ugh-a-lot
Member
Hi there, I decided to take a shot at this to see if anyone can say "Hey that happened to us and you ARE on the right track," or that I am worried over nothing this is not normal for diabetic children pre-diagnosis...
I'm not looking for "medical advice" but have been pulling out my hair about my 15 month old son. Doctors say a stage. Then my latest issue which is NOT a baby stage. Everything up until that point could technically be a baby stage. A very horrible version, but yes.
If you don't feel like reading you can skip... It's kind of long. Just a friendly warning.
For just under three months now my son has had serious sleep issues. The first week was hell, the second week.. the third.. on and on. At first I thought a sleep regression. But of all the sleep regressions examples and stories I read, I kept thinking " I wish I had it that easy!" My son would go to sleep like normal very fast, and then every night from 1-2 hours after peaceful sleep he would wake up. There was no way I could get him to sleep again.
There was some kind of tummy discomfort because he would stretch his legs and scream and fight sleep. At first I thought temper tantrums starting. He now has temper tantrums.. Not the same effect. Even if I gave him bottle to soothe (yes I was guilty of needing sleep willing to give a comfort bottle). It would seem to help for a few minutes, then droopey eyes, so close... but he would not sleep.. He went into delirium. Started babbling sounding like a drink baby babble.
He needs his bottle a lot at night I noticed. And I'm still at baby stage of trying to get him to like or accept more water than he does. And yes he urinates a LOT more bottles or not.
The neighbors started losing sleep too. For hours it went on and on. I took him out of crib and tried co-sleeping for his comfort thinking that would help. That was on the floor because I was afraid he would fall off the bed. Maybe an extra hour of sleep for me each night.
One night I rocked and cajoled and soothed from 8pm until 4:30 am. Another night I even tried the cry it out to my horror. Thinking no more options left. He could scream for so long and not give up. I heard the neighbors stomping upstairs and felt totally horrible "I was now the neighbor no one on earth wanted to live next to."
I did think hungry once and made the mistake of feeding my child at 1:30 am. Sure! Now I had a baby with an energy boost running though my house, delirious, droopy eyed, screaming and overtired and angry!
I also thought maybe a growth spurt too because he was looking taller but much thinner, like he was growing tall but not enough weight to match the height spurt. My son is pretty lean as it is, but I was starting to nick name him McRib. Our family doctor said his weight is fine and it's all just a stage after the first month and a half of this. So I thought OK it's nothing serious and I'll just deal and blackmail him when he is an adult, and as a teen refuse to let him sleep in because he proved as a baby that he doesn't need sleep.... And set off relieved that nothing physically wrong.
Basically praying for a miracle because on average he slept 4 hours a night accumulated and maybe 15 minutes in the day. Then relief starts coming and he will sleep mostly through the night in spurts (3 days or so then back) but still wakes whining and uncomfortable trying to get a position to get comfy type thing. Almost like a whelping puppy. Still needed a bottle at this point. But much more sleep. Enough for me to survive and be coherent.
This last Saturday morning he woke me up and WOW he smelled like he drank a bottle of rubbing alcohol. (impossible because I have this place seriously baby proofed)
I had read at one time in a mom forum about moms trying to get through a regression. One commenter mentioned to one mom be careful it could be diabetes. Which I ignored because I had no reason to think that was my sons issue.
Until the breath smell.. Then I realized... Even though my son was starting to sleep again, he gets really sleepy, even soon after a nap. Abnormally so. Eyes get droopy, starts swaying back and forth. Also grabbed on to fridge once and used it for balance. His appetite has slowed down. (could be a stage or teething too though)
And then this breath!!! It was only on Saturday. Now everything seems normal. My son has been smiling and happy today. And I'm happy about that because he has not been himself for so long. He's been just absolutely whiney, miserable, extremely leechy, angry, very quiet, and looking almost sad or depressed and so out of character.. (could also be from lack of sleep)
I called a nurse hotline. And asked about ketoacidosis and should I take him into ER after watching him closely and no other symptoms later. (other than serious whininess which was now common) I basically got a lecture about "I'm a bad parent and need to read more parenting books, and was told I that I didn't just have to bathe him at night, that babies could take warm baths in the day time too! No don't take him to the ER but take him to a doc next week." I was completely professional and rational, I couldn't fathom her complete disregard for the smell and nerve to treat me that way. And talk about other issues that were not even on the option block. Telling me to ask medical providers for sleeping tips.Did this woman possibly think I was so ignorant in irresponsible and clueless of a parent to not know how to know a million different sleep theories?
