Nina's Clinic

Jake is 12 and runs cross-country. He's always been one of the fastest on the team. But over the past two weeks, his coach noticed something worrying: Jake has lost 8 pounds despite eating more than usual. He's constantly thirsty — he brought three water bottles to practice and drained them all. He keeps asking to use the bathroom, sometimes two or three times per hour. Today, Jake's mom found him on the couch, confused and breathing strangely — deep, fast breaths that completely fill his lungs then push all the air out, almost like repeated sighing. His breath smells sweet and fruity, like nail polish remover. She drove him straight to the ER. Jake is awake but groggy. He knows his name but can't tell you what day it is. His lips are dry and cracked. Something is seriously wrong with how his body is handling energy, fluids, or both. You need to figure out what.