I want to know if you think this is cause for concern before I ask dh about it.
I know we have a lot of very smart people on this board. I have a concern and would like you guys to weigh in on it to see if my suspicions are right.
SD is obese (per the doctors she has seen). Dh hasn't gotten a chippy of her labs yet, he's requested them but hasn't received them yet. If I we're him I'd go down and pick them up, but I'm not him so... well its up to him.
With SD being obese there is an increased chance of her having health issues, such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea (which invites a whole list of other health concerns) etc.
So here is my concern, SD has been having headaches and fatigue after she eats. She'll also fall asleep for 2 or 3 hours if she sits for too long (like 30 minutes). Also her vision gets blurred. These symptoms started occurring about a year ago, maybe a year and a half. Lately they've been more frequently. She gets a lot of sleep so it's not that she hasn't been getting enough sleep. She sleeps about 10hrs of sleep at night, and takes about two 2 hour naps every day. Some times it will be just 1 3 hour nap.
To me, it sounds like she probably had diabetes. I am not a doctor, but I was a medical assistant for 7 or 8 years and have counseled many patients on diabetes. But I'm too close in this situation to not have a biased opinion. I want to know what you guys think.
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A child can have Type 2
A child can have Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 used to be referred to as "Adult Onset Diabetes" and Type 1 was Juvenile Diabetes but with the obesity epidemic, almost half of the children that are diagnosed with now have Type 2.
I hate to say it but yes, your SD is showing many of the signs of diabetes. Get her to a doctor ASAP. When a person with diabetes is sleeping a lot, this is usually when their blood glucose levels are extremly high. Please get her in soon because if she does have diabetes, the signs are showing that her levels could be high enough to put her in a coma.
Please keep us up to date.
This is what I'm very worried
This is what I'm very worried about...
And yes I'll keep you guys up to date
Tired and blurred vision are
Tired and blurred vision are long term effects of diabetes due to the arteries getting clogged.
If SD is ALWAYS super thirsty and urinated alot, that's an early diabetic warning.
The body makes them thirsty because it's trying to dilute all the sugar in the blood.
But still, a blood sugar level should be looked at, anything over 200 is a positive for diabetes
She may have hypoglycemia,
She may have hypoglycemia, which has a lot of the same (but more mild) symptoms of diabetes. The main things I would look for is frequent urination and an over-thirst.
Sounds like she is fat and
Sounds like she is fat and lazy to me. But anyone who sleeps 10-16 hours a day every day as a normal basis has clinical depression. That is not normal.
She likely is depressed, which makes getting up and moving difficult, which increases her sedentary lifestyle and makes her more obese, which then makes her more depressed.....
If she has 16 hours available TO sleep, that in and of itself is a problem. She can't sleep that much if she's in school. If she's out of school, she needs to go back or get a job. Even volunteering. Something.
The child is 10 years old.
The child is 10 years old.
Even MORE reason to be
Even MORE reason to be concerned!!!! Sleeping 16 hours a day for a 10 YO should be a HUGE red flag of something medical at play!
she'll be up doing something,
she'll be up doing something, then decide to sit on the couch to watch a show, by the time her show is over she'll be asleep. We are always on the go on the weekend, but if we are going somewhere that is a little bit away (visiting family or friends or going to the beach) if we are are in the car for about 30 minutes or more, she'll fall asleep, she always gets real cranky and say "it's cause I'm tired".
She may be depressed, but doesn't really act like it. With all the other symptoms it seems like something more. But I'll make sure to suggest that as well. So that he can visit that option as well. To me, none of these symptoms are "normal" for a kid.
First things first what is
First things first what is anyone saying to SD about being obese? By your description she leads a sedentary lifestyle, which is extremely unhealthy.
have asked my H a number of times would you rather hear about your obesity from mean kids or from your parents?
In my case SD's parents are a huge part of the problem because they enable her to be lazy and allow her to eat crap.
I'm not sure how old your SD is but a lifestyle change is definitely in order. My SD is 18 and also lives a sedentary lifestyle by eating junk and sleeping all day. She weighs 300# and has a laundry list of health issues.
I bet a lot of her health issues would disappear if she got down to a healthy weight and changed the way she eats and exercises.
Get her to the doctor,
Get her to the doctor, now.
Diabetes, both 1 and 2, run in my family (I have not inherited it thank goodness) and DP is borderline. She could be borderline.
But she could also fall asleep and never wake up. This happened to a coworker and friend of mine, she kept putting off her doctors visits.
It's a quick sugar test of urine and blood. Just get her in.
Thirst and peeing a lot are later symptoms and you don't want it to get to that point. DP now controls his with diet and exercise successfully because he doesn't want to be insulin dependent.
Yes she does drink and pee a
Yes she does drink and pee a lot also, I'm sorry I forgot to add that... I'm so used to her always drinking water (and wishing my kids would drink more!)
I've suggested dh take her to the doctor, I've suggested he at least pick up her recent lab work, he hasn't yet.
Dh is borderline pre-diabetic, he's taking metformin now for it so thathe doesn't go full blown. His dad is diabetic. I have no idea about bm and her family.
Why not start with testing
Why not start with testing SD's levels per DH's glucose meter 30 to 60 minutes after her stuffing her face? Don't make an issue just have DH check his, check your own and then each kid. The only two of interest, of course, will be DH's and SD's, but SD won't feel put on the spot if you have a family finger pricking event.