Can you believe that woman? I bit my tongue throughout that call thinking, it's recorded I'll stay profesional and let her hang herself and report! (will report her, have name and time called) I felt like telling her I should get an award or a hug at the very least because I don't know a soul in this country to help and have done this for this long and am still standing and still sane. (sort of) I'm SO tired.
So tired, I can't even cry! I started to cry about 3 weeks ago but my body was so physically tired about four tears made it out and I just stopped from not enough energy to let it out. On top of this I was already exhausted because I have had a looong long serious health ordeal which I put on hold. (i didn't mind) for my son. Also Wondering... If any emergency surgeries I had during pregnancy or medications could have triggered something like diabetes too... Not sure if that's something anyone has come across.
As an asthmatic I know certain types of meds can cause blood glucose issues. So why not anesthesia and long term antibiotics during pregnancy?
Didn't want to go into ER with out the full spectrum of symptoms and get more "it's a stage or I'm a bad parent" and decided I will somehow find out on my own. I bought ketostix testing sticks, but can't get a proper urine sample. And can't afford a blood glucose machine until payday. And if anything is out of whack you can bet your behind I'm going to be causing an uproar with my result.
I also didn't take him because that day he didn't have any of the other symptoms. Because I keep getting no where. And from what I have learned here, is that everything better be straight forward in the doctors faces. Nothing missing, or you are sent home. (as I was when pregnant in kidney failure stages) They did that for a long painful time and realized my baby and I were in serious trouble and rushed into emergency surgery. (their first response was morphine and sending me home for several weeks of agony. I afraid I was dying and my baby too! Literally begging them to do something!) So I really have no trust in the system.
On another thought this may have just been a stage and a freak smell??? My pharmacist was completely baffled why the nurse hotline would behave that way. He said that smell can be life threatening, which I thought if it prolonged. But his verification panicked me more! Finally two pharmacists in one place agreed I should do as I was and don't back down to these answers I' m getting. (the smell was gone the next day when I went to get sticks) UGH!
So am I on the right track? Should test on my own? Doctors are hard to get where I am. Months waiting list or very hit or miss with competence with so many..
So...
Is it possible from your experience of testing, that the alcohol smell can just be a freak thing and not diabetes? I can't see him getting it from starvation type acidosis. He ate the night before had milk for bed and during night as well. And he didn't drink the bottle of rubbing alcohol. This is coming now almost at the end of three months of "crazy house."
Oh! I cook very healthy for my son. No store bought sugar laden snacks, Ever! More veggies than fruits. Lean meats baked. He has never had Mcdonalds or any type junk food. Mostly organic if I can. Although the week prior to the smell? I was so physically drained and we ate "the standard diet most people do" Not healthy, lots of carbs, the quick home meals type food that most eat when not food conscious. Maybe he wasn't used to that type food thus the overload and smell.. I'm hoping!
I do have some hope.. The one pharmacist did let me in on a secret if the smell comes back. There is a certain emergency room that has several really good pediatricians and they will take us in the peds ER. He told me they are really god there and he told me not to go the the other hospitals hands down. This one is the only one with a peds ER. So there is some hope there.
Please tell me your experience if it is something like this! I would be so happy to have others with experience tell me from a parent perspective. Please no mean answers. I realy don't need it. I am just a concerened mother with a baby that has a serious issue. How serious? I am not sure at this point. But he deserves to be his usual happy, considerate, loving, curious, energetic self again.
