Parents’ of children with Type 1 diabetes instinctively know where the title ‘wetting the bed’ is going. When a child with Type 1 diabetes wets the bed it usually means that their blood sugar is too high and their body is trying to excrete the excess sugar through the urine. They wet the bed simply because it is too much too fast. They either can’ t wake up in time, or because it is so out of the norm for them to wet the bed they didn’t even have a notion of what was actually going on.
In our case, prior to my son’s diagnosis he started wetting the bed. He started about 5 days before his actual diagnosis. He wet the bed once a night for a few nights. During the night before his diagnosis he wet the bed no less than 5 times. At diagnosis the next day his sugar was over 1200 (normal being 100) so it is clear to see why his body was expelling so much urine. The amount of sugar in his blood was suffocating his cells and he was dying. His body recognized that something was wrong and tried with all it’s might to make things right.
I’m not sure if you know our diagnosis story. The abbreviated version is my son started wetting the bed and drinking a lot, I started researching diabetes, I demanded a urine test at his 4 year old check up, and the rest is history. Our story is here http://s782639264.onlinehome.us/?p=174 if you want to read it.
The title of this post, however, is not about my son, it is about my daughter. My newly minted 6 year old who does not have Type 1 diabetes. My healthy, beautiful, energetic, sassy 6 year old daughter wet the bed the other night and the only thing I could think of was…diabetes. I skipped over the fact that she took a cough medicine that could have made her extra tired, I skipped over the fact that she could have forgotten to pee before she got into bed that night, I skipped over the fact that she could have been dreaming about the ocean. I skipped all the reasons a mom without any children with diabetes would think of. I went right to it. Right to diabetes. Right to another diagnosis.
She doesn’t have diabetes…for now.
After I cleaned her up, and put her snug in her bed, I did check her sugar. It was perfect. I did breathe a sigh of relief…for that moment.
That one moment in time when my daughter does not have diabetes.
In my heart, and gut, I am waiting for the other diagnosis. I don’t know for sure of course, but along those lines, I don’t know for sure one is never coming either. I am always in a state of waiting. Waiting if she will be diagnosed, or waiting if she won’t. People are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes well into their 50s so the waiting will never end for me.
Every time she eats too much…I hold my breath.
Every time she pees too much…I wait.
Every time she asks for 2 drinks in a row…I worry.
Diabetes permeates your heart and soul even when you work 24 hours a day pretending that it doesn’t.
I have a 15 year old son who is drinking alot and alo started wetting the bed a few weeks just waiting on some results to come back i know there are alot of other sighns to diabeties which he is not showing but after reading some of your stories im starting to think what this could be could any body give me some advise
I have type 1 (im 14) and my mum is the same. I started wetting the bed when I got diabetes and for the next few weeks quit consistently. I have been wetting ever since and I have become extremely embarrassed and scared of being the ‘little baby’.
I wish my mum didn’t have to suffer because of my disease, It and I have caused her soo much worry, stress and emotional pain. I feel guilty anytime I have an episode (faint/had a seizure), we’ve both become a little slack and I dont see see how I’m going to be able to have to constantly take care of this god forsaken disease, I know there is worse, but this is a constant annoyance, a cloud over my head.
I just found your blog and have to say you do a fantastic job of explaining so many things about having a child with Type 1 Diabetes. I have a son that was diagnosed 3 1/2 years ago and in reading your blog you have described so many things we have gone through. This post about your non-diabetes child wetting the bed and you checking their # just to be sure is so true…I’ve done this a few times myself. I look forward to reading more of your blog in the future. It makes me feel like I’m not the only Mom going through this. Thanks!!
I know the feeling! My daughter was 2.5 years old when she was diagnosed, she is now 7. I now have a 22 month old son and freak out all the time and him and my daycare kids having juvenile diabetes. I see the “signs” every where I look sometimes. I am ready for the day we don’t have to worry anymore!
Thanks so much for reading Pat. I guess the feeling never goes away.
even though Shannon was dx’d as a baby, I still worry about her older brothers. anytime they get the flu, I test them just to make sure it’s the flu & not high ketones making them sick. one son seems to get checked more than the other as he seems to drink so much & pee so much, but so far, so good (knock on wood). thanks for being able to put so eloquently what we all feel.
i have the exact same thought every time my 9 year old daughter asks for another drink. Just waiting and hoping not to have 2 kids with Type 1 to manage.
I hate this for both of us, for all of us. Hugs to you and all your little ones. Thanks again for reading.
Leslie
Leslie,
I so know his feeling. For some reason for me I get super panicky at the times you mentioned and since Dylan was diagnosed at 2 1/2 when Aidan was that age I just waited for him to start showing signs, and now that Keira is approaching that age I worry about her more now too. I know it can happen at any age, but I worry more about it at this age.