August 27, 2000
Tight Control
Question from Florida, USA:
My 15 year old son was diagnosed about a year ago with type 1 diabetes. He has maintained his blood sugar level okay. They are sometimes higher that we’d like (200s mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L]) and his lowest has been 46 mg/dl [2.6 mmol/l]. I read all these letters and wonder why he has had no “serious” problems, such as severe lows, passing out, seizures, etc. Is it inevitable that problems will happen? Is it possible to have type 1 diabetes “worse” than someone else, or someone to not have it as bad as others? I feel like I am sitting and waiting for a time bomb to go off, especially with a teenager that you cannot always control with their diabetes.
Answer:
It sounds like you have avoided many of the problems with which many kids with diabetes struggle. I would continue to work aggressively help your son with controlling his diabetes, and hopefully, you will continue to have such great success. It is possible that your son can have any of the complications you list in your question, but rather than being nervous about the possibility, I would suggest to be educated and prepared should you face difficulty with his diabetes. A good diabetes team will help you focus on prevention!
MSB
