Hi She had dinner at 8 o’clock after that we went for a walk but she start playing in the park volleyball for like 20 minutes and she sweat a lot so when I came back home her blood sugar was 116 before she slept. Her target is 150 so I was worried about if she’ll go low so I gave her one chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk with four almonds and checked her sugar it was 135. I checked again at 3:30 am now it’s 68 j so I gave her half cup of cereal with almond milk and one apple juice and i chocolate cookie and I checked after 15 minutes it’s 135 I don’t know if I did the right thing if or I gave her so much sugar because I also gave her one more chocolate chip cookie just now because she said she’s Still feeling low.
Hi @Madhokraj. I find it sometimes takes my sensations a while to catch up with my numbers following a low. For instance, I was a little low while shopping so I had a snack, and even though my CGM showed 110⬆️ (rising) I still felt a little funny, but after a while my numbers and my feelings were back in line. Also, if a person is accustomed to running high - which she may have been since she is newly diagnosed - numbers in the good range may feel low since the body needs to adjust.
One thing you will want to do is learn if there are patterns. If she is frequently around 70 overnight she may need a change in her overnight basal insulin, but since you are new this is something you need to do with doctor’s supervision. Or she may need to adjust her bedtime snack based on her reading at that time.
Have you had a visit with a nutritionist yet? They will give you both invaluable guidance on meals and snacks, and what sticks with you, at least if your basal insulin is determined correctly. BTW, I’m a bit of a night owl so you may see something from me in the early morning hours on the east coast. On the forum we share tips, experience and learnings from our years with diabetes, but medical advice needs to come from your doctor. It’s helpful to keep thorough records of what you did in response to certain symptoms or readings, and ask the doctor to confirm if you were on target. You are on a learning curve and right now it feels like you’re climbing Mount Everest, but you will gain confidence.
Speaking of which, having a snack before bed was a good thing following a walk and a small drop in her numbers. Exercise can affect blood sugar for a while afterwards, so you may not realize it but your instincts kicked in to say “I’d better check her overnight” and follow up with another snack based on her reading. I hope that, with the guidance of her doctor and nutritionist, your daughter will get the confidence to start learning to respond on her own.
Thanks so much yes I have an appointment on Monday with nutritionist it was very sleepless Night since I don’t have CGM yet and it’s all new but trust me reading EVERYONES response helps a lot.thanks GBU
My pleasure. In so glad you have that appointment on Monday. People with diabetes used to be restricted to a very draconian diet, with very few choices to speak of. Now it’s a matter of learning to count carbs and match your insulin to them.
Hay… Snap my daughter got diagnosed in march and is 14. I know exactly what you are going through because im the same. Im getting obsessed with meal times aswell i feel she needs to have lunch no later then 12.30. Dinner at 6. If its late im a nervous wreck. Untill my daughters DN had a few tips to deal with late meals. I still get nervous but not to the extent of tears any more. Its so hard because you want to do everything right and so scared of getting things wrong. I have the diabetes team on speed dial now lol and i use it. Paige my daughter will not be going to school till September so il cross that bridge when i come to it. She has not been out on her own yet that scares me to death. I live in the uk In Leicester so just had a extra 2weeks lock down atleast. Hows your daughter dealing with the diagnose? Paige doesn’t want to tell anyone. So your doing a fantastic job and i hear it gets easier. If you need to chat please message me.
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Hi @Hayleyuk, from the United States. I was diagnosed as a very young child so by the time I was your daughter’s age I was pretty well versed in caring for myself. That was in the mid 1970s and we didn’t have the technology available now. I took 1 shot a day, and learned what it felt like to “be low” and how to treat it - we didn’t even have BG meters until about the time I finished college! My mom did have “chats” with other moms beforeI went to visit friends, and I’m sure she worried if I would be okay. But I could stay overnight with a friend, take my designated dose of insulin in the morning (again, things were very different back then) and return home none the worse for wear.
I knew lots of people feel embarrassed about their diabetes or don’t want to tell anyone for various reasons. I’ve always been pretty open about it and for the most part it’s no big deal. People don’t seem to give it a second thought. There are lots of people with various medical needs - food allergies, seizures, asthma, etc. that require regular administration of medicine, vigilant attention to what the body is telling you, and other details. I believe how you handle it yourself determines how others will respond.
