Hello everyone! I just discovered this site a few minutes ago, my 7 year old daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes one year ago. It has been a very hard year for us all. We have not yet managed to get her blood sugar under control and can get very frustrating! I really had no understanding about diabetes before she was diagnosed and now I find myself overwhelmed. As for my daughter, Heather, she is strong and amazing! It is wonderful just to sit and watch her be herself and except what she has to deal with everyday. I love her more than anything and will continue to research and learn all I can about this disease. I pray for a cure everyday!!
I'm really sorry your family is having to deal with diabetes. It sounds like you're doing a good job.
Perfect blood sugars aren't really possible, at least not all the time. Just try to do your best and if your daughter's blood sugar is high, take correction insulin. If her blood sugar is low, eat a snack. There are a lot of great books out there. Any on this list marked highly recommended are worth checking out.
www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_06_b00.htm
I've been diabetic for 34 years (diagnosed at age 4) and have no complications. I work a busy job and have a great husband and son. Diabetes has affected a lot of different parts of my life, but I've been able to do anything I've wanted. It's a really important part of who I am and while I wouldn't choose it, I don't regret being diabetic. Take care and let us know when you need anything.
-Jenna
We have found the book Think Like a Pancreas to be really helpful in controlling our daughter's type 1. I have heard the Pumping Insulin is good too.
I'm glad you found us. (-:
I laughed when I saw your title because it reminded me of being around 5 or 6 and low, and hiding in a little space between the fridge and the wall where my Mom couldn't reach me, and screaming that I wouldn't eat anything to treat my low unless it was broccoli. You know I'm very low if I'd consider eating broccoli, lol.
Anyway, what I find helpful is not expecting my BG's to be "under control" completely because there will always be random wacky numbers, but more looking at overall trends.
Let us know if you have questions we can help you with!
I can so relate. My daughter was diagnosed at age 10, about 15 months ago. It’s been quite the learning experience! Like you, we didn’t know anything about type 1 diabetes. I vaguely recall my mom telling me about a neighbor boy who had type 1 when I was a kid, but he was several years older than me, so it didn’t mean a thing to me at the time.
Anyway, this is a great place and there are many other online resources to help you keep your sanity. Like others said, don’t expect perfection in blood sugars, because it isn’t going to happen. After 15 months most days I feel like we have this more or less under control, but then a crazy number will sneak up on us. Our new goal is to keep 80% of my daughter’s numbers between 80-180, and right now I think we’re somewhere around 78%.
I think one of the greater challenges is to find the balance between managing diabetes and letting your child be a child. There are days when I just completely want to outlaw ice cream, for example, but then I remember that Sarah is a kid. And kids should get to indulge in their favorite tasty treats once in awhile.
Please let me know if I can help. :-)
My 9 yr old was just diagnosed 4 days ago! I am with you on the being overwhelmed!! So much information to take in at one time! So glad for sites like this where we can learn from one another!
My gosh! Its so hard when its your baby! I still can remember the first week at home with her. I was so scared but here we are one year later and still trucking!! To Colesmama I will keep you and your family in my thoughts because like I said I still remember that day like it was yesterday! Good luck and stay strong!:)
Thank you so much for the information and support! I am starting to realize that we wont always have the perfect numbers we want but kids will be kids, running and playing. I'm also trying not to outlaw the treats she loved before just not so much! Thanks again!:)
Thanks Sarah! Thats funny, I wish my daughter would ask for broccoli. ' I JUST WANT MY BROCCOLI!!!!!!!l
LOL!
have not heard of that book. I will surely check it out ! Thanks Terry!!
Thanks! Its really great knowing all of this support is here for me. I'm sure my daughter will grow to be a wonderful, healthy woman! Hopefully before then we will have a CURE!!!!:)
Hi :) Please feel welcome here.
I think you should look at a blog post I made a few months ago.
