It was a bitter wintry night in Maryland in January 2017. A blizzard was about to hit the entire mid-Atlantic region, extending far down into the Deep South. The nurse at my teenage son’s boarding school called to say that Daniel had just been admitted to the hospital in Asheville, NC, suffering from a rare and life-threatening condition known as [Stevens-Johnson Syndrome](https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/stevens-johnson-syndrome-toxic-epidermal-necrolysis) (SJS).

Planes were grounded, so I threw some things in a bag, and my college-aged daughter Julia and I jumped into the car for the 500-mile drive. As I sped down the highway, my daughter read me information from her cellphone Google search, including the fact that SJS patients were at risk for serious complications. Some SJS patients lost their eyesight, and some lost skin like burn patients. Some even died. 

When we arrived at the hospital the next day, and I quickly threw myself into comforting and caring for my son. I stayed at the hospital with him 24/7, grabbing some food here and there, and napping on the little couch in his room. My only exercise was walking back and forth to the hospital cafeteria. Daniel was my one and only focus.

When I look back at that time now, I can’t really remember much about how I physically felt, except for being profoundly tired and exceptionally wired. I was drinking coffee day and night. My daughter kept ribbing me about the fact that my jeans were so baggy that they were almost falling off, but my weight wasn’t something I had the brain space to think about. 

After more than a week of intense pain and trauma, Daniel was finally released. His doctors said he needed to recuperate locally for a few weeks before he could go back to school. So he and I decamped to a local hotel, where I was on full-time mom duty taking care of him until he was recovered. 

Finally, after nearly a month, I was able to drop him off at school. On my long drive home, I stopped to visit a long-time friend, Jane, who like my daughter, commented on how skinny I looked. I brushed her off too. It’d been a stressful time, I wasn’t surprised I’d lost a little weight.  

## Symptoms That Were Too Easy to Ignore 

But once I was home, the stress only continued. I was in the final stages of showing my house for sale, packing to move, and trying to find a new place to live after 18 years…all after being away for weeks. Between the house prep and getting back to my full-time patient-advocacy work, I was working 18-hour days. And even though more symptoms were popping up, I kept pushing through.

I was exhausted. My mouth felt like cotton. I even woke up several times a night so desperately thirsty that I gulped down a liter or more of water (this after sipping on a large water bottle all day long). Looking back now, I was probably drinking six or more liters of water a day and spending quite a lot of time in the bathroom as a result. And despite everything I was drinking, my skin was unusually dry (it was winter, right?). I notched my belt tighter and moved on.  

About a week after getting back, I woke up after sleeping 14 hours straight. I got out of bed and was so weak I felt as though I was walking neck-deep in a pit of mud. No amount of coffee helped clear my fuzzy thinking. I finally admitted to myself that something was wrong—but for some reason, still didn’t call the doctor.  

I did, however, have a nagging voice in my head that kept saying, “Test your blood sugar.” Finally, early that evening, I dragged myself to the pharmacy and bought a glucometer. Sitting in my car in the parking lot, I pricked my finger and self-tested my glucose for the first time in my life. The result: 445. Normal is less than 120. I thought it must be an error, so I tested it again. This time? 450.

Only then did I call my doctor. When I told her that my blood sugar was 450, she told me to hang up and go at once to the emergency room.

I drove 17 miles to urgent care instead because that’s what my insurer requires whenever possible. They ran another blood-sugar test, took some more blood and sent it to the lab. Within an hour, they put me on an intravenous drip of fluids and insulin. They said that I was seriously dehydrated, low on electrolytes, and needed the insulin to lower my dangerously elevated blood sugar, a condition known as hyperglycemia.

As the IV flowed, I was like a dried-up sponge soaking in life-giving fluid. The cotton-mouth feeling I’d been living with for weeks started to subside. I started thinking more clearly and quickly started to feel better.

I naively assumed they would send me home after a few hours and tell me to see my doctor for a follow-up. I was surprised, then, when they told me that an ambulance would be taking me to the nearby hospital, where I would be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). They explained that I had a life-threatening condition known as [diabetic ketoacidosis](https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/diabetic-ketoacidosis-signs-symptoms-and-treatments), or DKA. 