Thanks for reading it you managed to make it this far. :-/
I'm not looking for "medical advice" but have been pulling out my hair about my 15 month old son. Doctors say a stage. Then my latest issue which is NOT a baby stage. Everything up until that point could technically be a baby stage. A very horrible version, but yes.
If you don't feel like reading you can skip... It's kind of long. Just a friendly warning.

For just under three months now my son has had serious sleep issues. The first week was hell, the second week.. the third.. on and on. At first I thought a sleep regression. But of all the sleep regressions examples and stories I read, I kept thinking " I wish I had it that easy!" My son would go to sleep like normal very fast, and then every night from 1-2 hours after peaceful sleep he would wake up. There was no way I could get him to sleep again.
There was some kind of tummy discomfort because he would stretch his legs and scream and fight sleep. At first I thought temper tantrums starting. He now has temper tantrums.. Not the same effect. Even if I gave him bottle to soothe (yes I was guilty of needing sleep willing to give a comfort bottle). It would seem to help for a few minutes, then droopey eyes, so close... but he would not sleep.. He went into delirium. Started babbling sounding like a drink baby babble.
He needs his bottle a lot at night I noticed. And I'm still at baby stage of trying to get him to like or accept more water than he does. And yes he urinates a LOT more bottles or not.
The neighbors started losing sleep too. For hours it went on and on. I took him out of crib and tried co-sleeping for his comfort thinking that would help. That was on the floor because I was afraid he would fall off the bed. Maybe an extra hour of sleep for me each night.
One night I rocked and cajoled and soothed from 8pm until 4:30 am. Another night I even tried the cry it out to my horror. Thinking no more options left. He could scream for so long and not give up. I heard the neighbors stomping upstairs and felt totally horrible "I was now the neighbor no one on earth wanted to live next to."
I did think hungry once and made the mistake of feeding my child at 1:30 am. Sure! Now I had a baby with an energy boost running though my house, delirious, droopy eyed, screaming and overtired and angry!
I also thought maybe a growth spurt too because he was looking taller but much thinner, like he was growing tall but not enough weight to match the height spurt. My son is pretty lean as it is, but I was starting to nick name him McRib. Our family doctor said his weight is fine and it's all just a stage after the first month and a half of this. So I thought OK it's nothing serious and I'll just deal and blackmail him when he is an adult, and as a teen refuse to let him sleep in because he proved as a baby that he doesn't need sleep.... And set off relieved that nothing physically wrong.
Basically praying for a miracle because on average he slept 4 hours a night accumulated and maybe 15 minutes in the day. Then relief starts coming and he will sleep mostly through the night in spurts (3 days or so then back) but still wakes whining and uncomfortable trying to get a position to get comfy type thing. Almost like a whelping puppy. Still needed a bottle at this point. But much more sleep. Enough for me to survive and be coherent.
This last Saturday morning he woke me up and WOW he smelled like he drank a bottle of rubbing alcohol. (impossible because I have this place seriously baby proofed)
I had read at one time in a mom forum about moms trying to get through a regression. One commenter mentioned to one mom be careful it could be diabetes. Which I ignored because I had no reason to think that was my sons issue.
Until the breath smell.. Then I realized... Even though my son was starting to sleep again, he gets really sleepy, even soon after a nap. Abnormally so. Eyes get droopy, starts swaying back and forth. Also grabbed on to fridge once and used it for balance. His appetite has slowed down. (could be a stage or teething too though)
And then this breath!!! It was only on Saturday. Now everything seems normal. My son has been smiling and happy today. And I'm happy about that because he has not been himself for so long. He's been just absolutely whiney, miserable, extremely leechy, angry, very quiet, and looking almost sad or depressed and so out of character.. (could also be from lack of sleep)
I called a nurse hotline. And asked about ketoacidosis and should I take him into ER after watching him closely and no other symptoms later. (other than serious whininess which was now common) I basically got a lecture about "I'm a bad parent and need to read more parenting books, and was told I that I didn't just have to bathe him at night, that babies could take warm baths in the day time too! No don't take him to the ER but take him to a doc next week." I was completely professional and rational, I couldn't fathom her complete disregard for the smell and nerve to treat me that way. And talk about other issues that were not even on the option block. Telling me to ask medical providers for sleeping tips.Did this woman possibly think I was so ignorant in irresponsible and clueless of a parent to not know how to know a million different sleep theories?
