Tyler is 13 & the doctor say he can eat a large amount of carbs per meal , because he is a growng boy . When will he have to take it down to 45-60 a meal . I think that I should gradually bring him down ,because he is going to get use to the higher carbs & not want to cut down ,what do you all think… He has had it 3 years this JUly 3rd.
A type 1 really doesn’t have any extreme dietary constraints as long as they are able to match their insulin with their food… I don’t personally look at a meal and think “I can’t have that” - and I honestly don’t think that any T1 should have that viewpoint.
It all depends, what Tyler will do in his adult life and beyond . Will he exercise as part of the treatment or not( plan to become hockey player etc.etc. ) ? Will he require to loose weight , will he need to gain weight ? I was once more active
( in my forties, fifties ) then today at almost 70 and yet I consume a daily average of 190 carbs ; my weight stable , my height stable . I also participate in 1/2 marathons and shorter walks/runs .And have fun , Tyler.
Personally, I think it is not the carbs as much as it is the type of carbs… watch the fast acting carbs like white bread and things like that, also make sure he gets at least 24 grams of fiber a day. Sarah is right, diabetics can have anything they want really, they just MUST be smart about it. Plan for it… Blood Sugar fluctuation hurts a T1 diabetic more than most people think. Try to keep the sugars stable. Plan your meals well, count carbs.
I know what you mean about glycemic load effecting blood sugar (too many carbs at once). DN usually eats 70 carbs for dinner max, but if we have Chinese or lasagne, it can go over sometimes. So if she is eating a lot of carbs (80 or 90), I use a combo bolus over two hours with 80 percent up front. That way she doesn’t crash. And I can safely cover those carbs over a period of time. A large bolus is stronger than a normal bolus, so you may need less. But to answer your original question, I would say let him eat what he wants and cover it. He is a growing boy. When adult, if he feels he is putting on weight, he, himself can lower the carbs, if he wishes. At a certain point, adults have to watch their calories, but at 13, he really needs to eat.
Thanks so much for your comments, they are very helpful . He is on shots he never wanted pump ,says does not want to be connected 24/ 7 . So its all the insulin at one time ,so the trouble we have is to cover the carbs is that about 1 hour or so after he eats his sugar will drop but 4 hours later he is high . It will drive you crazy if you let it . It is a never ending battle with BS control & will be forever for all that have diabetes . Thanks again,you have been very helpful
It is possible to do a sort of “dual wave” bolus on shots, you can mix Regular and Novolog/Humalog. If he takes Apidra it would mean two shots though, since that insulin can’t be mixed with anything. When I was experimenting, I found that about 25% of the bolus as regular worked better than using more.
Another possibility is to just break up the bolus into two parts, and give the second one and hour or two after the meal… hold back enough to prevent a low, but give enough extra later to prevent the high that usually follows.
Now, I personally don’t like doing either one of those… I don’t find it necessary to use Regular often enough to keep any around (it gets expensive if you only use it a few times a month), and if I break up a bolus, I’m highly likely to forget to give the rest of it later. What seems to work semi-okay for me, is to just bolus as I eat for larger meals… since it’s usually over a longer course of time, it usually works out okay.
Tyler may decide to change his mind about pumping one day and probably will never look back . The " battle with BS control " and the flexibility compared to multiple daily shots has for me outweighed being " attached " . But then I am not 13 !! Has Tyler gone to Diabetes Camp …I would think a good place to meet other kids with diabetes and most likely lots of pumpers.
No he hasnt gone to a camp , but he went to school with a girl & boy that had the pump . I would think it would be easier but he still doesnt want it . We let him make that choice since that is the only one he has in the diabetes .
Well said …
does the pump not bother you at all ? Did it take a while to get use to ?Thanks for all your help.
what you are describing here seems to be things with high fat content. Like what Jan said, What I do if I am eathing lasagna or mexican food, I give 100 % of my normal intake that I get by counting carbs + an extra 30% 3 hours later to take care of the fat. this works for me but may not for all diabetics. some go with 70 % of the shot at the time of the meal and 30% 3 hours later. It is harder for people who take shots but it is what needs to be done if you want to eat “good” food. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm pizza
Yes is it worth 2 shots ,ok it probably is LOL
Yes, that is what I do too.
Also if I’m going to drink, say, a sugary drink- which absorbs quickly into the blood, I check my BS before I drink- adjust if necessary- then halfway through the drink I’ll take my Humalog to cover the whole thing.
Two hours later, it’s perfect BS all around!
(isn’t it funny that “bs” can stand for something else? haha)
The pump for me is " a device sent from heaven " …yes it takes lots of work , however the pay offs have been tremendous . I lived with the older insulins and very often had terrific head aches due to lows and suffered from hypoglycemic unawareness . I felt so much better in 2002, that we ended up having a dog , I did marathons , now down to halfs /10 k’s as a walker .Travel by plane across the time zones a piece of cake ( so to speak ) …this was not the case , when I used needles …feel confident to travel by myself .Timing of meals with much more flexibility .I have always believed in proper nutrition and will continue ( my joke : I want to keep my girlish figure ) …and I could go on . I am an advocate ambassador with the Canadian Diabetes Association and please to report , that kids to age 18 in our province can apply through proper channels for insulin pump therapy …next : anyone over 18 years.
Thanks for asking ; I hope I answered your question 