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Diagnosis changed family's, child's lives permanently
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| Checking in: District 25 State Rep. Pat Fleming stopped in at Benson School last week as part of Arizona Business & Education Coalition's Shadow a Superintendent Program. Benson Schools Supt. Dr. David Woodall is pictured at right. (Thelma Grimes/photo.) |
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
On Oct. 9, 2006, a doctor's diagnosis changed the Thompson family's life forever when he said 3-year-old Brady had Type 1 diabetes.
Brady's mom Patina said he had been lethargic, not eating and just wanted to drink. He was also urinating more frequently, which caused Willcox residents Patina and husband Shane to worry.
"Little did I know these were typical signs of Type 1 diabetes," Patina, a 1998 Benson High School graduate, said. "That Monday morning, he acted completely disoriented and started having labored breathing. I rushed him to the Willcox emergency room and after an initial interview and a few tests, they diagnosed him with Type 1 diabetes."
Once known as juvenile diabetes, or insulin-dependent diabetes, it is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. The normal blood sugar level for a child Brady's age is between 80 and 180 mg.
In the emergency room three years ago, Brady's blood sugar level was around 834.
"The hospital staff was shocked that he wasn't in a diabetic coma," Patina said. "We were flown to University Medical Center in Tucson."
According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), diabetes is the single most common chronic disease, and accounts for more than $174 billion in health-care costs in the U.S. each year.
As many as three million Americans have Type 1 diabetes, and each year 15,000 children are diagnosed at an average rate of 40 per day.
Since the diagnosis, Patina and Shane, a 1998 Willcox High School graduate, have had to become educated on their son's condition and have had to change day-to-day activities to protect him.
"In order to get the correct insulin dose after eating and drinking, we have to pay attention to portion size and count the carbohydrates in everything he eats," Patina said. "In a typical day, we check his finder before breakfast, snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, before bed and around 2 a.m."
After the diagnosis, Patina said she and Shane were in shock, having no prior experience or knowledge of the condition.
"We tried to find a reason why it happened to him or any genetic link to a family member with diabetes, but we didn't find one on either side," she said. "In his case, the doctors say the condition was brought on by a virus and his body fought off the virus as well as his own insulin cells. Looking back, he had shown symptoms for about a week prior to the emergency room visit."
JDRF said it is important for parents to watch for symptoms in their children including extreme thirst, frequent urination, drowsiness or lethargy, increased appetite, sudden weight loss for no reason, sudden vision changes, sugar in urine, fruity odor or breath, heavy-labored breathing, and unconsciousness.
After the diagnosis, Patina learned there is no cure, but she remains optimistic that doctors will find one within Brady's lifetime, and with technological advancements, his life will be made easier.
When Brady was first diagnosed, Patina and Shane had to use syringes that administered the long and short-acting insulin. Initially, this meant 10 to 12 finger sticks a day and four injections. After three years of that, in July 2008, they started using an insulin pump.
Patina said it has made things much easier because with a pump, Brady is able to get a constant small dose of insulin 24 hours a day.
"This helps to control his blood sugars and is a much less invasive way to dose him," Patina said. "But, through it all Brady has been amazing. Even at three years of age, he would stick his finger out to get tested in the middle of the night. He is a strong boy and an inspiration to our family. At times it doesn't seem fair for him to have to deal with the pain and complications that come with this condition, but he has dealt with it courageously."
But any time Brady leaves the home, Patina and Shane worry.
"When we send him out, we fear that his blood sugar might drop too low or spike too high," she said. "A low blood sugar could be fatal. We always pack snacks of every sort in case he needs some extra sugar, or a low-carb snack. Any caretaker he has must be knowledgeable in management and treatment of his blood sugar."
Between keeping track of what he eats, the constant tracking of insulin levels and worries about his attending school for the first time as he did this year, it can become stressful for a parent. Patina said events such as one coming up in Tucson are important to the fight for a cure.
The JDRF is hosting a "Quest for the Cure" walk on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Quincie Douglas Park in Tucson.
Stacy Taormina of JDRF said the annual event usually raises about $200,000 with about 1,800 participants.
Taormina said this year's theme is from the Indiana Jones series.
Patina said the Thompson's have set a goal to raise about $1,500 themselves, and to date they have $990 in donations. Those interested in donating can log on to http://walk.jrdf.org and type in 'Brady's Buddies".
Patina said the "Quest for a Cure" theme is fitting because it represents the daily struggles they face in managing Brady's diabetes, and it "is more certainly a long-term quest."
