Good Bye Honeymoon???

We've been having problems with Ellee having high blood sugar (BS) readings lately. Any time there is a high reading, we have to think about what is causing it. Is it because she had too many carbs that we didn't account for when dosing her insulin? Was it some of the cold medicine we were giving her? Did she sneak food or drink or just have too many for a snack. Did we miscalculate how many carbs she is eating and under-dose her? So many things could factor in, and there are quite a few things that we can do to try to adjust, such as giving her a dose of insulin for her afternoon snack or changing her carb:insulin ratio to give her more insulin. But in the back of our minds, there is the terrifying thought that she might be coming out of her "Honeymoon Phase".

Usually after diagnosis, every one goes through a honeymoon phase. It is where any remaining Beta Cells that were not completely killed off start to kick back in and work after insulin injections are started. The best way I can relate it is to compare them to wounded soldiers in battle. After most of the cells are killed off, ones that are "wounded" give up and withdraw because they know they are out numbered. After diagnosis administering insulin is like sending in the backup troops to help the wounded cells. Seeing that they have back up, the cells kick back in and start working again. The great thing is that we don't inject that much insulin, and in some cases, we were able to bypass a shot for a meal! The down side is that these cells are damaged and will eventually die off.

Last week I was racking my brain with Mom trying to figure out why she has been so high in the afternoon. Looking at all the numbers in the log book trying to put together some kind of pattern, I had a horrible thought in the back of my mind: is this the end of her honeymoon???

As a realist, I know that it has to come to an end at some time, but I'm not ready for that yet! In my weird way of thinking, I some how equate the length of her honeymoon to the fact that we caught this disease early enough that not too many of the cells were killed/damaged. On that note, we are 9 months in, and the average is 6-12 months.

On the way to BounceU on Sunday to meet with other families of the JDRF Dayton Chapter, I mentioned to Staci about Ellee's numbers being high. She said that Gaven's has been too. I had read a while ago and found it very interesting that about half of the people diagnosed was right around their birthday, and that about 25% of the people say that symptoms and diagnosis came within months after a vaccine or flu shot. I'm starting to wonder... No matter when a person was diagnosed, did their honey moon end between Jan-March? My theory: with all the colds and flus going around and the immune system working over time, maybe it's also working on the rest of the beta cells. I think I'm going to get on Juvination and do a little bit of research and maybe take a poll!!!

Although I am greatly saddened by the thought of coming out of the honeymoon phase, I do realize that she will have to eventually. After reading about an Ohio woman's journey through an Isolet Transplant... the positive side of this is that for a transplant, there has to be absolutely no beta cell activity! Ellee is many years away from the possibility of a transplant, but I'm hopeful that there will be a cure breakthrough in her time!

Live Life, Be Brave!