It turns out we have other autoimmune diseases in the family. (thyroid, Addison's, alopicia) Looking into all that, I found this:
http://autoimmunedisease.suite101.com/blog.cfm/1534
Here's one small part of the article that you may find interesting:
"However, patients with diabetes who begin to experience unstable or poorly controlled glucose levels should be tested for both adrenal and thyroid antibodies. Patients with APS2 often develop other autoimmune conditions although these disorders are less likely to occur in APS2 compared to APS1. These disorders include vitiligo, myasthenia gravis, thrombocytopenic purpura, Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, alopecia, hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, pernicious anemia, atrophic gastritis, hypophysitis, and primary antiphospholipid syndrome."
I'm taking my son in at the end of the month to make sure the rest of his endocrine system isn't messing up his blood sugar.
He's 13 and puberty isn't helping his situation!!
One more thing! As a parent to a parent I have to ask you one thing; how do you sleep? I've got myself on a 2-10AM sleep schedule to make sure he's stable through the night. He gets himself off to school in the morning and can pretty much take care of himself during the day. Other parents keep reassuring me that he'll wake up naturally if he's low, but three nights ago I found him wandering in the kitchen, eating a pickle. He was like a sleep walker. I tested him and he was 43. He was in *no* condition to make a decision, or even realize he was low. I know I can't trust his brain to function when he's like that.
I know that many parents of diabetic children are single or work. I can't imagine how they deal with the nights.
"As a parent to a parent I have to ask you one thing; how do you sleep?"
Zach is homeschooled so we don't have a strick schedule. Most of the time he's in bed by 11:00 but usually reads or does some schoolwork for a while. We try to get him up between 7:30 and 8:00.
My wife hits the sack around 10:00. I'm usually "uptoolate" till around 1:00 or 2:00. We both make sure Zach checks his blood sugar. He's on the pump so with that reading of 27 the other night we thought it best to cut back on his Basil rate. Rather have him a little high than too low. This was the first time he's ever been that low during the night. Although he did sleep in 'till 10:30. That's 2 1/2 hours of inactivity while his pump is programmed to give him a higher dose of insulin because he is usually active.
It is all trial and error. What works this year may not work the same next year due to changing body chemistry.
When it is all said and done, the last thing I do before closing my eyes is pray for him and us and just leave him in God's hands. Zach is God's child. I'm only watching him 'till Jesus says the mansion is ready for occupancy.