"The theme also reminds us that we are not alone and a cure is within reach. It's hard to think about the long-term effects this will have on his body, but from the beginning, we have said that it's a card we have been dealt, and we have to continue to live normal lives. We don't let it get us down or affect what activities we do as a family. Diabetes is not who Brady is, it's just another trait that makes him special."
On Oct. 9, 2006, a doctor's diagnosis changed the Thompson family's life forever when he said 3-year-old Brady had Type 1 diabetes.
Brady's mom Patina said he had been lethargic, not eating and just wanted to drink. He was also urinating more frequently, which caused Willcox residents Patina and husband Shane to worry.
"Little did I know these were typical signs of Type 1 diabetes," Patina, a 1998 Benson High School graduate, said. "That Monday morning, he acted completely disoriented and started having labored breathing. I rushed him to the Willcox emergency room and after an initial interview and a few tests, they diagnosed him with Type 1 diabetes."
Once known as juvenile diabetes, or insulin-dependent diabetes, it is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. The normal blood sugar level for a child Brady's age is between 80 and 180 mg.
In the emergency room three years ago, Brady's blood sugar level was around 834.
"The hospital staff was shocked that he wasn't in a diabetic coma," Patina said. "We were flown to University Medical Center in Tucson."
According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), diabetes is the single most common chronic disease, and accounts for more than $174 billion in health-care costs in the U.S. each year.
As many as three million Americans have Type 1 diabetes, and each year 15,000 children are diagnosed at an average rate of 40 per day.
Since the diagnosis, Patina and Shane, a 1998 Willcox High School graduate, have had to become educated on their son's condition and have had to change day-to-day activities to protect him.
"In order to get the correct insulin dose after eating and drinking, we have to pay attention to portion size and count the carbohydrates in everything he eats," Patina said. "In a typical day, we check his finder before breakfast, snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, before bed and around 2 a.m."
After the diagnosis, Patina said she and Shane were in shock, having no prior experience or knowledge of the condition.
"We tried to find a reason why it happened to him or any genetic link to a family member with diabetes, but we didn't find one on either side," she said. "In his case, the doctors say the condition was brought on by a virus and his body fought off the virus as well as his own insulin cells. Looking back, he had shown symptoms for about a week prior to the emergency room visit."
JDRF said it is important for parents to watch for symptoms in their children including extreme thirst, frequent urination, drowsiness or lethargy, increased appetite, sudden weight loss for no reason, sudden vision changes, sugar in urine, fruity odor or breath, heavy-labored breathing, and unconsciousness.
After the diagnosis, Patina learned there is no cure, but she remains optimistic that doctors will find one within Brady's lifetime, and with technological advancements, his life will be made easier.
When Brady was first diagnosed, Patina and Shane had to use syringes that administered the long and short-acting insulin. Initially, this meant 10 to 12 finger sticks a day and four injections. After three years of that, in July 2008, they started using an insulin pump.
Patina said it has made things much easier because with a pump, Brady is able to get a constant small dose of insulin 24 hours a day.
"This helps to control his blood sugars and is a much less invasive way to dose him," Patina said. "But, through it all Brady has been amazing. Even at three years of age, he would stick his finger out to get tested in the middle of the night. He is a strong boy and an inspiration to our family. At times it doesn't seem fair for him to have to deal with the pain and complications that come with this condition, but he has dealt with it courageously."
But any time Brady leaves the home, Patina and Shane worry.
"When we send him out, we fear that his blood sugar might drop too low or spike too high," she said. "A low blood sugar could be fatal. We always pack snacks of every sort in case he needs some extra sugar, or a low-carb snack. Any caretaker he has must be knowledgeable in management and treatment of his blood sugar."
Between keeping track of what he eats, the constant tracking of insulin levels and worries about his attending school for the first time as he did this year, it can become stressful for a parent. Patina said events such as one coming up in Tucson are important to the fight for a cure.
The JDRF is hosting a "Quest for the Cure" walk on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Quincie Douglas Park in Tucson.
Stacy Taormina of JDRF said the annual event usually raises about $200,000 with about 1,800 participants.
Taormina said this year's theme is from the Indiana Jones series.
Patina said the Thompson's have set a goal to raise about $1,500 themselves, and to date they have $990 in donations. Those interested in donating can log on to http://walk.jrdf.org and type in 'Brady's Buddies".
Patina said the "Quest for a Cure" theme is fitting because it represents the daily struggles they face in managing Brady's diabetes, and it "is more certainly a long-term quest."
"The theme also reminds us that we are not alone and a cure is within reach. It's hard to think about the long-term effects this will have on his body, but from the beginning, we have said that it's a card we have been dealt, and we have to continue to live normal lives. We don't let it get us down or affect what activities we do as a family. Diabetes is not who Brady is, it's just another trait that makes him special."
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