In DKA, the body’s inability produce insulin produces dangerously high levels of blood sugar that after time, can cause coma, organ shutdown, and eventually, death. I would need several days of careful monitoring in the ICU to prevent those scary complications.

The next morning, a doctor explained that at least for now, I was an insulin-dependent diabetic. While at the hospital, I did some research. Given my existing autoimmune disease—[Hashimoto’s thyroiditis](http://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/hypothyroidism-and-hashimotos-disease-the-difference)—I strongly suspected that I had also developed another autoimmune disease, a form of insulin-dependent type-1 diabetes called latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, or LADA. Having one autoimmune condition puts you at an increased risk of developing another down the road.

After a few days in the ICU, and a few more days in the hospital, the doctor released me. I was told to keep injecting insulin and to follow up right away with an endocrinologist for further evaluation, diagnosis, and a treatment plan.

At my endocrinologist appointment, the doctor reviewed my medical history, and the records from my hospitalization. I told her that based on my own history and research, I suspected LADA, and she agreed. She ran the tests that would rule it out, one measuring levels of C-peptide and one for glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA). As it turned out, I had very low C-peptide levels and very elevated GADA antibodies–typical findings for LADA. Going forward, I would need [daily blood-sugar monitoring](https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/benefits-of-careful-blood-sugar-management) and [insulin injections](https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/understand-your-insulin-treatment-plan). 

While recuperating at home after my hospital stay, I had plenty of time to ask myself the obvious question: *WHY DIDN’T I RECOGNIZE THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES EARLIER?* 

I lived and breathed hormones, after all! After more than 20 years as a patient advocate and as an author of more than a dozen health books, I’d read more medical textbooks and journals than I could possibly count. I could recite the signs and symptoms of every hormonal health condition–including diabetes—in my sleep. I’d also cautioned and counseled hundreds of my clients to pay attention to their symptoms and to be proactive with their doctors. I had no problem going to bat for my children or my clients and teaching them how to do the same for themselves. But I was so busy taking care of my son (and everything else), that I clearly had overlooked the need to take care of myself. 

And, as a result, I ignored my own screamingly [obvious diabetes symptoms](https://www.healthcentral.com/article/type-2-diabetes-it-may-be-lada), including rapid weight loss, excessive thirst, frequent urination, dry skin, fatigue, and muscle weakness. I’d also explained away and flat-out ignored my symptoms to the point that I ended up hospitalized and the ICU. The doctor said that if I had waited much longer, I probably would have gone into organ failure, a coma, or even died. 

## Why We Need 'Intensive Self-Care' 

When you’re on an airplane getting ready to depart, the flight attendant’s safety briefing includes some version of the following caution: “In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, the oxygen masks above your seat will drop. Please place the mask first on yourself, and then help your child.”  It’s overused, but this analogy works when applied to taking care of ourselves before we can take care of others. 

I call it “intensive self-care.” It’s the recognition that under periods of ongoing and unrelieved stress, we need to follow specific steps to take care of ourselves. 

Those of us with a chronic illness also need to practice intensive self-care. Why? For many of us, the daily challenges of life keep us in constant fight-or-flight mode. Even when we have unrelieved symptoms, or we don’t have an ounce of energy left, we still must push through and keep going. We have meals to cook, household chores to do, children and elderly parents to care for, partners and spouses to attend to, high-pressure jobs to perform, and a mountain of expectations and commitments to meet. Stress skyrockets and leaves many of us on high alert all the time.

Unfortunately, when we are living with acute or chronic stress, intensive self-care is usually the first thing to go. I know all too well, because that’s what I did. 

I had to learn–the hard way. But you don’t have to. 

## The Basics of Intensive Self-Care

What is involved with intensive self-care? Let’s take a look at how you can put it into practice. 

__Get enough rest.__ Stress is exhausting, and it’s also a vicious cycle. Get enough rest to prevent stress. Researchers have shown that chronic stress has a significant effect on the [immune system](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/) that ultimately manifest an illness.

This means that getting as much sleep and rest as possible are an essential part of intensive self-care. 

It’s not always easy. In my situation, some things were beyond my control. I needed to stay at the hospital overnight with my son, where I found it hard—and sometimes impossible—to fall asleep. When I did manage to get there, I was frequently awakened throughout the night by nurses. But I should have used my usual go-to technique: listening to a [guided meditation](https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/benefits-of-meditation-for-thyroid-patients). And, there were times during the day when my son was resting when I should have taken a nap or rested—but didn’t. 

