.
When you refer to “his Dexcom”, I’ll assume that he may be using the G7 model - there are other models. During the first 12 hours following insertion, the G7 reading can be less than accurate and may not be accurate. You are doing the right thing by checking with the BGM; after 12 hours if reading fiffer from meter readings by more than 20%, I suggest that you perform a calibration. The Dexcom receiver is small and can be tucked in his clothing, BUT it doesn’t share with other devices. There is a relatively new iWatch that will get readings durectly from the G7; check to see it it supports Dexcom Share or Dexcom Follow and will connect directly with your iPhone.
For me, carb-counting has become almost automatic. For instance, over the course of a week rotate through three different breakfasts - I know one is 38 grans, the second is 52 grams carb, and the other is 42. At supper, I coumt im my head as I drop a pile of potatoe on my plate, and add on an eye-balled count for each of the vegies and don’t add any count for the fish or meat except for when I’m a glutton with a large steak or ribs swathed in sauce. To that count I’ll add 12 grams for a glass of milk [yes, in my 80s I still really like milk] and add on for whatever tasty desert [usually fresh fruit] is on the other counter.
I too like bananas, but even a small banana has lots of carbohydrate. I weigh the banans [half] and check my book for the carbs.
You say “THE pump”. Know that ther are several different insulin infusion pumps - all are different suzes, have a variety of differing features. Mo two are the same. All pumps have a delivery “suspend” feature to temporarily suspend insulin flow. All four type pumps that I have used have allowed me to disonnect the pump tubing at the infusion site; I remove my pump when swimming and bathing. A popular “patch” pump can not be removed.
Hi @T1DToddler and welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed at 3 years old myself and have had it for over 60 years. We didn’t have home meters until about the time I graduated from college, and CGMs followed some years later. With the tools we have now and training and experience for you and him (when he’s older) there’s no reason he can’t live a long, good life.
Dexcom has a “follow” feature but I don’t use it so I don’t want to try to explain it. But here a link that might help. https://www.dexcom.com/training-videos/setting-up-dexcom-share-and-follow
They’re is an issue called “compression lows” that happens if you lie down on your sensor and press it too hard - that might explain the difference in readings and using a different site might help. You could call Dexcom and see if they will send a replacement sensor because you suspect compression lows.
I hope you get answers to your questions.
Hi @T1DToddler, I’m sorry to hear about your son. And this will get easier.
For glucose monitoring, I highly recommend calling the Dexcom support (888-738-3646) and ask them what they recommend for having remote access to your son’s BGs. They may know of many options available.
For CGM sensors I have found that some can be erratic at first. It could a individual sensor issue or the placement is not good for accurate readings. I have found places on my arm where my reading vary and other areas where they work far better. Try to keep track of this in a notebook to learn over time which locations work best on your son. Note that some sensors may need around 24 hours to settle down. I usually get better results when calibrating a sensor after 12 hours of use if it’s still doing wonky readings that are significantly off. However note that pressure applied to a sensor can cause inaccurate low readings as well.
Yes, bananas make me spike like crazy!!! Your son is not alone there. Carb counting is more or less a game of SWAG. Same with trying to determine how much your BG will drop after activity.
There are many pumps out there with different features. The best pump comparison site I found was at . They have a downloadable file that provides features of the many new pump technologies that are available. They come in different shapes and sizes. Some of them require a phone to operate them and the Medtronic pumps only work with their own CGM sensors. iLet is a new pump (one I’m partial to) and does not require accurate carb counting with the only inputs are “less”, “usual” or “more” carb meal announcements and no need to manage carb to insulin ratios. They are also working on adding a glucagon cartridge to automate management of low’s. I’m more than happy to discuss this pump with you if your interested. There are also many folks on this board that have Tandem, Medtronic and Omnipod and can answer questions about those pumps. Pumps are a personal decision. However I highly recommend doing your research as they are all different.
Hello Mariana. I’m sorry to hear about Oliver’s diagnosis.
Read the dexcom manual before using the device to make treatment decisions. The docs and educators are going to teach you more about the dexcom but for now think of the number it shows as an estimate of Oliver’s blood glucose. If his actions or symptoms don’t match the number double check with the finger.
