Management of Type I Diabetes

How A Mothers Quick Response Saved Her Daughter From A Lifetime of Insulin Injections
After Jenny’s* grandmother passed away in 2015, the family was at an all-time low. Jenny was only 5 years old at that time. It was not long after the funeral when her mother noticed that something strange about her daughter. “She could eat quite a lot. There was a day when she ate half a chicken on her own and after about thirty minutes, she was hungry and asking for more food.”

Jenny was born in Nairobi via cesarean section due to non-reassuring fetal status. With a birth weight of 2.9Kilograms (6.4pounds), not quite a big baby. Her infancy was normal, she was weaned at six months old and did not show any adverse reactions to the foods she was weaned on, including the proteins. However, she was sick for most of her early childhood and had even been treated in India.

“The breaking point was when my uncle told me to weigh Jenny. It was then that I realized that she was 30 kilograms (66.14 pounds) at 5 years of age. She had added about 9 kilograms (19.8 pounds) over a span of 6 months. That was not normal.”

At that point, Jenny’s mother took her to the pediatrician, who said she had all the classic signs of diabetes. Lab tests were done and the blood sugar ranged from 8mmol/L – 10mmol/L. The diagnosis at this point was type I diabetes. The pediatrician informed her that the next step from here would be to watch her diet, avoid sweet things and to return after three months for follow up. During this three month period her blood sugar would be monitored to determine glycemic control and decide on medication.

A week after the hospital visit, Jenny’s mother came to Akeia Health Centre. She was referred by her sister. Her profile was as follows:

• Fasting blood sugar on the first visit 8.9mmol/L.
• Blood pressure was high for her age.
• A strong history of antibiotic use from her early childhood illness.

Her management involved individualized dietary and lifestyle changes together with non-pharmaceutical approaches. She was required to have regular weekly follow up visits at the center, where her blood sugar was monitored.

After only six months on her treatment regimen, Jenny had shown marked improvement with very well controlled blood sugar when taking our individualized drug-free treatment three times weekly. Her mother reported that her energy levels had improved and she had now developed a sensible appetite. On examination, her blood pressure had normalized and she no longer looked tense.

Her last blood sugar reading in the clinic, after she had a few pieces of chocolate before she left home, was 6.1mmol/L.She has managed to successfully integrate her medical approach to her conditions, and reduce the chances of organ damage further in her life.
*Name changed to protect privacy of the patient