__Eat healthier foods.__ When we’re under stress or in crisis mode, what we eat may seem unimportant. But doing your best to eat healthy foods is another vital part of intensive self-care. 

For example, I didn’t have to rely on the hospital cafeteria’s selection of greasy fast food and snacks. My son’s hospital room had a refrigerator, and there was a microwave available on the floor. I could have made quick trips to the nearby grocery store and brought back healthier foods and snacks. The same applies to our several weeks at the hotel, where we had a fridge and microwave, but lived on hotel breakfasts, fast food, and takeout. 

__Get physical activity.__ You don’t have to do a daily spin class or five-mile run, but intensive self-care requires some physical activity, every day. 

During my weeks at the hospital and hotel, I didn’t exercise. In fact, I spent most of my time sitting. I could have done some walking in the hallways of the hospital or hotel, or even done some gentle yoga and stretching. I was so focused on my son, however, that I put my physical welfare on hold. As a result, my muscles became weak, my body was stiff, and I felt even more tired and rundown.

__Use stress management practices.__ Stress has both a mental and physical impact. According to Herbert Benson, M.D., author of the bestselling book [*The Relaxation Response*](http://www.relaxationresponse.org/), even 10 minutes a day of a relaxation response practice such as meditation, tai chi, or crafting can inoculate us against the genetic and physical rampages of emotional overload. 

During the time with my son, I didn’t keep up my usual practices. Typically, I do breathwork and guided meditation throughout the week. Once I arrived at the hospital, however, all thoughts of stress management went out the window, of course at the time when I needed it more than ever! As a result, I was in a state of fight-or-flight for weeks–flooding my body with caffeine-fueled adrenaline to supply the energy I needed for the long days and nights.

__Pay attention and don’t explain away your symptoms.__ I’ve coached many women who assumed—and were told by doctors–that their extreme fatigue, depression, and weight gain were “normal for women,” “typical in new mothers,” or “usual during menopause,” only to find out later from new doctors that they had treatable hormone conditions. 

Don’t explain away your symptoms, and don’t let others do it either! You may find it helpful to do a daily symptom check with yourself. This is my new daily routine. If I notice a symptom that’s out of the ordinary, I not only make note of it mentally, but I also make a point to jot it down and date it. When I notice a persistent symptom or pattern, I no longer hesitate, and check in right away with my doctor.

It was easy to explain away my symptoms. My weight loss was “due to stress,” my constant thirst was due to “dry indoor heating.” But I should have paid attention to and seen a doctor about my obvious symptoms. I was just too stressed to make it a priority until it was almost too late. So, if there’s anything I learned from my own experience, it’s that early intervention and diagnosis may prevent so-called “random” symptoms from turning into an acute and even life-threatening health crisis! 

## Do as I Say, Not as I Did

If I had followed intensive self-care, would I still have developed LADA? There’s no way to know for sure, but it’s possible that I may have at least slowed down the progression of my autoimmune diabetes, or maybe even prevented it. One thing I know for certain: I could have prevented the dangerous episode of DKA that landed me in the ICU and could have killed me. As it was, it took me months to recuperate from my hospitalization, and regain enough energy to fully function in my daily life and be there for my children and handle my daily life. 

There was an upside to my trip to the ICU and LADA diagnosis, however. I’m now fully committed to intensive self-care, especially when times get tough. In fact, when life is at its most difficult, that’s when we MOST need to get enough sleep, eat well, move our bodies, and manage our stress. 

So, please take it from me. I almost died after ignoring my symptoms and putting my own health last. Don’t make the same mistake! We all live with the day-to-day challenges of life – not to mention life with chronic illness. Put aside the guilt and excuses, put on that oxygen mask, and make intensive self-care a priority in your life. You are worth *every single minute* of time you spend taking care of yourself!