Can you believe that woman? I bit my tongue throughout that call thinking, it's recorded I'll stay profesional and let her hang herself and report! (will report her, have name and time called) I felt like telling her I should get an award or a hug at the very least because I don't know a soul in this country to help and have done this for this long and am still standing and still sane. (sort of) I'm SO tired.
So tired, I can't even cry! I started to cry about 3 weeks ago but my body was so physically tired about four tears made it out and I just stopped from not enough energy to let it out. On top of this I was already exhausted because I have had a looong long serious health ordeal which I put on hold. (i didn't mind) for my son. Also Wondering... If any emergency surgeries I had during pregnancy or medications could have triggered something like diabetes too... Not sure if that's something anyone has come across.
As an asthmatic I know certain types of meds can cause blood glucose issues. So why not anesthesia and long term antibiotics during pregnancy?
Didn't want to go into ER with out the full spectrum of symptoms and get more "it's a stage or I'm a bad parent" and decided I will somehow find out on my own. I bought ketostix testing sticks, but can't get a proper urine sample. And can't afford a blood glucose machine until payday. And if anything is out of whack you can bet your behind I'm going to be causing an uproar with my result.
I also didn't take him because that day he didn't have any of the other symptoms. Because I keep getting no where. And from what I have learned here, is that everything better be straight forward in the doctors faces. Nothing missing, or you are sent home. (as I was when pregnant in kidney failure stages) They did that for a long painful time and realized my baby and I were in serious trouble and rushed into emergency surgery. (their first response was morphine and sending me home for several weeks of agony. I afraid I was dying and my baby too! Literally begging them to do something!) So I really have no trust in the system.
On another thought this may have just been a stage and a freak smell??? My pharmacist was completely baffled why the nurse hotline would behave that way. He said that smell can be life threatening, which I thought if it prolonged. But his verification panicked me more! Finally two pharmacists in one place agreed I should do as I was and don't back down to these answers I' m getting. (the smell was gone the next day when I went to get sticks) UGH!
So am I on the right track? Should test on my own? Doctors are hard to get where I am. Months waiting list or very hit or miss with competence with so many..
So...
Is it possible from your experience of testing, that the alcohol smell can just be a freak thing and not diabetes? I can't see him getting it from starvation type acidosis. He ate the night before had milk for bed and during night as well. And he didn't drink the bottle of rubbing alcohol. This is coming now almost at the end of three months of "crazy house."
Oh! I cook very healthy for my son. No store bought sugar laden snacks, Ever! More veggies than fruits. Lean meats baked. He has never had Mcdonalds or any type junk food. Mostly organic if I can. Although the week prior to the smell? I was so physically drained and we ate "the standard diet most people do" Not healthy, lots of carbs, the quick home meals type food that most eat when not food conscious. Maybe he wasn't used to that type food thus the overload and smell.. I'm hoping!
I do have some hope.. The one pharmacist did let me in on a secret if the smell comes back. There is a certain emergency room that has several really good pediatricians and they will take us in the peds ER. He told me they are really god there and he told me not to go the the other hospitals hands down. This one is the only one with a peds ER. So there is some hope there.
Please tell me your experience if it is something like this! I would be so happy to have others with experience tell me from a parent perspective. Please no mean answers. I realy don't need it. I am just a concerened mother with a baby that has a serious issue. How serious? I am not sure at this point. But he deserves to be his usual happy, considerate, loving, curious, energetic self again.
Thanks for reading it you managed to make it this far. :-/
Last edited by a moderator: