cautionary tale of health and sports.

[chinamigarden]

I started to post this is a thread that a parent started about his DD and how she has regressed in pitching and how she is getting emotional about it. I felt it would sound better on its own then in that thread.

I am not saying this is likely, but I want to post this advice and story from our family. My dd plays or has played every sport she can. She is not the fastest or the strongest but she is always the hardest worker and ends up finding a way to do well.

9th grade (last fall) and many people, including me (ok especially me) thought she has a shot at Varsity volleyball, she was MVP of the 8th grade team and the HS team is average. Nope she didn't even make JV, played freshman. Very inconsistent, got way more emotional about things then ever before. Wasn't starting by the end of the season and was playing way less then ever before. Cried after making mistakes... The last week of the season she started to complain about being thirsty all the time and how tired she was. We took her to the family doctor who took some blood tests and sent us right to the local hospital ER room, they called an ambulance and sent us to the nearest big city hospital where they put her into the ICU.

She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Her weight upon entering the hospital was 106 (she is 5'5") her blood sugar was over 900, 100 is the norm. when the first, and second, doctors talked to us they asked her if she had any questions and the first thing out of her mouth was. "Basketball tryouts start on Monday, will I be able to play?" Yep, in fact they loved the idea. Basketball was a trial and error thing. Learning how to balance all that exercise and how it affects her blood sugar, lots of highs and lows. Now she weighs 120, and is sharp mentally and physically. the emotional lows while playing are gone. Along the way, we found her blood sugar was not responding properly to the treatments and she was diagnosed with celiac disease. Which is an intolerance to gluten (which is in a lot of foods) so she is now on a gluten free diet, her blood sugar is being regulated much better and in a month of so she is going to start using an insulin pump, instead of injections via syringe.

Take a long look at changes in how your dd plays and acts. Its easy to say, its a stage or its her hormones kicking in... Pay attention, ask questions there might be more going on.

 

[Indiana]

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I'm so glad you found the root of the issues and your DD is on her way to recovery and a lifetime of sports ahead of her. BTW, my sister in law has celiac's, very severe, and is now one of the healthiest people I know. She recently gave birth to a 10 lb baby boy, so there's something to be said about the gluten free diet!
Your story is a wonderful reminder to us all to pay attention when something doesn't seem right.

 

[starsnuffer]

Thank you for sharing your story, I'm glad you caught this when you did. My oldest daughter is hypoglycemic and has to be very conscious about when and what she eats especially when she's active. . . a particularly difficult thing to do playing travel softball, but she manages. When she doesn't eat or snack at the right times, her play is horrible, her attitude is horrible, and she's generally a miserable person, to be, and to be around. One of the best things we did was make sure her coaches and teammates call her out on it. Don't hide from it.

-W

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Hmmm. I have a 10yo student that cries when she strikes out. Is very inconsistent pitching, although her dad says that she has pitched for "4 years." Her last lesson was very good, but she is inattentive. I have been chalking it up to having a game going on next to us. Her dad is a physician, but he still might not recognize that something is wrong.

 

[nanotech14]

thanks for the story,I'am glad to see that everything is looking good,I will send prayers her way.Good luck and thanks again for sharing.

 

[chinamigarden]

Hmmm. I have a 10yo student that cries when she strikes out. Is very inconsistent pitching, although her dad says that she has pitched for "4 years." Her last lesson was very good, but she is inattentive. I have been chalking it up to having a game going on next to us. Her dad is a physician, but he still might not recognize that something is wrong.

Thats where the parents have to be paying attention. They would know if the behavior is different or if thats how she always acts. Its the change in behavior that is a key, not the actual behaviors themselves.

 

[chinamigarden]

I thought I would update this thread. My dd has been working with her diabetes for 8 and half months now. She has played the best softball of her life, she has put on weight and the vitamin deficiencies caused by the celiac have been straightened out, on top of the sports she also continued her life long streak of all As. The last month of so has been a challenge, she went on the pump and had some great days and some not so great days. In the middle of a tournament a week ago, her blood sugar went sky high and then took a fall into dangerous territory, while she was in the pitching circle. We could see in her movements that she was not right. coach pulled her form the game.

As time goes on the settings on her pump are being fine tuned so that she gets the right amount of insulin at the time she needs it. Its getting better. Tonight, in the middle of our league playoffs she looked more like herself playing, then she has in the last month. It was great to see. She pitched the quarter final game 1 hit shutout she only threw 60 pitches in 6 innings. Then in the semis the coach put her in at the end of the game. We wound up in ITB we scored in our half, and she struck out the side to finish the game off. The coaches on the other team were mad at the umps for letting her wear her pump during the game, fortunately for me I didn't hear the complaints until later. They told the ump they thought she was getting communication from the coach with it, the ump tried to explain to them what it was, but finally I guess he just told them to shut it. My dd heard the complaining and it got her fired up, one thing about my dd, don't tick her off it does not work to your benefit.

 

[MandM]

thank you so much for sharing your daughter's story. I hope that as the management of her diabetes is fine tuned, that the effects on the things she loves to do are minimal. I am amazed and inspired by her resilience and courage in facing this head on and not allowing it to dictate what she can and cannot do

 

[GOINGDEEP]

So glad to hear she is doing better. My catcher of 4 years was diagnosed with childhood diabetes ( not sure what type, on shots ), I know the struggles you are going through just by watching my player and really my "second daughter". It's a constant battle for sure.

The coaches on the other team were mad at the umps for letting her wear her pump during the game, fortunately for me I didn't hear the complaints until later.

Yea, if it was my DD and I heard it, you all would be seeing me on the news and starting a new thread.

 

[chinamigarden]

So glad to hear she is doing better. My catcher of 4 years was diagnosed with childhood diabetes ( not sure what type, on shots ), I know the struggles you are going through just by watching my player and really my "second daughter". It's a constant battle for sure.



Yea, if it was my DD and I heard it, you all would be seeing me on the news and starting a new thread.

Childhood, or what they used to call Juvenile diabetes is what they now call type 1 diabetes, which is when the body can no longer make insulin so the patient is dependent on the insulin they get from the shots or pumps. It turned out that half of the people diagnosed with type 1 were 18 or older. Many people thought you had to be a kid to get it, and they would ignore the symptoms. The adult onset diabetes, which is a resistance to insulin that the body is making, is now called type 2.

Any kid who can strap on the catchers gear and battle the heat, the pressure of the position and the pain of repeatedly throwing yourself onto the ground to stop balls, will have the mental toughness to do fine.

Learn what a glucagon kit is and how to use it, and find out where she keeps it. I hope you never have to, but if you do you might end up saving that girls life if her blood sugar ever drops to the point where she passes out.