__See more helpful articles:__

[Stress and Your Health](https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/how-stress-makes-thyroid-disease-worse)

[Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments](https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/diabetic-ketoacidosis-signs-symptoms-and-treatments)

[Understanding LADA](https://www.healthcentral.com/article/type-2-diabetes-it-may-be-lada)

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Health advocate Mary Shomon landed in the ICU after nearly missing the signs of LADA, a form of type 1 diabetes. Now she shares the lessons that can help everyone live healthier—and smarter. 

My Diabetes Wake-up Call

Rodrigo Barros, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical Reviewer

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Severe drops in blood sugar can be dangerous. Learn how to stay safe and keep your numbers in a healthy range.

When Low Is Too Low: Your Type 1 Diabetes Guide to Preventing—and Managing—Hypoglycemia

Health advocate Mary Shomon landed in the ICU after nearly missing the signs of diabetes. Now she shares the lessons that can help everyone live healthier (and smarter). 

If you're a woman with type 1 diabetes, having children can present challenges, but it is possible to have healthy, happy babies. Here’s what you need to know about monitoring your blood glucose levels, birth plans, and your chances of having a C-section.

Getting pregnant with type 1 diabetes is less risky than it used to be, but it still presents some challenges. Here’s what you need to know about planning your pregnancy, including additional care providers you should consult, and tools for monitoring both your diabetes and your baby.

Doctor monitoring a pregnant patient's blood sugar

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Getting pregnant with type 1 diabetes is less risky than it used to be, but it still presents some challenges. Here’s what you should know.

Preparing for Pregnancy With Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes While Pregnant: How to Prepare 

iStock-1089689622

If you're a woman with type 1 diabetes, having children can present challenges, but it is possible to have healthy, happy babies. Here’s what you need to know.

9 Facts About Childbirth With Type 1 Diabetes

Childbirth With Type 1 Diabetes: 9 Facts You Should Know

Not all hospitals have experience with CGMs

The hospital may be worried about hypoglycemia

You will need to speak-up for yourself — repeatedly

A “birth plan” is just a wish

Delivering your baby via C-section is just as amazing and special

You should get to hold your baby immediately like any other mother

Hospital lancets hurt

Everyone is going to comment on how big your baby is 

It’s worth it!

671023bb68f0b9fd88e0f8f9d444f6cdc60b76d3eeef400bba388cf88b80

I’ve never tried to hide my Type 1 diabetes from anyone. I’ve always believed that the more you hide your chronic illness and the more you act as if it’s something to be embarrassed by or ashamed of, the more others will see it that way too.

On the contrary, the more you wear it proudly on your sleeve and simply acknowledge it in the open as something you bravely face each day, the more others will see it as something to be proud of.

No, I’m not proud of having Type 1 diabetes, but I am proud of myself for facing it every day, as I feel anyone who manages a chronic illness day in and day out should be.

When it comes to my children, you can bet I don’t hide a second of my diabetes from them either, for all the same reasons.

### In the beginning

“No!” my nearly two-year-old, Lucy, said when she was first old enough to sort of understand what she was seeing as I pushed an insulin syringe into the flesh on my belly.

“Mama! No!”

It amazed me that her young little brain knew that what she was seeing ought to be painful.

“This is my medicine,” I said.

Anytime my toddler found me taking an injection or pricking my finger, I said, “Mama’s taking her medicine.”

“Medicine?” Lucy echoed back.

“Yes, this medicine helps mama stay healthy.”

### A year later

Now Lucy is almost three. She understands pain and sharp things, blood, bruises, cuts, and scabs. She gets it. She knows what “ouch” really means.

Now, when she watches me take an insulin injection, she says, “Mama, that hurt? That hurt?”

“A little bit,” I say, honestly. “But not for long. This is my medicine.”

Why hide it? Why pretend it doesn’t hurt? Aside from the obvious fact that she has endured and will continue to endure vaccine injections, I also want her to see, first-hand, that just because something hurts doesn’t mean you have to crumble in fear.

In other words, I want to show her through my own actions what “bravery” means.

Mama has a disease. (Actually, I have three diseases.) Hiding it from my child just allows her to grow up ignorant of the fact that life will absolutely challenge each and every one of us.

Someday, she will face a tremendous challenge too and I will prepare her for that as best I can by simply demonstrating through my own actions that one of your choices is to stand up tall and move forward through those challenges.

### When they’re older

As my children grow older, having a real-life understanding of Type 1 diabetes won't just prepare them to face their own challenges, it will teach them compassion and understanding for others.

