This is long…hang in there with me, please
I am the mom of a 10 year old (5th grade) Type 1 child. He was diagnosed 4 years ago. I am struggling on so many different levels. Any specific advice in the questions listed below would be very appreciated.
We just got the Dexcom G6 and put it on him last Wednesday. My son is a very thin, sensitive child and has been resistant to any devices on him. However, his last A1C was a 9.7 and doctor basically required that he get one. We decided to jump all in and go for the pump too, which will be put on later this month. He has adapted pretty well to the Dexcom, but still complains that it hurts when he touches it (as in, he cries). As I’m watching his sugars go up and down, I am completely horrified that I can’t keep it better in range. His medical team is no help. They just offer the standard guidance. I feel like this is such a crap shoot!
- Any tips you can give for placement so that it won’t hurt him? He is currently wearing it on his arm.
- How about sports? He’s starting soccer on Friday. Do I cover it to protect it from being caught on something? He loves soccer, but doesn’t want to play for fear that it will get bumped or hit with the ball.
- Is is necessary to do both skin tac and an adhesive patch?
- Any tips on reading the Dexcom numbers and acting proactively? I’ve started being a little bit more aggressive with insulin since I can see his numbers first hand. However, I’m still gun shy. For example, today at 8:30 AM, his sugar was 190, I gave him a full correction and insulin to cover his meal. He ate breakfast about 15 minutes later. By 10:30 AM, he was 371…I gave another full correction and covered for some blueberries. He ate the blueberries when his sugar had dropped to about 180. By 12:30 he started tanking, so I gave him lunch without insulin before he got too low and then about an hour later covered part of the lunch. I have never “adapted” his insulin dosage like this before. I have usually just counted carbs, corrected when I’m supposed to and ride out the highs. However, because I can see his sugars live, its creating a lot of anxiety on my part and want want to be proactive.
My sons behavior is off the charts! I’m sure most of it has to do with his roller coaster sugars. I am at a loss of how to handle it! He has cried every morning about going to school (no bullies, nothing out of the norm…I have been extremely proactive in investigating why he might be feeling this way). He has been begging me to homeschool him this year. I finally decided with all the new tech changes, I would bring him home for the remainder of the school year. He is thrilled, but ugh…I am so stressed out! Trying to get anything accomplished when his sugar is off the charts is completely unrealistic!
- Any advice on how to help him manage his emotions when his sugar is out of control?
- Any other parents have younger kids like this struggling with depression?
He has a lot of scar tissue built up from giving injections in his arms…it seems to be the only place that doesn’t hurt. We do rotate sites, but he cries every time we give it in the legs or butt. Stomach is out of the questions, he gets lumps, with a lot of insulin leakage. We’ve tried ice, but I learned that impacts the absorption rate. I am really nervous about the pump because, he will not be able to have it on his arm. He hates shots so much that he’d rather not eat. He can give himself injections.
I’m really struggling here. Thank you in advance for taking the time to read by “book” and offer suggestions!