Support

It has been years since i had really talked in person with anyone who had type 1. usually its a parent or a guardian. last month i went to the Diabetes Expo run by the ADA and i talked to a grandfather of a kid who had T1. it made me want to cry because i hadn't been in an open discussion about the disease i have had since i was really young, in a really long time. just being there really made me feel less alone in this. :D

 

what i want to know is, is there any suggestions in how i can form or go to a support group or something because i really don't want other kids to feel like they are the only ones. like i did for so long or even people my age who are going through this too.

I know how you feel in regards to finding other people to talk to about the disease.  I have had it since I was almost 3 years old, and it helps to talk once in awhile to someone who has had it their whole life.  I just moved to a new city to attend graduate school and my new clinic has support groups I can go to.  So I would suggest finding out if your doctor knows of any groups, etc.  I totally understand how you want to help others and let them know they are not alone.  And sometimes it seems like people our age are caught in the middle - people sometimes forget about those who have had diabetes so long and are older.

I hope this helped!

I know how the orginal poster feels. I live in a rual community and there are absolutly no support groups or things like them withing a reasonable driving distance. However, I always felt that websites like this definatly help whenever I wanted to vent to people who actualy understood what I was going through.

I felt the same way growing up, I had the condition for almost 6 yrs before I met, in person, another kid with the same thing.  I agree with the last two posts, I think the first place to start is at your diabetes clinic.  They usually have lists of clubs or groups for people to join.  When I was young I used to get Diabetes Forcast, a great journal form the ADA, which had a listing of Pen Pals by age groups. This turned out to be my only source of communication with other people with T1. Unfortunately, I don't think they sponsor that section anymore but with the internet and sites like Juvenation, Myspace and Facebook I think there a plenty of alternatives.