I have a teenaged son who is using a pump, but has not been managing well on it. Basically, he is not testing/bolusing as much as he needs to. His latest A1C was over 12, and the doctor is recommending taking him off of the pump and having my husband and I give him two shots a day using an insulin mix in an effort to get him healthy again. My son is adamant about keeping the pump, but is still not good about using it effectively.
Anyone else out there dealing with resistance to treatment? Anyone else using an insulin mix? I'm curious to hear the ups and downs of this kind of treatment.
Hi nicola,I know your question was posted some time ago but Im new to the site and thats why im answering now.Im sorry to hear that your son isint willing to manage his illness, this must be really difficult for you as we as adults know the consiquences he faces for the choices he is making.Has your son had any counseling?does he know anyone else with t1 ?Does he know all the things that can happen like blindness and kidney failure amongs other things?Maybe taking him to somewhere that he can see others that have this desease that didnt manage it well and are suffering the consiquenses now and maybe then he will take care of him self.Unfortunately my son is on the pump as well and when he was on insulin he was using humalog and lantus, I dont know what you mean when you say insulin mix so i cant offer you any help their.I wish you and your son the best of luck.Hang in their.
Thanks for the reply, Liza! We are seriously considering counseling, not just regarding diabetes, but also other issues we have with our son. :( Hopefully, it will help our family get through some tough times and we'll come out better on the other side, though.
The insulin mix is a combination of fast acting and slow acting insulin, so that when a shot is given before a meal it provides coverage for that meal, plus throughout the day. The shots are given at breakfast and dinner only, so nothing has to be done during school. We did end up taking our son off the pump (after much discussion and his consent) a couple of weeks ago. In a way, it is a huge relief to him. He does not have to remember anything. We ask him to test and bring him his shot before breakfast and dinner. The rest of the day, he eats however he wants to and does not have to remember to bolus or think about counting carbs with each snack. He is supposed to test at lunch and do a correction bolus if needed, but if he forgets or is self-conscious it is not as big a deal now. What surprised me most about making this switch is the almost IMMEDIATE improvement in his blood sugars. He literally went from waking up with a reading of 350 one day to a reading of 90 the next. Very rarely does his sugar get above 200 now - it was almost constantly over 250 before and was often close to 400. (Last A1C was over 12!!!) I will be very curious to see his numbers at the next doctors visit!
I'm just looking at some of your other questions....he does know in his head all of the risks associated with diabetes and also knows a few teens with it. I just think he feels really bad about having diabetes and about some other things, and that not doing what he needed to was a form of rebellion against me and also an expression of low self-esteem....
I hope that the counseling will help him to value himself more and that he will want to become more responsible with his health care and other aspects of life. Being a teenager is hard and diabetes makes it much harder!
Hi my kids are not to this stage but to my understanding it is a stage of having diabetes. Sometimes it can become so overwhelming that the doctors suggest a break from the pump. Maybe explain it to your son that way it is not a punishment but more of a time where he can step back and be a teenager. You will take on the responsibility of this disease for a little while. I can not imagine the pain and just trying to fit in then you add diabetes in the mix wow. I think it is understandable for teens to want to ignore it maybe it will go away unfortunately it won't so he does need help on how to balance that. Until he can do this balancing act it is wonderful he has parents to take on this responsiblity for him while you can. One day you will not have this opportunity it will be up to him so help him while you can. So sorry your family is going through this right now.
Thanks, Penny! That is exactly what his doctor said....'you're overwhelmed and this is too much for you'.
While I'm sorry to hear that it is a stage that other kids go through as well, it helps me to know that we are not alone in our struggles. I am one of those continually guilty moms, you know! Like if I had done a better job then he could do a better job too. It may be partially true, but I think a lot of this just has to do with dealing with a crummy disease. Luckily, things are already somewhat better.
I so totally understand your guilty mom syndrome. I have three children and the older two have type 1 diabetes and my youngest will be 5 next week and he has 3 of the auto immune markers for it. We have no family history anywhere generations back of type 1 but a lot of other auto immune diseases. So the guilt can get to anyone I totaly sympathize with you there. This disease is not fun and everyone in the family is involved rather they want to be or not. It is hard to deal with it just reasure him he is not alone and nither are you. We all need support we do what we can when we can and somehow we will get through it. Just a little side note to make you laugh or at least hope to help you laugh. You know that saying when it rains it pours I just tell people ya I know we live in a rainforest, or when they say there is a light at the end of the tunnel I heard a country song that says lord I hope it ain't a train. Hang in there we can not control life only how we deal with it and being able to laugh and is the best medicine.