It is an adjustment, but I hope your daughter is able to say some day, “I have diabetes - it does not have me.”
If you do a search on this forum for “Looking for friends” you will find people from various age groups looking for people to communicate with online, including some teens. I always advise proceeding with caution as you can’t be too careful these days, but she could make some friends overseas.
Wishing you the best as you all adjust.
Chetna @Madhokraj, each of us is a little different in how our body reacts to exercise and to food, but to me, needing this much food [carbohydrate] 7 1/2 hours after exercise, in addition to the 20 grams of carb she had before bedtime, I’d guess that her previous insulin dose was significantly too high for her meal intake.
I trust that this information was given to her doctor. I know that your daughter’s diagnosis is very recent, but if episodes like this continue significant modification of insulin dosing might be necessary. Her doctor will tell her, and I’d agree, that adjusting insulin is an on-going process, and will need continuing adjustment. Patience, and monitoring - along with frustration - will be in her future.
Believe me Chetna, this will become easier, almost routing and second nature. I’m still frustrated occasionally especially on days that I thought I was doing everything correctly.
Hay, thanks for replying to me, i try and get her to open up about her diabetes, i spoke to her head of year today there is a girl in Paiges school who is in the year above her and she said she will be more than happy to chat with paige and help her what’s fab. Think i need tips 
lots of. Im dreading sick days and exercise iv not dealt with them yet.
I think there is a discussion topic on exercise. It may not feel comforting to know that some things with diabetes are a matter of trial and error: that is, there are general guidelines to follow but you discover for yourself just how to apply them. In the case of exercise, it may be a question of cutting back on insulin or even stopping delivery (for pump users) a certain amount of time before exercise, and continuing a certain amount of time after.
While high blood sugar is harmful particularly in the long run, most people fear low glucose as it can become serious quickly. But like most things learn to diabetes, we learn to recognize and respond to those too. A CGM is a huge comfort for the person and the parents - no matter how old the person is! I encourage you to look into getting one if you haven’t yet. Remember though, it is a tool and you still have to put in the work of self care. That becomes more natural with time, even though there may be days when things don’t go the way you want in spite of your efforts.
Your doctor will teach you about sick days - hopefully they will be few and far between. I almost hate to mention it on the heels of “stuck days” since it’s not an illness, but menstruation affects blood sugar as well. But at least that is something you - your daughter - can plan for.
Hi there @Madhokraj
My daughter was diagnosed 2 years ago this month, she was 13 at the time. And I can tell you that things definitely get better. You’ve already done the best thing and that is reaching out. My daughter was independent from the start with her shots. But not all kids are. And i wouldn’t recommend pushing her to be if she isn’t comfortable.
We got my daughter a CGM (dexcom) and that is the best thing ever. We can see her numbers from an App on our phone as long as there is WIFI.She went on to a pump for a while but didn’t like it. It was uncomfortable and fashion wise for a teenager it got in the way.(She had the T-Slim by Tandem and it isn’t wireless) So she is back to shots. Her Levels are good. She does everything most teenagers do. She just has to do a little extra.
Initially,I read everything I could on Diabetes.I even went and bought a scale for weighing her food and carb counting. Totally not necessary as we can estimate her carbs and read labels for that. Your daughter will be fine with your support. My daughter does not have any TID friends but I wish she did. She says she is fine with the friends she has because they look out for her. So as long as your daughter has supportive friends she too will be fine. I also recommend reading up on a 504 plan for school. You are her advocate and will have to inform her teachers. Not all teachers are aware about TID. please feel free to reach out if you would like to talk. I too am still learning. Please, just know she will be ok. Best of luck.
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Hi @mzsalgal! I was 3 when I was diagnosed. I suspect I was already super independent before then (my parents might prefer the term "strong willed"
) and not having friends with diabetes didn’t bother me. Correction - I did go to diabetes camp for a few summers but didn’t keep up with kids afterwards. If your daughter would like to reach out though, there are topics on the forum with the word “friends” and people give their age. It pays to be cautious making connections online but the tool is there if she wants it.