I think all of us on juvenation with type 1 feel this way, so stay strong & just know that someday your daughter will definitely appreciate everything you do for her. I know I feel that way about my mom, and she's helped me for 12 years. :)
My son(age 9) was just recently diagnosed with type 1 and although its only been a week....I keep asking myself...is this ever going to get easier? He as well has ADHD and his moods are just down right miserable right now....weather its from his up and down blood sugars or from his adhd its driving me crazy. He has been a trooper and I am taking it harder than him at the moment....some mornings the only thing that is getting me out of bed is to make him breakfast. Everything has come down on me at one time and I am stuck in a rut...he seems so hungry all the time no matter what is blood sugar is!!! I have asked the docs if this is normal and of course not getting much of an answer! UGhh thats aggrevating in itself!!! We as a family are all trying to change our eating habits....but after all the years eating what we want when we want its really becoming a struggle....I ache everyday for my son and having to see him go through this and ask myself how will he be able to live a normal life when he has to go through this on a daily basis...its not something thats goign to just go away......I myself am trying to deal with my own issues of not being able to cure my child ....I want to rush time and make it be easier for him in life..and its not going fast enough. I am having a real anxiety about taking him out and going places with the foods........don't know where to start but felt i could vent here....and read some things that may help me.....thanks for listening...I know i am all over with topics here but i am an overwelmed MOM of a son with type 1 diabetes who never thought it would happen to my family and my baby boy!!!!
gidgel29,
With your son's diagnosis being so recent, the hunger thing may still work itself out. For me, when I was first diagnosed and put on insulin, I was starving all the time and it made me very cranky just like you have described. The explanation I was given was that my body had gotten used to running at BG levels of 300 or higher in the weeks/months before my diagnosis. So that became what my body considered "normal". In the first few weeks of being on insulin, I felt the same symptoms that I get now when I'm low, except I was getting them for any BG under 80 or 90. I had also been eating a lot just before diagnosis even though I was losing weight because my body was constantly telling me I needed more fuel (because it wasn't able to use what I had). It took a few weeks for me to settle into a new eating pattern, and I no longer feel low at 80 or 90, and I no longer feel like I'm starving all the time. There are going to be many easier times with this disease, and there will likely be a few that are harder - and you will get through them as best you can for your son.
It probably will get easier pretty soon if your son goes through a nice honeymoon phase. Depending on your son's insulin plan he can probably eat pretty much normally. Changing how your family eats and learning to manage his insulin sounds like a lot to manage so soon.
I got a bit depressed sometimes during the first couple weeks and months. I eventually learned to take it one day at a time. If only I could do the same for all the other worries in my life.
It has been just a little over a year since my daughter's diagnosis. It does get a little better. You will adjust and you might get a little closer to your son in the process.
This web site is a real blessing too. There are lots of experienced people that gave me hope when I didn't have much and gave me help when I was confused.
Hang in there.
Hi! This is my first post here, so please bear with me. LOL, I tend to ramble! I still remember the "growing up" years with my son. The trials and tribulations, oh my. One thing to keep in mind; no two diabetics react in the same way to high/low blood sugars, or to stressors. I diagnosed my son at age 5, about a month before he turned six. I am a registered nurse, as well as the mom of a T1. Each age brought different sets of issues. He has never had good control, for a number of reasons. BTW: he is in his late 40's now, has not had any of the complications..yet. The biggest challenge I had when he was in school, was with the teachers. I do hope they are better educated today! It's very important to let them be a kid, to know they can do anything they want to. It's also important for family, friends & teachers to not treat them differently. I was very upset when I learned his teachers weren't notifying me that he never did any home work! They never asked me if he should get away with not doing it, and I never got a note stating he wasn't doing it. They were doing him a great disservice, which he learned when he got to high school! No more slacking on home work!
You will become more confident in your abilities to handle anything that comes up with your son. This is a great educational and support site. Make good use of it :-). If I can be of any help to you or anyone here, or if you just want to chat, I'm here.
It will get better!