June 9, 2003
Hyperglycemia and DKA
Question from Eureka, California, USA:
Scenario: my son is doing homework, he tests, is 350 mg/dl [19.4 mmol/L], and we correct with insulin. Should I give him a break from homework until the correction takes effect or insist that he gets back to homework (which is not his favorite past-time even when blood glucoses are normal)?
Please do not address the issue of maintaining proper control. We understand this and are well focused on it. What does it “feels” like to have a high blood glucose in light of the circumstance I described?
Answer:
Some kids with very good control insist they can feel “bad” when either high or low, and I believe them. Low is worse than high, and I wonder if he is able to do his best when high, but homework is not a test. Children with diabetes have swings in glucose, and we cannot let it be a crutch for never doing required things (He might never finish school).
I don’t know if I have a clear answer for you except to do your best. Perhaps 350 mg/dl [10.4 mmol/L]isn’t high enough, but 500 mg/dl [27.8 mmol/L] is.
LD
