Question from Campton, Kentucky, USA:

Last week the endocrinologist said that medically anyone who has two random sugar testings 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L] or over are considered diabetic. My son has had several high readings, way over 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L] that eventually return to normal. Occasional lows are now becoming a problem. Does this sound like the typical onset of type�1 diabetes? I thought that, if you had diabetes, you only had hypoglycemia if you were receiving insulin injections. The endocrinologist suggests that my son is in a honeymoon period. Have you ever heard of such an onset of type 1 diabetes?

I have noticed that most of his high sugar readings are when he is sick with a virus, etc. It has been as high as 496 mg/dl [27.6 mmol/L] and 356 mg/dl [19.8 mmol/L] recorded at the doctor’s office, and it was 26 mg/dl [1.4 mmol/L] one morning at the doctor’s office, but he was not fasting. They told me to feed him and come back 30 minutes later and it registered 260 mg/dl [14.4 mmol/L].

No one really knows what to make of it. I just know that I stay uptight and anxious all the time. He does have some important lab work coming back this week. He was tested for the islet cell antibodies and the anti-GAD antibody. They should be in later in the week. I would still like your input on what you think may be happening to my son.