First I would like to say that this site is great and it really helps being able to see every ones thoughts an opinions. My 13 year old son was newly diagnosed on 12/27/10, he was in dka and we didn't know it and as a result was hospitalized. As the first week at home comes to an end, myself and my wife still feel like we are spinning. We have so many questions, but there seems to be a lot of answers on this site. We heard alot about the pump while in the hospital and it sounds like a good thing, but we were started with the 4 injections daily. My son has the pen for humalog and the syringe for his lantis, he is not a real fan of the shots, but each day is getting a little better. My son was always a big eater so not being able to eat what he wants when he wants to is really wearing on him. We keep looking for as many "free" things that we can find for him to eat to curb his humger until meal or snck time. His BG is all over the place. He hasn't had any lows and doesn't know what symptoms he will have so each day when he is at gym I feel like the minutes drag...I look forward to learning a lot from the good people here...thank you
Our daughter was on 11/28/10, she's 4. Sorry you're joining us, but glad you found us. The first few weeks were really hard for us until we got them to switch us to doing shots after meals based on what she eats. It gives her much more flexibility, and she really hasn't had to give anything up. Plus trying to get a kid to eat when they don't want to just stinks.
The lows are coming, as soon as he hits his honeymoon and then it's a whole new type of stress. Our daughter hit her honeymoon the same week she got a stomach bug and refused to eat and would hardly drink. I say that not to freak you out, but we got through it without her having to go back to the hospital. We just stayed very close to our endo and our clinic and we kept changing her insulin every other day, pretty much. We do 4 shots a day, and I don't think we will be ready for the pump until we get really comfortable with managing insulin. Plus I watched the video of Gina doing her pump and I know there is no way by 4 year old is ready for that.
Big thing for you don't expect or ask him to give up his old life, try to find a way to make diabetes work for him. It can be done, and you will all be so much happier that way. We spent a month trying to get her to live her life around her diabetes and that was just silly and horribly stressful for us. Just this week we seem to have hit our stride and it's getting so much easier.
Come back often, and it's going to be okay. The best news is your son can live with this, and it doesn't have to be horribly all the time.
Hang in there, dad. It's going to get easier, and you will all adjust.
I absolutely recommend reading "Think Like a Pancreas" by Gary Scheiner. It is very clear, and still gives enough detail about diabetes management to help you make choices about your son's care. When our son was dx 5/13/09 (just before his 8th birthday), the hospital dr put him on a "fixed" insulin plan with corresponding meal plan (sounds like this is similar to your son's plan). Once we got home (he was dx while we were on vacation out of state) and met with his "new" endocrinologist, he was put on a plan that works much, much better for us. His insulin doses are calculated based on his current BG and on how many carbs he will be eating, so he can eat pretty much as much as he wants/needs do.
Our 12-year old has entered into the "eat you out of house and home" phase, so I imagine it would be very difficult for your son to limit his carb intake, especially if he is active. Growth hormones and "puberty" hormones will mess with his BG, which may make your current plan more difficult to manage. I would really look into switching his plan to something more flexible, and "Think Like a Pancreas" should give you enough information to help you talk to your endo in an informed way.
Juvenation is a great place for support and for asking questions. I would also recommend tapping into the D-blog community. I was surprised how many D-parents are out there blogging their family's experiences, and they are a fabulous source of support and inspiration. I would definitely start with Meri; she's a total inspiration to me, and keeps me laughing when I need it most. http://www.ourdiabeticlife.com/
Hang in there. You're not alone, and you and your family are going to get through this "crisis" stage and settle into your new reality.
Blessings,
Mo
Hi -- my 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed after going into DKA on 11/29/10, so we are going through pretty much the same thing. Samantha is also using shots: Novolog & Lantus. It is allowing her to be pretty flexible with what she eats, but she is really thinking a pump will be a great thing! Samantha seems to be adjusting well, but she was definitely into the teen junk food eating stage, so that has been a huge change. She said the only thing bothering her right now is the fact that she can't go into the kitchen and eat whatever she wants. She loves to eat salad drenched in ranch dressing for a free snack. Spray cheese is also heading up the list. Slim jims & pepperoni aren't bad. Also, we are traveling to Indianapolis to put Sam in the Defend 2 clinical trial, which is studying a drug that may extend the honeymoon period/preserve some of her insulin production. You may want to check it out.