You don’t have to have a disease to know how to support a friend who has a disease.

By witnessing how I manage my diabetes, celiac disease, and fibromyalgia, my children will inevitably learn and know how to gently support a high school best friend if they’re diagnosed with depression, for example.

They’ll know how to support a boyfriend whose mother may be dying of breast cancer. They’ll know how to support a college roommate who may have Crohn’s disease. They’ll easily understand why their chemistry professor is late for class when they see a pack of glucose tabs in his hand and that sweaty complexion a hypoglycemic episode leaves a person with diabetes with as they recover.

Some day they might even have to stand up for a classmate who is being teased or bullied because of a disability or disease. They will understand that that disability or disease doesn’t mean their classmate is weak or stupid or freaky. And their actions have the potential to show others that their classmate is worthy of respect and friendship, too.

As my children grow older, learning about my chronic illnesses has the potential to help them grow into stronger, kinder, braver, smarter, and more compassionate human beings.

Hiding your challenges from your children means hiding an opportunity to teach them about the real world and real life and everything that comes with it. Hiding your challenges means leading them to believe those things deserve to be hidden and worthy of shame and fear.

My children will learn just the opposite: a chronic illness is incredibly challenging, and facing it every day makes me a stronger mother and a stronger person, not a weaker one. My children won’t pity me as they grow older and gain a deeper understanding of the chronic illnesses I face each day.

Instead, they will simply be proud of me, and they will carry that same pride, persistence, and bravery into their own lives when life gets hard.

__See more helpful articles:__

[Parenting With Migraine](https://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/parenting-with-migraine)

[A Beginner's Guide to Rheumatoid Arthritis](https://www.healthcentral.com/article/a-beginners-guide-to-ra-being-a-chronically-ill-parent)

[Parenting with Multiple Sclerosis ](https://www.healthcentral.com/article/parenting-with-multiple-sclerosis)

When you live with a chronic illness like type 1 diabetes, hiding your health challenges from your children means hiding an opportunity to teach them about the real world. That's why I'm honest and open with my children about what it takes to manage my illness.

Ginger-Viera-kids

When you hide your health challenges from your children, you miss an opportunity to teach them about the real world and real life.

How I Explain My Type 1 Diabetes to My Kids

Hypoglycemia can cause confusion, loss of balance, fainting, dizziness, and injuries from falls. Here’s what to know.

The American Diabetes Association has revised its standards of treatment. Here’s what you should know.

A Better Way to Manage  Diabetes

A Better Way to Manage Diabetes

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Why  Hypoglycemia Is So Dangerous

Why Hypoglycemia Is So Dangerous

A blood sugar warning

What's at stake

What to watch for 

What triggers it

Importance of self-monitoring

Treating hypoglycemia

For people living with diabetes, careful management of blood sugar can offer major health benefits. Learn why you should keep a close eye on your blood glucose levels, the healthy range you should target, and the tools that can help you keep track.

If you take insulin for diabetes, you've probably notices that older insulins like NPH and Regular are a low-cost alternative to expensive new versions. Learn about the differences between older and newer insulins, where to get low cost types, and how to use them effectively.

iStock-904149346-promo

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Older insulins can be a low-cost alternative to expensive new insulins. Learn about NPH and Regular insulins, where to get them, and how to use them.

Is Older, Lower-Cost Insulin Worth It?

Diabetes: What To Know About Older, Lower-Cost Insulin

What You Need to Know About Older, Lower-Cost Insulin

Learn how careful blood sugar management can help you take better control your diabetes.

Why You Should Carefully Manage Blood Sugar

Diabetes: The Benefits of Careful Blood Sugar Management

What is a Blood Glucose/Blood Sugar Level?

How Is Blood Sugar Measured? 

What Are Healthy Blood Glucose Target Levels?

What Are the Blood Glucose Target Levels in People With Diabetes?

