“BEEP, BEEP!” Many two-year-old boys make that sound when they play with toy cars or trucks. Luke Bergman makes it when his blood sugar is dangerously low and requires immediate attention.
Luke was an active, good-natured 13-month old when type 1 diabetes arrived in the most frightening way. After his doctor missed the early symptoms, Luke came to the hospital in diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition that can quickly lead to coma or death. After an emotionally turbulent week, his stunned parents, Kristin Fitzpatrick and Erik Bergman, took him home. Now they faced a monumental challenge with little preparation: keep Luke alive in a 24/7 battle won by pricking his finger, adjusting his blood sugar, and inserting
“It took months to shake the surreal feeling that this couldn’t be happening—our baby couldn’t possibly have diabetes,” says Kristin. “The first month was a blur of checking blood sugar every few hours, seeing it go very high to very low. Trying to sort out the various causes and factors took everything we had. I didn’t cry for the first
They were entering a foreign world that included responding to common blood sugar triggers (food, illness, exercise) and swings,
Kristin and Erik opted for a pump, instead of shots, to handle the infinitesimal units of insulin Luke needs (.0005ml) because of his small size and weight. His pump is sewn into the back of his undershirt. The tubing that carries Luke’s insulin supply runs down to his bottom or leg, areas with the most fatty tissue, and is inserted under the skin to deliver the life-saving hormone. He’s adapted well, and wears it as he sleeps, plays, and gets into normal two-year old trouble.
Learning to program the pump for an unpredictable, active toddler was a nerve-wracking process of trial and error for his parents.
They spent hours poring over data from the pump, weighing the leftovers from each meal (what he ate, what he didn’t), and tallying carbs. “We count as precisely as possible because, with little kids, your margin for error is practically nil,” says Kristin.
Luke’s caretakers also learned to manage his disease. Before his diagnosis, he was at a small in-home daycare run by a mother and daughter. They knew nothing about caring for a child with type 1 diabetes, but willingly learned out of love for the boy. Now Luke has a nanny who’s adapted well to the high- and low-tech aspects of his care.
Six months ago, Kristin and Erik added a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) as an extra safety net for their son. The CGM is a sensor inserted under the skin that gives a constant, general picture of Luke’s blood sugar, and sounds an alarm when it nears dangerous levels.
“BEEP, BEEP!” It’s either the CGM or Luke, who occasionally alerts his parents when he’s approaching hypoglycemia before the device. He’s also learning the benefits, and recently tried out “BEEP BEEP – JUICE?” on his dad.
“We hesitated because we hated slapping another device on him,” says Kristin. “I’d recommend it for little kids because their blood sugar is so volatile and they can’t alert you themselves. A CGM really makes the insanity more manageable, and takes some of the incredible stress out of daily life.”
These high-tech devices have made a significant impact on Luke’s health—his A1c level has come down over a point since his diagnosis a year ago. “We have much tighter control,” says Kristin. “When you think of the consequences of your kid living with this for the rest of his life and the risk of complications, being able to keep his blood sugar closer to normal is huge.”
They’ve been thrilled to see Luke return to his happy, easygoing self since achieving better control. But he’s still a normal two-year-old who enjoys saying “no” and perfecting the art of temper tantrums.
Hopefully as Luke grows, the technology will advance into fewer and smaller devices—and disappear altogether one day
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Little Boy, Big Technology
Luke was an active, good-natured 13-month old when type 1 diabetes arrived in the most frightening way. After his doctor missed the early symptoms, Luke came to the hospital in diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition that can quickly lead to coma or death. After an emotionally turbulent week, his stunned parents, Kristin Fitzpatrick and Erik Bergman, took him home. Now they faced a monumental challenge with little preparation: keep Luke alive in a 24/7 battle won by pricking his finger, adjusting his blood sugar, and inserting
They were entering a foreign world that included responding to common blood sugar triggers (food, illness, exercise) and swings,
Learning to program the pump for an unpredictable, active toddler was a nerve-wracking process of trial and error for his parents.
Luke’s caretakers also learned to manage his disease. Before his diagnosis, he was at a small in-home daycare run by a mother and daughter. They knew nothing about caring for a child with type 1 diabetes, but willingly learned out of love for the boy. Now Luke has a nanny who’s adapted well to the high- and low-tech aspects of his care.
Six months ago, Kristin and Erik added a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) as an extra safety net for their son. The CGM is a sensor inserted under the skin that gives a constant, general picture of Luke’s blood sugar, and sounds an alarm when it nears dangerous levels.
“BEEP, BEEP!” It’s either the CGM or Luke, who occasionally alerts his parents when he’s approaching hypoglycemia before the device. He’s also learning the benefits, and recently tried out “BEEP BEEP – JUICE?” on his dad.
“We hesitated because we hated slapping another device on him,” says Kristin. “I’d recommend it for little kids because their blood sugar is so volatile and they can’t alert you themselves. A CGM really makes the insanity more manageable, and takes some of the incredible stress out of daily life.”
These high-tech devices have made a significant impact on Luke’s health—his A1c level has come down over a point since his diagnosis a year ago. “We have much tighter control,” says Kristin. “When you think of the consequences of your kid living with this for the rest of his life and the risk of complications, being able to keep his blood sugar closer to normal is huge.”
They’ve been thrilled to see Luke return to his happy, easygoing self since achieving better control. But he’s still a normal two-year-old who enjoys saying “no” and perfecting the art of temper tantrums.
Hopefully as Luke grows, the technology will advance into fewer and smaller devices—and disappear altogether one day