Some parents opt to purchase a phone that stays with their child so the sensor data can be sent to dexcom and shared. Others rely on the dexcom receiver or a pump display. When deciding what to do consider your example from #1. What is the good of knowing the dexcom says 45 when he’s 85?
You’ll get faster at carb counting as you gain experience. Eventually Oliver will be able to look at a plate of food and say “that’ll be about x units”
The carbs in fruits are simple sugars that are absorbed super quickly. Strawberries are an examples a fruit that have a little less sugar, Cantaloupe and apples have a little more. Bananas have more. Oranges and grapes pack an amazing amount of energy in small packages. Moderation is important. Putting foods with simple sugars together with fiber and proteins to slow the absorption of sugar also helps.
While the monitor can be wrong they are designed to more often read low, like your example in #1, so less insulin is delivered. Then then the monitor starts being right the pump will deliver more insulin to correct.
Give yourself more time to learn the basics and figure things out. Its easier to get your Masters if you finish undergrad first. =)
-Chris
When it comes to counting carbs you may be measuring things or right now but in time you’ll get a feel for what a portion size looks like. You may be meeting with a dietitian and they can give you some common reference items. Here’s a link to one Food Serving Sizes: A Visual Guide - in this one, one cup is about the size of a baseball and 3oz of chicken is about the size of a deck of cards. Your nutritionist might have other references with a broader range of items or ones you’re more familiar with.
I use the Glooko app for my carb counts: it has an extensive library of foods, including menu items from chain restaurants. If I want a Happy Meal from McDonald’s or a BBQ Chicken salad from Sweetgreen, the counts are right there. If you go to a mom and pop restaurant you may need to ask your server to get the information or wait to see the meal to estimate. I have to bolus in advance so In that last case I would probably take a small one to start, then add on. Your medical team will instruct you on what to do.
Sorry to hear about your son. Hopefully you are he will be better soon. I was in smae siutation 2 months ago when my daugther got diasgonsed.
Here are my answers:
1 For dexcom, check with company and may be replace and put at some other location
2. i got my daughter a phone, which she is not allowed to use but it transfer the numbers to me and my wife and we can call her if anythign needed.
3. carb count will become easy and faster. Also i start making of diary for things which your son eat more frequenlty, so u know and u dont have to calculate agian.
4. the suggestion i got for this is, let him eat what he eats and just give insulin. for first month, i was nervous but now my daughter eat all fruits, pizza, cake.
5. yes my daughter is on Omnipod and as someoneelse mention. pump are ment to keep going low.
A couple of thoughts to share … in addition to what others have already suggested. Talk to your son’s doc about timing of his insulin relative to enjoying his banana. It’s likely the banana-carbs reach his blood stream before his insulin has reached peak effectiveness. As he gets older, you may be able to give him the correct dose sooner and wait a bit 'til offering the banana. At 3, it may not be practical. Try offering something WITH the banana to slow the carb absorption (protein like peanut butter). The greener the banana, the more complex the carbs and thus the more slowly it will raise our BG. I happen to love the spotted (sweet!) ones, so I usually just have 1/2 or less at a time.
As for weighing food. It’s not forever. I’ve lived with T1D for 50+ years and about 20 years ago, I bought a digital kitchen gram scale (as my diabetes educator had suggested) because I had gotten complacent and less accurate than I thought I was. Now, I love it; often the “portion size” info on a package label doesn’t really correspond the weight of portion I choose. With the gram scale and a little math I can dose more correctly. And as Kalpesh posted, I’ve learned the carb load for the foods I like to enjoy often.
I have been Type 1 for 35 years and pumping for 20. I have never counted carbs or weighed food and my A1C is always around 6. My diet is pretty consistent.
You might call my diet boring. I pretty much eat similar things daily. Cereal, banana and tea for breakfast, sandwich, apple and milk for lunch etc. I bolus 14 units before breakfast, 5 units before lunch and 12 units before dinner. If I think my serving size is bigger, I will give an extra unit or two. I know it is unusual and I wouldn’t recommend it, but it works for me.