Question from Chilton, Wisconsin, USA:

My four-year-old daughter was ill with a minor virus in October of last year. I expressed concerns, at that time, of thirst and tiredness and her doctor checked her urine. She did indeed have sugar and ketones. At that point, they checked her blood glucose and it was 249 mg/dl [13.8 mmol/L]. We were sent to a pediatrician. By the time we arrived, her blood glucose had returned to normal. An A1c was done and was 5.3. We were sent home and told to monitor her blood sugars with a home meter.

Since then, she has had at least five occasions with blood glucose numbers over 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L] and many over 160 mg/dl [8.9 mmol/L]. These are almost always one to two hours after a meal. The meal does not seem to matter. In fact, this weekend, she ate very little and said her stomach hurt. We checked and her blood sugar was 233 mg/dl [12.9 mmol/L]. Two hours later, it had come down to 153 mg/dl [8.5 mmol/L] and, by morning, it was 77 mg/dl [4.3 mmol/L]. After a small breakfast, her blood sugar was 215 mg/dl [11.9 mmol/L]. Her fasting numbers have almost always been normal, with one 114 mg/dl [6.3 mmol/L] and one 119 mg/dl [6.6 mmol/L], which was not true fasting, but five hours after eating.

My daughter has had a number of symptoms suggesting diabetes, including a yeast infection, complaining about her eyes and vision, tiredness, dizziness, and moodiness. When I notice these symptoms and check her blood sugar, she is always over 160 mg/dl [8.9 mmol/L]. Our doctors have expressed very little concern regarding the postprandial numbers since her fasting numbers are normal. Her family doctor has even suggested that this may just be the way she is and that it is normal for her. Is that possible? Could these numbers just be the way her pancreas responds to eating? Is it okay to go over 180 mg/dl [10.0 mmol/L] on a regular basis after meals? Could she continue this way for the rest of her life with no consequences? Or, is this the sign of a failing pancreas that is still able to get blood glucose levels normalized given enough time after meals, i.e., fasting numbers?