Permanent Treatment Options

• Two surgical options exist to permanently rid your child of his Type 1 diabetes; however, both options involve a significant amount of risks and complications.
  
  The first option is a liver transplant. In theory, with a new liver, your child would be able to produce insulin on his own again, and would no longer need to take it via injection. However, with any transplant surgery, a patient runs the risk that his body will reject the donor organ; a lifetime of immune-suppressing drug therapy is required to overcome this risk, and even then, organ rejection is a possibility.
  
  The other surgical option is to only replace the insulin-producing islet cells from a donor liver. Again, rejection is possible, and lifelong medication is necessary to try to prevent it.
  
  With both options, there are risks normally associated with surgery, such as infection or internal bleeding. Neither option is a guaranteed cure for Type 1 diabetes.
  
  

Blood Sugar and Insulin

• For her to live successfully with Type 1 diabetes, your child's blood sugar must be monitored regularly, and she will have to take insulin injections as well. Though her treatment will evolve as she grows, in general, you and your child will have to check her blood glucose levels a few times per day using a blood glucose monitor. In this process, you will prick her finger or arm and test the blood's glucose levels in the monitor. You will then adjust her next meal or snack in order to balance out those glucose levels properly.
  
  You will also use a syringe or insulin pen (like an epi pen) to deliver daily insulin injections for your child. Unfortunately, stomach acids interfere with insulin, making oral medications impossible for insulin-dependent Type 1 diabetes patients.
  
  

Lifestyle Habits

• Eating a healthy diet is an important aspect of managing Type 1 diabetes. Since blood sugar levels must be regulated, your child will need to eat a healthy variety of foods. He will not have to give up all sugars, but he will have to be cautious about how much sugar he eats in a day. His blood sugar readings will determine his diet as he goes through his day.
  Living a healthy lifestyle is also important. Your child should get regular exercise, under the guidance of his physician. Since physical activity can lower blood sugar levels, you will have to monitor your child's blood sugar closely when he participates in sports or other exercises, and adjust his diet accordingly.