My ten year old daughter was recently diagnosed after being admitted to the pediatric ICU with DKA. We’re overwhelmed with all the info and I’m really concerned about the things she’s saying and how she’s feeling. I understand sadness, anger, fear, etc are all common, but I’m hoping to engage with a pediatric therapist sooner rather than later. Has anyone worked with one, possibly someone who’s experienced with T1D, that can help navigate? If not, any recommendations would be much appreciated!
Also, how long is the wait for a pump and CGM? My heart breaks hearing my baby cry and get so anxious with each and every insulin shot.
I can’t help with counseling recommendations but your local JDRF chapter may have some.
If you’ve discussed the pump and CGM with your daughter’s doctor it should not take too long once the doctor writes the prescription and does any other paperwork. Your insurance may cover multiple pumps, in which case you will want to do research. It may be tempting to rush in and pick one since the shots are difficult for your daughter, but it’s a 4 year investment for most if not all so you want to choose wisely.
Research online, and there are plenty of comments on this forum that you can consider.
Many people find shots aren’t pleasant, and may be scared by them. The pen and syringe needles in use now are very fine and minimize pain, but some people find icing the area helps as well. Many lancet devices (used with BG meters) have adjustments for depth which can help minimize pain. Her doctor might prescribe the Freestyle Libre, which does not require fingersticks but monitors BG constantly.
Those are a few thoughts to hold you over until you decide on which to get - be sure your daughter had input on the ones available. Once you decide which one you want, contact the company and let their rep take care of processing your insurance - sometimes people try managing it on their own, and it can be more complex than you would imagine. Come to think of it, you could call and speak with someone at the company in advance to find out if your insurance is accepted.
Once everything is in place it may take a few days of processing followed by shipping time. I would think two weeks max but don’t quote me on that.
I figured I’d offer my insight on selecting a therapist for your daughter since I have some experience in researching therapists myself. Before I continue on any further I should state that I am the sister of a T1D patient- so I am not a patient or parent myself, but I do hope I can offer you the unique perspective of someone who has experienced this disease indirectly for the past 10 years.
I am not sure if you are familiar with a website called Psychology Today but this website has a search feature to look for potential therapists. You can filter searches by geographic area, specific areas of expertise, and the age range that a potential therapist would work with. So, you could search for a pediatric therapist that practices in the Metro Detroit area who happens to specialize in chronic illness- I recommend using the chronic illness filter as psychology today does not have a T1D filter to my knowledge. Based on those results you can see the profiles of individual therapists and from those profiles you can contact a therapist for more information about their background, expertise, and therapeutic orientation. If psychology today does not yield any good results I would recommend asking for a recommendation from either a support group in your area or from your daughter’s care team. The quality of the therapeutic relationship is highly important so I’d recommend your daughter have as much input about her potential therapist as possible… and if your daughter does not “click” with a therapist don’t get discouraged just keep on looking. The right therapist will turn up.
As far as the pump goes, I remember that it came within two weeks after my mother ordered one for my brother. Same with the CGM too if I recall correctly- but do not take that too literally as I am no expert on insulin pump/CGM ordering and shipping. The pump and CGM are both wonderful pieces of technology and are dynamic tools to have for T1D management.
I wish you, your daughter, and your family all the very best. Good luck and take care.