Thank you. @wadawabbit 
“strong willed” is probably a better term for my daughter too.
A mixed blessing - it can serve her well but be a pain for you at the same time. Kids with diabetes learn responsibility early so that’s an additional plus.
Hi hatleyuk Yes I’m still nervous it’s only been one week since she was diagnosed trying to still catch up with what makes her sugar high or low Like yesterday I gave her one whole cucumber to eat and her sugar spiked I was so shocked how it can happen with cucumber only. I gave her for snack.but then sometimes it shows high like 201 I give her low carb high protein lunch and cover but then it drops like 104 so still very confused still trying to figure out.
Only 1 week in your doing fantastic we’re 4 months in .it was like i was in a bubble at first and still is sometimes. But still get a little tearful when speaking out load sometimes. Until i give myself a good talking to over a cuppa. I think in the uk we read our glucose different 4-7 (normal as if i see them lol) below 4 hypo paige is below regularly. Above 7 corrections extra insuin. Above 14 hyper check for kiltones. But the most important thing is everything will be ok your doing a fantastic job i had to stay in hospital over a week with paige because i couldn’t get my head around things and was on set dose for a while. Your daughter maybe having a little honeymoon they call it. When paige has hers her glucose levels are all over the hockey.
What should I give her to eat if her sugar is 118 to bring it back to 150 Which is her nighttime target.Because I either give her too much which brings it really high or either I don’t give her enough which brings it low.And especially if she is little hungry also
Hi @Madhokraj. We share suggestions on the forum based on our personal experience, but each of us needs to learn how our body responds. We use insulin/carb ratios to determine how much we need to cover the food we eat, and with some “reverse math” can extrapolate from that how large a serving of a particular food should suffice. However, an exact target can be hard to hit - although you can get close - because of factors such as stress, exercise, hormones, etc. So we learn what works for us, and we aim for a number close to the target - it doesn’t have to be spot on. In fact, targets are often given in ranges to aim for, rather than a single number. If my range were 140-160 anything in that area even if a little above or below would be fine.
This is something you should discuss with her nutritionist and her doctor. Her young body is adjusting and may still be in the honeymoon period, making some of its own insulin - so you may need to learn to respond to some unexpected readings. This too is part of managing diabetes. So for specific guidance you need to speak with someone who is familiar with her, so they will be in the loop as to how things are working. They may suggest a snack and quantity to get her to her bedtime target/range based on her reading, as you climb the learning curve to become more familiar with making choices on your own. And ask for a range to aim for. Keep in mind, there is trial and error with diabetes and you will learn what works, particularly when she gets out of the honeymoon phase so you can control her insulin on your own.
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Chetna, without knowing your daughter, and how much a measured amount of carbohydrate raises her glucose level, I can’t give a specific amount for her to eat.
In the evening, unless she was “low”, such as below 70 mg/dl, I would only give her complex / long-acting carbohydrates to eat. For me, in her situation, I would eat four or five saltines spread generously with peanut-butter. That amount would bring me a little above 150, but during my sleep my level would slowly drop back.
Above was for my evening; in the morning, such as if I awaken too low, I know that a Glucose Tab, with 4 grams of carb, will push me up from 75 to 100 mg/dl. or higher But that is MY body. My morning carb ratio is 1:9, where as my evening carb ratio is 1:19.
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Thanks another things she has been having headaches since 4 days now I gave her Tylenol but it’s not helping that much any idea why it’s happening is it due to the new insulin or what?
I would suggest placing a call to her endo, her primary care physician, and her dentist.
I’m not familiar with insulin causing headaches but it’s possible and wouldn’t hurt to report it. Although diabetes is our first thought when things happen, lots of things happen completely apart, which is why I suggest get primary care doctor.
And last, when I was in late high school and through mid college I had frequent headaches - I usual woke up with them. I saw my diabetes doctor, a vegetal practitioner and a neurologist - none of them could find anything so they attributed it to stress, and white I didn’t think that was it I just managed the pain as best I could. Eventually I went to see a dentist (I was long overdue) and it turned out I was grinding my teeth! I was fitted for a bite guard, and problem solved.
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