Juvenile diabetes: Finding a new normal
It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and 10-year-old Quinten Mertesdorf woke up not feeling well. His mom kept him home from school and they watched television, read and played with the Wii.
“He seemed to be doing fine and I almost sent him back to school after lunch,” said Trish Mertesdorf of Duluth. “I’m so glad I didn’t.”
On Thanksgiving Day, Quentin woke up very ill. His skin was ashen and his cheeks were sunken. He couldn’t eat and was extremely tired. That evening he began vomiting.
“I thought he had a very bad case of the stomach flu. The thought of diabetes never crossed my mind because I wasn’t aware of the symptoms,” said Trish.
On Friday morning, Quinten could barely get out
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of bed. His parents brought him to his primary care doctor, Livingston Igwe, MD, who quickly diagnosed him with diabetes.
“By then he was in diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be life-threatening,” said Trish. “Dr. Igwe told us we needed to get to the hospital right away.” |
Quentin Mertesdorf, now 11, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in November 2008. He and his family have learned to live with the disease with help from the Diabetes Center. |
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an emergency condition in which extremely high blood glucose levels, along with a severe lack of insulin, result in the breakdown of body fat for energy and an accumulation of ketones in the blood and urine. DKA can cause nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, fruity breath odor, and rapid breathing. Left untreated, DKA can lead to coma and death.
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When Quinten arrived at St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital, a team of doctors and nurses were waiting to help him. He spent five days in the hospital, recovering and getting the insulin his body needed so badly. He and his family, including his older sister Amanda, also spent time with the Diabetes Center’s comprehensive team of nurse educators, dietitians and child specialists learning what it means to live with Type 1 diabetes.
After leaving the hospital, Quinten began seeing endocrinologist
Michael Slag, MD, and nurse educator Emily Sipper. They taught Quinten and his parents all about using his insulin pump, measuring his food and calculating carbohydrates.
Quinten celebrated his golden birthday on June 11, 2009. He's feeling great. He's back to playing soccer and designing video games. He plans to attend a video game design camp this summer.
“I am so thankful to everyone who helped Quinten. From Dr. Igwe, who probably saved his life by getting him diagnosed and into the hospital so fast, to the doctors and nurses at St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital to Dr. Slag and Emily who have been just a phone call away for us whenever we’ve needed them,” said Trish. “With everyone’s help, we’ve made a big transition and found a new normal for Quinten. We know we are blessed because there are so many children out there with fatal illnesses. Quinten’s diabetes is manageable and he will lead a long, healthy life as long as we keep it under control.”
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