My 15yr old daughter went to T1 camp. She was expecting to meet other girls with her disease that she could connect with, be accepted by them and learn from them. She discovered that these girls are just like "normal" girls and they will pick, tease, and gossip. Her heart was broken, acceptance was hard to come by and nobody wanted to sit around and discuss their disease and share ideas on how to manage. Sooo, in her mind, she thought if she could get her bg's low enough and keep them that low long enough maybe her diabetes would go away and she could be "normal" again and she wouldn't have to deal with this disease and all the stresses it has brought into her life since she was diagnosed 2 years ago. She doesn't remember every having problems before she got diagnosed. Sooooo, she took a ton of insulin. Over the next 48 hours at camp she took a total of 400 units of novolog. Consecuentlly toward the end of her rage to be "Normal" her body said, "I am finished". Praise the Lord for diligent camp counselors who went to do night rounds found her, administered glucagon and to the hospital whe went. Of course we all suspected she was trying to kill herself. NOT the case at all. She said she loves life, wants to keep living, just NOT as a diabetic. Hence, the plan to get herself "Normal" again. While in the hospital two Psychologists were sent to talk with her. They were AWESOME! After talking with her awhile discovered she really was not trying to hurt herself, she really was sincerely thinking she could make her diabetes go away. Looking back she is embarrased that she was so distressed she was actually thinking her diabetes could be made to go away. Has anyone else ever had to deal with this desperation of disappearing disease? And, why don't the teens want to talk about their disease and troubleshoot?
Jyll, My heart goes out to you and your daughter. That must have been so scary!! I can only suggest your daughter get her own site here and there are several posts from other teenage girls that she could talk with about questions and how to manage her disease.
My son was diagnosed a little over a year ago. He has not gone through anything like that, but my husband did when we found out. He still refuses to learn anything about diabetes, because he thinks my our son will be well one day. Some days I am afreaid to leave my son in his care because what if somethign happened, my husband would not know what to do.