There’s a history of both types in my family. In 2005 I noticed things like scratches and bruises were taking longer to heal and my appetite was changing, I felt horrible if I went more than a few hours without eating, etc., so I scheduled an appointment with my GP. He recommended a glucose test that came back borderline; so he referred me an endo.
I went to the appointment and was put through a blood draw significant enough to count as a leeching. We were going through the results when she said, “Whoa! That’s interesting.”
I said, “I get nervous when doctors get interested.”
She responded, “That may not be an unwarranted response in this case.”
While my C peptide and insulin levels were in the normal range, there’s a red flag antibody called GAD-65 that had her concerned. The max scale for this antibody is 1 (I don’t know one what). Mine was 2.3, which was the highest she’d seen in more than 20 years of practice. She re-ran the test and got a similar result, after which she had me start monitoring and logging my BG because, unless I get hit by a bus or something I have a 100 percent probability of developing type 1 in my life.
I took the results to another endo for review and second opinion. He said, “I’d never set any probabilities at 100 percent, but I wouldn’t set yours any lower than 99 and change.”
So, long story just a little bit longer, I’ve had the sword hanging over my head for going on 5 years now and have been a good boy about educating myself on the disease, modifying my diet, improving my exercise regime, etc. With all the information and services available out there, and particularly since your kid is so young and will now grow up with good habits, I have full faith you’ll both be fine and manage things appropriately. My best wishes for your family.