I'm constantly on the internet looking for information & trying to find some teens for Samantha to talk to! One good book we have so far is Diabetic Athlete's Handbook. It has a lot of general information (pretty technical) plus specific recommendations for sports (carbs/insulin).
Still looking for any signs of a honeymoon, almost a month and the numbers are still up and down...Tyler just the other day finally created a pen pal profile on JDRF kids, but to this point had no interest in sharing. So I think that is a good step. We also hope that he connects with other kids so he can share experiences. I hope by soccer season Tyler is more stable with his BS, so we can manage it as best as we can. Thanks to all for reaching out!!
My 2.5 yr old daughter was dxd 2-13-2010, and it was very difficult in the beginning ,but now we are almost a year into it and it has become so much easier. She was on MDI for only 2 months before we put her on an insulin pump ,It was the best thing we could've done. There is so much freedom with the pump. You can eat when you want not like being on shots. This is only my opinion and the pump is not for everyone.
Our son was diagnosed 2 years ago at the age of 2. My understanding at the time from his endo was that the honeymoon phase was the initial phase of his diagnosis when his own pancreas was still producing insulin, just not the right amounts of insulin and not at the right time. His endo explained to us that once his pancreas stopped working completely, the honeymoon phase would be over and we would see a drastic change in the amount of insulin needed every day.
He told us the phase is different for everyone, for some the phase is over very quickly, for others it can last up to a year or longer but he told us the average was about a year. I'm still not sure if our son is over his honeymoon phase or not but I can tell you that it does get easier to deal with it day in & day out - however, there will be days that it gets the best of you. Hang in there!
TJ and Kim, Our daughter was diagnosed Nov 22 2010. She was not in dka, fortunately for her she has always had a very light appetite and so when she began eating as much as her 18 year old brother (she is 4 1/2) and trying to drink her bath water, we went in for tests. I don't think we could have picked up on these symptoms if it was her older brother...teens eat giant amounts at random times! She was hospitalized for 1 week, it was so scary coming home. We have the opposite challenge..Our little girl is a very fussy eater and has a severe egg allergy. We are new to all this, but her endo put her on an eating schedule with same # of carbs eaten same time each day. On Christmas Eve she entered the honeymoon period and continues to receive hardly any insulin. Before this her BS was all over the place too and satisfying hunger in between carb snacks was tough. I don't know what to expect when honeymoon ends. For now, we are focusing on trying to interest her in doing parts of her own checks and already my tummy is sick thinking about kindergarten. Today is my first day on this (juvenation) and so I am reading all the previous posts and getting some great info. Free stuff favourites..cheese strings and freybe ham sticks
There is a 'T-1 Parents' group on Facebook that is really helpful and supportive and they have started a penpal program. I believe Michelle Gonsalvez is the contact for the group - she has been connecting kids the same age.
Hi everyone,
My 13 year old daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on January 19, 2011...just 9 days ago. I'm still learning my way around Juvenation and posted an introduction, but it's under the Forum section.
I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's stories and learning how to better care for my daughter. I hope one day to be able to help others too.
I've heard people mention the honeymoon phase, but don't really know what it is. I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out soon.
Thanks for all your postings!
Amanda
Hey, Amanda,
I'm so sorry to have to welcome you to "the club", but know that you are not alone and there's plenty of support out there for you and your family. Juvenation is a great place to ask questions and get in touch with other parents. I would also encourage you to check out the D-blogging community. I've met some amazing moms, so willing to share their time and experiences and to befriend others. I've gotten so much support from these ladies, and have been able to support others in turn. You can find our family's diagnosis story here http://fivebearsablogging.blogspot.com/2010/05/rufus-birthday.html. Then, scroll through "My Blog World" in the side panel to find other D-related blogs. And, please feel free to contact me directly at Hueyhome@msn.com if I can help in any way.
Blessings,
Mo