After you've got SD's results you'll know whether or not a too high level has reason for DH to speed up his father duties of getting his kid to a dr. However you just won't be nagging at him, he'll have 'proof' in front of his own eyes that the signs and symptoms his daughter has been experiencing aren't normal and he needs to take whatever is going on seriously. If the levels are normal, then it's still long overdue time to take his daughter to a dr to see what is going on with her. Headaches, blurry vision and sleeping 14hrs a day is not normal healthy 10yr old happenings. He has this child 50% of the time. It's as much his responsibility as it is BM's to see proper medical care and assessments are taken care of.
The doctor didn't recommend
The doctor didn't recommend dh to get a glucometer, since he wasn't technically diabetic only borderline PRE-diabetic. He hasn't shown any symptoms other than dizzy and sweating when he has low blood sugar. He's never had SD's symptoms.
Dad can walk into a drug
Dad can walk into a drug store and purchase a reader and test strips.
But then it will be singling
But then it will be singling SD out. Or the whole thing will be considered a "waste of money". Who do I say this is for? SD? Well dh doesn't think she has a problem (my dh is the kind that his head buried in the sand, remember?) And the doctor didn't recommend dh getting a glucometer. If dh feels bad, usually at work (his dad's office) he can just use his dad's.
I might go get one, or maybe I can get a free sample online. Buy do you need a prescription for those? I don't know... I think with the free ones there are a few steps, and I could check it then.
You do it for your DH. I
You do it for your DH. I suppose all drs do things different ways, but I know my own dr would have never put me on metformin without steady daily monitoring of blood levels. Diet and exercise are usually the first steps (not drugs) with regular recheck to see how the patient is doing.
So haul yourself into your local Walgreen or Walmart and pick up a meter and strips. Meter about $12, box 20 test strips another $8. Have a finger pricking family event. Your Dh should know what his own levels are. Waste of money? It's cheaper than a dinner out. The unused strips can be used by your DH to check his own levels after the SD sneak peek. You do not need a prescription for meter or strips.
Thank you, I think I will go
Thank you, I think I will go and get one today, I appreciate your advice, and everyone's advice!
Twoviewpoints just suggested
Twoviewpoints just suggested a fun way to do it without putting SD on the spot.
The machines are cheap. Google glucose reader and test strips.
If it's not diabetes, it
If it's not diabetes, it sounds like she could be crashing from eating too much fat and sugar. And this will obviously lead to diabetes if she is already obese and continues on this path.
Is she snacking while watching tv before falling asleep? Does she snack while in the car before falling asleep?
Unfortunately, if her parents don't care about her health, there's not much you can do. I don't know how someone could let their child get to the point where they are considered 'obese'.
My SD is considered obese,
My SD is considered obese, but no one ever told my husband when he went to the doctors. I say she is considered obese, but she looks like a chubby child, yes she is large but not bulging. Apparently one doctor once vaguely mentioned that she was large. When I got some medical records with her information on it, I googled children's BMI and found that she is considered obese. I can't believe that doctors would never mention that to a parent. Yes BM and my husband are to blame for their attitudes and habits being passed on to SD but I would also expect a health professional to confront parents and let true picture of their child's health.
Is there a scheduled follow
Is there a scheduled follow up at the doctors after the tests were taken?
If so and it isn't too far away, then you could just leave it and let the doctor tell him what is up.
If not and he isn't planning on taking her to the doctors, I would be putting up a huge fuss at him and potentially BM too. I would let them both know that they are irresponsible and potentially risking their daughters health if not her life. It is one thing for your husband to bury his head in the sand about his health issues, and I'm sure he feels some sort of guilt that he might have passed it onto her, but he needs a kick in the balls to get his daughter the attention she needs. It sounds like gently pushing him in the right direction isn't going to work from what you say, so it is time to get serious and bring out your inner bitch. Let him know that medical neglect is child abuse and that you have no respect for someone who has that little concern for a child, let alone their own daughter.
My own husband is in slight denial about his daughters obesity. He just sees it as "genetic" as both him and BM are obese (though I think BM has lost some weight recently) and that SD will likely be obese too and so he doesn't see a need to do much about it. Well since she has been living full time with us she has lost a couple of pounds (not sure if that means much, but at least she hasn't put more on) as we try to eat well and she's been more active. I pointed it out to him and I think he was pleased with it and that he has had a positive impact. I just need to get him to work on his own health problems now....that is going to be a lot tougher!
We don't really know, BM is
We don't really know, BM is the one week took SD to the doctor. BM told dh that SD was obese. So I don't know if there was a followup, but if there was, they missed it. BM really sucks at patenting, so does dh
Obese kids can't keep up with
Obese kids can't keep up with other kids, probably just the obese kid who can't keep up with life,
She could be hypothyroid.
She could be hypothyroid. Blood work will check it, but get the actual report and research. Different labs use different values, some are out of date and will say TSH is normal. I was undiagnosed my entire life, my bloodwork was normal. After I had my thyroid out due to lumps and went on medication,I realized how bad I had been. Symptoms are tiredness, no energy, my eyes get blurry when my meds are off. It slows down metabolism, causes weight gain etc. messes with hunger cues too. If hypothyroid you can lose appetite. But you dont know when to stop eating because you werent hungry in the first place. I feel better when my TSH is close to 1, but some labs use a wide reference range, so people can be told they are normal, but still have symptoms.A small difference in the number can be a HUGE difference in symptoms.