The Benefits of Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Blood Glucose and A1C Targets

Monitor Your Blood Sugar Levels

Use Prescribed Medications

Change Your Diet

Focus on Low-glycemic Foods

Incorporate Foods That May Help Lower Blood Sugar

Reduce Your Carbohydrate Intake

Get Enough Fiber

Try Supplements

Make Some Fundamental Lifestyle Changes

The Benefits of Careful Blood Sugar Management 

Symptoms you should watch for or with type 1 diabetes and hypoglycemia? You might be surprised.

young tired woman with eyes closed in sunlight

stacey-gabrielle-koenitz-rozells-pV ixbLn4QU-unsplash

It's easier than you might think to miss the warning signs. Here's how to stay safe.

Hypoglycemia: 10 Signs You Have Low Blood Sugar

10 Sneaky Signs You Have Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia: 10 Signs of Low Blood Sugar

Planning pregnancy with type 1 diabetes

A preconception checkup

Consider an insulin pump

Additional care providers

Consider a continuous glucose monitor (CGM)

Fetal monitoring

Concerns about birth

After the birth

Returning to normal management

Don’t feel afraid or overwhelmed

You Feel Like You Might Pass Out

You Feel Super Hungry

You're Clammy and Sweaty—for No Obvious Reason

Your Heart Is Racing

You Feel Confused and Out of Sorts

… and You're Making Mistakes Left and Right

You're Extra Irritated and Angry

You Feel Anxious and Unsettled

You Feel Suddenly Tired or Sleepy

What to Do

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially dangerous complication for people with diabetes. Learn about the signs, symptoms, and treatments.

iStock-1129413163

If you have diabetes, you should know the signs, symptoms, and treatments for diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening condition.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments

Newer types of insulin

Older insulin drugs

Why doctors prefer long-acting insulin

Why doctors prefer rapid-acting analog insulin

Insulin costs can be prohibitive

 Are costlier analog insulin drugs necessary?

Older insulins are an option for type 2 diabetics

If you have type 1 diabetes

ReliOn insulin from Walmart and Sam’s Club

The risk of hypoglycemia

Test more frequently

Other ReliOn products

Talk to your doctor

Here's a hypothetical: Do you really want to know if your child is at risk of developing type 1 diabetes if there’s nothing you can do about it?

I used to ask myself that, until I learned about [TrialNet](https://www.trialnet.org/) and ongoing research that has actually successfully delayed the onset of type 1 diabetes in children whose test results determined they had a high risk.

At this time, there are no current treatment methods to definitively prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes. But there are life-changing options.
					
First, here are the basic factors that can increase your child’s risk:
					
The Joslin Diabetes Center reported this study from the Harvard School of Public Health, by Dr. Warram, to determine a person’s risk of developing type 1 diabetes:
					
- If an immediate relative (parent, brother, sister, son or daughter) has type 1 diabetes, one’s risk of developing type 1 diabetes is 10 to 20 times the risk of the general popula-tion. Your risk can go from 1 in 100 to roughly 1 in 10 or possibly higher, depending on which family member has the diabetes and when they developed it.
- If one child in a family has type 1 diabetes, their siblings have about a 1 in 10 risk of de-veloping it by age 50.
- The risk for a child of a parent with type 1 diabetes is lower if it is the mother who has diabetes. “If the father has it, the risk is about 1 in 10 (10 percent) that his child will de-velop type 1 diabetes — the same as the risk to a sibling of an affected child,” Dr. War-ram says. On the other hand, if the mother has type 1 diabetes and is age 25 or younger when the child is born, the risk is reduced to 1 in 25, and if the mother is over age 25, the risk drops to 1 in 100 — virtually the same as the average American.		
- If one of the parents developed type 1 diabetes before age 11, their child’s risk of devel-oping type 1 diabetes is somewhat higher than these figures, and it’s lower if the parent was diagnosed after their 11th birthday.
- About 1 in 7 people with type 1 have a condition known as type 2 polyglandular autoim-mune syndrome. In addition to type 1 diabetes, these people have thyroid disease, mal-functioning adrenal glands, and sometimes other immune disorders. For those with this syndrome, the child’s risk of having the syndrome, including type 1 diabetes, is 1 in 2, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
- “Caucasians (whites) have a higher risk of type 1 diabetes than any other race,” continues the report from the Joslin Diabetes Center. “Whether this is due to differences in envi-ronment or genes is unclear. Even among whites, most people who are susceptible do not develop diabetes. Therefore, scientists are studying what environmental factors may be at work. 			
					
