Type 1 Diabetes Management Resource for
KENADIE ALCALDE
Please utilize this site to educate yourself about Type 1 Diabetes. It contains life-saving information and INDIVIDUAL CARE PLAN details to ensure Kenadie's safety while at school. We encourage you to share our site with your friends, family, colleagues and your social network. Knowledge is POWER!
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KENADIE'S ROUTINE
Insulin is like air, I can't live without it.
Kenadie wears an insulin pump in a belt around her waist that attaches to her stomach (or lower back) and provides her with the life-saving insulin she needs to survive. She also uses a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and RileyLink that help her T1D tech communicate with each other through her phone. Kenadie must NOT be restricted from using her phone at school, as it is an integral component of her T1D management and is used only for medical support purposes.
The pump is programmed specific to her needs. She receives a 'basal' or background dose throughout the day and must calculate and enter the total amount of carbohydrates she eats at each meal or snack, called a 'bolus'.
She must use her blood glucose meter (a.k.a. tester) to check her sugars at every snack and meal period, which also has to be entered into her pump. Her tester should be within arms reach of her at ALL times. Her ideal blood sugar range is between 5.0 - 7.0 mmoL/L, but it's not an easy target to reach or maintain thanks to many different factors that can affect her blood sugars; temperature, excitement, activity, anxiety, food, growth spurts, illness, lack of sleep, etc.
Kenadie should never be left alone, she should always have a buddy with her to ensure her safety. Side effects of low blood sugars can come on fast and dangerous. She has pretty much mastered this routine, but supervision is always helpful to ensure she does not miscalculate or enter incorrect information into her pump - a mistake like that could have rapid and dire consequences.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
A low blood sugar requires a quick response.
From time to time, Kenadie's blood sugars will fall below ideal range. Anything below 4.1 mmol/L is considered a low blood sugar. When she experiences a low, IMMEDIATE attention is required to ensure her safety.
Emergency 'low' supply kits are available to her in her classroom, at the main office, and with her phys ed teacher. Those supplies include juice, candies, and glucose tablets.
Click here for instructions on how to treat a low blood sugar.
Click here to become a 'hypo expert'.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
Kristen Alcalde - Mom - 416.704.6356
Rodel Alcalde - Dad - 416.402.8444
Ryan Garland - Brother - 647.244.3669
Eleanore Garland - Grandma - 416.999.8797
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USEFUL LINKS
Knowledge is Power
Kenadie wears a CGM (Continuous Glucose Meter) to monitor her blood sugar levels. You can access the website by clicking this link: kenadie.herokuapp.com. To connect an Apple watch to her site, click here.
You can download an app to your phone to monitor, remotely, as well. Click the links, below, to access required information, depending on what phone you have:
There are many resources available to help manage and learn about Type 1 Diabetes. Please take a look at the links on the resources page by clicking the button, below.
LIFE WITH T1D
The Invisible Disease
Imagine if you will a young child diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. The reality of life with T1D can be overwhelming. Some of those realities are:
Type 1 Diabetes can't be caused, caught or cured. It's an auto-immune disease; heredity can be a factor.
5,900 needles each year, for the first year of diagnosis at a minimum. If you are diagnosed at age 6 and you live to age 85, it means an overwhelming 466,100 needles during your lifetime.
Insulin pumps have greatly reduced the need for multiple daily injections (MDI), but still require at least 125 injections per year for pump site insertion, plus backup needles for emergencies.
Accurate carbohydrate counting for all food and drink consumed must be done at every meal or snack so a correct dosage of insulin can be given.
Over 300 factors can affect their blood sugar levels, including weather, stress, hormones, illness and exercise. This makes every day a tricky balancing act when you are trying to keep your blood sugars in target range.
Controlling blood sugars is critical. Long term high blood sugars will cause major complications such as eye disease, kidney disease/failure and neuropathy. Low blood sugars have an immediate life-threatening result if not treated quickly and properly by the simple administration of sugar.
Something as simple as a cold or the flu can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation for anyone with Type 1 Diabetes as blood sugars rise and ketones are produced, requiring additional insulin.
A parent of a child with Type 1 Diabetes will wake up every 4-5 hours through the night to test their child’s blood sugars to ensure they do not have a life-threatening blood sugar level which can quickly become fatal if it is not dealt with immediately.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
Kristen Alcalde - Mom - 416.704.6356
Rodel Alcalde - Dad - 416.402.8444
Ryan Garland - Brother - 647.244.3669
Eleanore Garland - Grandma - 416.999.8797
The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre - 905.620.0360