Treatment Options
We've talked about diet and exercise, but sometimes even more needs to be done for a child dealing with Type 2. With the help of your medical team, you can consider other options such as new medications and holistic options.
Medications
Type 2 medications are modernizing even more quickly than are medications for Type 1. The good news is that the market is huge, and pharmaceutical companies are extremely motivated to find Type 2 medications that work. Talk to your medical team. If a medication is available to help your child's insulin work better, is it a good idea? They'll consider your child's age, how long she should be on such medication, and if the plan is to work toward her not needing it anymore.
Essential
Do not ever accept a simple medication as a solution to your child's Type 2 diabetes. Every good Type 2 plan includes a diet and fitness complement. Refuse to settle for less, and move on to another medical team if your team centers only on medication.
Some over-the-counter medications claim to help the body use glucose better. Never add any of these medications to your child's routine without getting consent from your medical team. Even Type 2 medications can sometimes cause lows, and often interaction with other medications—even over-the-counter meds— can spell trouble. As good as something may sound, always run it by your child's medical team first.
Holistic Answers
There's a push out there to “cure” diabetes with holistic solutions from acupuncture to herbs. Although it's good to look into every option, it is crucial that you never try any of these treatments without the consent and input of your child's medical team.
That's not to say there are not good holistic options. But even in the case of good options, you need to be absolutely sure that what you are considering is in the best interests of your child. In other words, never let anyone outside of your child's health team convince you to try a treatment that you don't truly know will help, not hurt, your child.
A Cure for Type 2?
It's safe to say that there is a reasonable answer to the Type 2 diabetes problem. In most cases, healthful living and eating can help bring it under control. In many cases, children with Type 2 do go on medications, and battling to live without them is not easy. But will there be a cure for Type 2? Research is being conducted to offset and even avoid the complications that make Type 2 dangerous. With good care and scientific breakthroughs, complications such as heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure—once staples of a future with Type 2 diabetes—may someday be a thing of the past. (See Chapter 21 for more discussion on breakthroughs in forestalling and treating complications.)