### Having your child’s risk tested through TrialNet
				
While a person definitely does not need to qualify as “high-risk” for developing type 1 diabetes in order to develop it, getting your child’s risk assessed by TrialNet is free, it contributes to ongo-ing type 1 diabetes research, and it means she might be a candidate for diabetes prevention treatments in research.

### What is TrialNet?

[TrialNet](https://www.trialnet.org/) is an international network of researchers who are passionately dedicated to “exploring ways to prevent, delay, and reverse the progression of type 1 diabetes.”

Once a year, until he or she is 18 years old, TrialNet will test your child’s blood for auto-antibodies. 
					
In a nutshell: autoantibodies are a protein that becomes present in the blood if the body is attack-ing its own tissues. An autoantibody count of 1 or 2 means your child does have a risk of devel-oping type 1 diabetes, but of course, they may not develop it at all. An autoantibody of 3 or 4 or higher indicates that your child is very likely to develop type 1 diabetes. 

This test can actually help predict if a person was going to develop type 1 diabetes even 10 years after the test is taken.
				
### Here’s how TrialNettesting works
					
First, visit the DiabetesTrialNet.org website to find the nearest location to you. If it’s too far of a drive, call them to request the consent paperwork and testing kit be sent to you. Then you’ll take that kit to the nearest medical facility that works with Quest Diagnostics, which you can find at [QuestDiagnostics.com](http://www.questdiagnostics.com/).
					
“Those who test positive [for autoantibodies] are eligible to enter the monitoring phase which in-cludes a baseline monitoring visit at a TrialNet site to estimate the level of risk of developing T1D,” explains the TrialNet website. “Participants are followed-up either annually or semiannual-ly depending on their risk level.”
					
“All participants will have repeat testing for autoantibodies and HbA1c; those in the higher risk will be closely monitored with Oral Glucose Tolerance Tests (OGTT),” explains the TrialNet website. “Participants who initially receive annual monitoring will be followed with semi-annual monitoring if their risk level for developing T1D increases. Participants who develop diabetes may be invited to enroll in an early treatment study aimed at preservation of islet cell function.”
					
You are under no obligation to continue having your child tested after the first test. If you want to have them tested every five years, you can do that, too. It is entirely up to you and your family
					
To learn more, visit [TrialNet.org](https://www.trialnet.org/).		
					
### Why I will have my own kids tested until they’re 18

My almost 3-year old, Lucy, was tested for the first time around when she was around two and a half years old. I eagerly requested a test-kit be sent to my house, but it took nearly four months for me to actually take it to a test center. I reasoned with myself that one blood-draw a year is nothing compared to what many children who face cancer and other illnesses have to endure. If they can do it, so can my toddler.

I thought it was going to be an experience full of screaming, wrestling, and endless tears, but it wasn’t. It was actually pretty easy.

The staff (doctor and nurses) at ClearChoice Urgent Care in South Burlington, Vermont, were incredible. Lucy cried, but for some reason, she didn’t fight anybody when we each gently held her to the table. She lay absolutely still. And they drew her blood in less than 10 seconds. I wish my own blood-draws were as effortless!

Then we gave her a cookie, and she forgot all about it.

After a month or two, we received results stating that she had zero autoantibodies. A tremendous relief, and yet, the next thought in my head was of course: well, there’s still plenty of time. That worry will never go away. But it is a relief to know that most likely, she isn’t going to develop type 1 diabetes as a toddler. 

I do plan on having my other daughter tested when she’s at least 2 years old (that’s just my per-sonal preference), and they will both be tested annually until they’re 18 years old. 

If they never develop type 1 diabetes, they will still be contributing to type 1 diabetes research by providing blood samples of children who don’t develop the disease, even though their mother has it. Every contribution has the potential to help prevent and cure this disease for good.


Mother playing with young daughter lifting her up and laughing.

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A research program is studying possible ways to reverse the progression of type 1 diabetes, particularly among children. Here's what you should know about the risk factors of type 1 diabetes and how regular testing through TrialNet can improve understanding of the disease.

Learn about this research program that is studying possible ways to reverse the progression of type 1 diabetes, particularly among children. 

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When Low Is Too Low: Your Type 1 Diabetes Guide to Preventing—and Managing—Hypoglycemia

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