We noticed last summer that our son, Will, was starting to lose weight and was
tired all the time. He would fall asleep on the couch in the middle of the day. He
had less energy, was thirsty all the time and was going to the bathroom a lot.
Very much a textbook case.
At the end of the summer we took him in to see his doctor. This was after
returning from a family vacation when his symptoms were more obvious to us
than during a normal week when we are both working. Will was immediately
diagnosed (a simple urine test) and hospitalized for 4 days while we learned how
to monitor and count carbs, which included 8 hours of classroom training. He
gained 12 pounds in 3 months, which was awesome because at diagnosis he was
46 lbs (at 10 years old). He now hovers around 62.
This summer we got him the OmniPod pump and it has made a HUGE difference in
his quality of life. We took it in stride and were actually relieved with the
diagnosis after seeing how quickly he got back to his fun loving, energetic, quirky
self. He’s a master carb counter, has been off to over night camp 3 times since
and is adjusting to middle school now without issues. Just a new way of thinking.
- Kim Varney
