One Family's Experience: Children with Diabetes
By Debbie Opatz, Triplet Mom
Originally printed in June, 2006

Caring for multiples, as you all know, is filled with challenges.  A year 
ago when my triplets Luke, Gracie, and Jacob were 2 1/2, I felt I was 
finally getting to a place in my life where my job could once again be 
given the attention it deserved.  The kids were sleeping well at night, 
and were getting much easier to care for.  My 11-year old son Sam had been 
diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when our babies were 2-months old, but his 
diabetes was under control and we were all at a fairly good place in our 
lives.  Then, once again, diabetes reared its ugly head.

I was getting ready to go out to dinner with friends last April, when Gracie 
came up and asked me for a drink.  She proceeded to drink three huge glasses 
of milk.  Gracie had also been using the bathroom excessively, and since Sam 
has diabetes, I became suspicious of her thirst right away.  I actually 
debated not testing her until the next day – I just did not want to know 
if she had diabetes; I wanted it all to just go away.  I did test her blood 
sugar, and it would not register on the blood glucose meter – it was too high.  
I called my husband and told him of my suspicions, and then I called the 
emergency room.  They told me to bring her in immediately.  My husband met 
us at the hospital.  After testing Gracie’s blood sugar and getting a similar 
reading of “HI,” the doctor informed us that she did indeed have Type 1 diabetes.  
They decided to send her by ambulance to the nearest children’s hospital, 
about 60 miles away.  Once there, we learned her blood sugar was over 700 
(“normal” is around 100).  

Gracie and I stayed at the hospital for three days.  The night we got there, 
Gracie’s soon-to-be doctor met us at the hospital.   When Sam was diagnosed 
with diabetes 2 1/2-years earlier, he was not hospitalized.  I was curious 
as to why Gracie was.  In hindsight, I realize it was one of the best things 
that could have happened to help us deal with Gracie’s diabetes.  Gracie was 
started on an IV immediately, and we started giving her insulin shots that 
night.  During the three days of our stay, we spoke to a dietician, the 
Certified Diabetes Specialist, many, many nurses, and most importantly, 
her endocrinologist.  We were taught how to care for a 2-year old with 
diabetes – how to feed her, how to administer insulin… and how to lead a 
somewhat normal life.  

When Sam was diagnosed with this disease, my first thought was, “He will 
have to prick his finger/receive shots more than 10 times a day – my poor 
baby.”  While that is not a joy, it is the easy part of diabetes.  The hard 
part is keeping blood sugars just right – not too high, and not too low.  I 
liken it to walking a tightrope – there is just one place that is acceptable, 
and if you go over too far one way or the other, you risk falling off into a 
very dangerous place.  With children, especially children as young as Gracie, 
their insulin needs change often – sometimes every couple of weeks.  When we 
think we have it all figured out… it changes.

Sleep is a hard thing to come by in our house.  I usually get up every couple 
of hours to test the blood sugars of both kids.  When things are not going well, 
I generally just stay awake to monitor their blood glucose.  I have the feeling 
that parents of kids with diabetes may be the most sleep-deprived individuals in 
the world!  We try to keep Gracie’s blood sugar between 100-200.  With children 
under six, it is important to keep them from going “low” (under 70) because their 
brains are not fully developed and brain damage may occur.  It does happen from 
time to time, but we work hard to keep these lows at a minimum.  We watch Sam and 
Gracie extremely closely, and look for any signs of potentially low blood sugars… 
trying to balance that with the sometimes-obstinate behaviors of a 3-year old and 
a preteen is at times a challenge! 

This disease is a 24/7 endeavor.  We have a wonderful medical team, who offers 
only positive, encouraging advice – never laying any blame when blood sugars 
aren’t perfect.  The last thing parents need is more guilt.  They need help in 
making their child as healthy as possible.  Our team helps us with going over 
hundreds of blood glucose values to calculate insulin dosages, taking calls in the 
middle of the night when blood sugars are bad or when insulin has been administered 
incorrectly, and helping when the child is ill and blood sugar values go crazy.  
The medical team becomes a new part of your family.  It is important to find one 
that fits with your family’s needs.

Both Sam and Gracie went on the insulin pump last summer – what an amazing invention!  
Sam and Gracie eat the same things their brothers do, whenever they want to.  We 
no longer have to time our meals to coincide with insulin peaks, or worry that 
their insulin may peak in the middle of the night.  As time goes on, it does get 
easier to deal with diabetes.  And, I am confident that there will be a cure for 
Type 1 diabetes – hopefully before my kids leave us for college (otherwise, I may 
be going with them!).  It is a difficult disease to deal with on a daily basis, but 
if we do a good job of it now, my children’s bodies will be healthy when the cure is 
finally found.  That day will be amazing.