There is an excellent book you can buy on Amazon or download for free on their site called “Bright Spots and Land Mines” by Adam Brown. He writes for Diatribe. It’s super helpful on so many levels. My teen, 17, was diagnosed in Nov. So far he’s doing good and super appreciates the dexcom. I’m a nurse, and all my hospital stories have motivated him some as well. The Libre is a lot cheaper and is another option if your insurance won’t cover dexcom. The Freestyle Libre has an attachment for $200 you can buy that gives 5 min readings called a MiaoMiao. But even without the MiaoMiao having more data without extra fingersticks is a game changer. If you have the “right” kind of phone it can read the libre or he can carry the reader. Hope things get better!
Lora
Thank you. I’ll look into that book. We are going for the Freestyle Lybre. Things are better btw:)
Tina,
My daughter was diagnosed at 14 as well, on the first day of high school! Hello slap in the face. She is now 16. All I can say is that is has been a very challenging time and I completely understand how you feel. While we still have challenges managing her sugars, things have gotten better. She went away to camp last summer, and just returned from an international school trip. These of course caused some serious stress in her parents. She knows she is ultimately responsible for her management, but we do try to approach it as a team, and she knows whatever we do to assist is out of love (although she does not always respond that way). Being a teenager is hard enough, but throw T1D on top of it makes it so much more so.
She recently started on the G6 and it has been a game changer for us. While I can’t say that it has necessarily helped her manage her sugars any better, I can say that is has provided tremendous piece of mind to her parents, and virtually no finger sticks for her. Without it it was incredibly difficult to balance between wanting to know her #'s but not wanting to continually ask her, or ask her to check. With the G6 we can see her levels on our phone without her ever knowing we are “spying” on her, and an alarm will go off in the middle of the night or whenever, if levels get too high or low. So, whatever CGM you decide to get, I will strongly suggest that you make sure it has the capability to share the data with you.
Good luck to you! I completely understand the stress you are feeling. The disease sucks, but there are promising new advances on the horizon.
Thank you! That was helpful. I’m glad she was able to successfully participate in an international trip. That is what I want for my son but I know that I would be very nervous about it. I’m glad the G6 is working for you.
Tina,
Yes, the trip made us very nervous as she was heading to the tropics and did not have electricity for the week, and we needed to keep the insulin at the in-use temperature, and prevent it from cooking in the sun. So, I just thought I’d share a few tools that we used to do so:
Frio Bags
Vivi Cap
Take a look if you get a chance, as these are also good for general summertime/warm temps.
Your pediatric endo should contact Dexcom - he is a perfect candidate and insurance and even Medicaid would cover it. If your pediatric endo isn’t pushing for you, maybe find another? The letters to prove need are readily available.
He better get it together or he wont live long , i got it at 14 , and am 52 now , no problems no side effects but im on it bigtime, his A1c is terrible, he must feel like shit , Discipline is the answer period ! Im sure you love your son or you wouldn’t be looking for help , get educated and disciplined and live a good life
Thanks! Just checked them out and will order. Thanks for the useful information:)
Get some type of CGM. It will help. That way he kinda has a notion of what his sugars are. But I understand the frustration of trying to watch out for your kid. My daughter got it when she was 17. And she’s very out of control to this day. She is 32 now .shes been in a coma twice and countless times in hospital for DKA. I’m also T1 and kinda of in control but she still doesn’t listen to me. Don’t beat yourself up. We can only be there for them.
Wow. That is scary. Thanks for the perspective. Good luck to you and your daughter.