My 6 year old son was diagnosed exactly one week ago today and it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride ever since. We're now trying to settle in with a new routine and I'd love to hear from parents with lots of experience about the things you wish you knew in the beginning or things you wish someone had told you when your child was first diagnosed. Thanks in advance!
Hmm ... I was diagnosed at the age of 38 with Type 1 diabetes. There are lots of things they told me when I was diagnosed. Or are you asking what you wish you knew "before" your child was diagnosed? I'm pretty sure it's the same thing anyone with Type 1 diabetes would like to know.
Read the book Think Like a Pancreas and get one the digital scales to weigh the food like this. www.americandiabeteswholesale.com/.../eatsmart-nutrition-scale_2588.htm
Try not to lose your mind.
Lantus can very very painful. Try to use one of the competing long acting insulin instead.
Hang out here a lot.
I was diagnosed when I was six, and my biggest memory was that no one told me what diabetes actually was for days. I heard the first syllable, and I though that meant I was going to die! My father explained to me when I came home from the hospital that he was going to have to give me these injections even though they hurt because if he didn't, I would die, and he loved me very much and wouldn't let that happen. Some people thought he was cruel for saying that to me when I was so young, but I think it helped. I was never angry at my parents for making me do things; I knew they just wanted me to be healthy. My parents were also very careful to make sure I never felt ashamed of being diabetic. If that meant doing my blood test at the table in a restaurant while other parents looked on disapprovingly, that was fine because I wasn't doing anything wrong. Now I'm more discreet, but I think that was the best approach when I was little.
Mine was diagnosed in May, so I'm right there with you! The Think Like a Pancreas book is a must read. It does have alomost too much info sometimes, but it was really helpful.
IT WILL GET EASIER! I promise. That's the biggest thing I wish I could have know. I felt like someone threw me off a boat and said now find land. It gets easier to manage with every day.
Second would be, get multiples of everything and always have extra supplies. I cannot count the number if times we were out of this or something stopped working, etc. Get extra batteries for the meters, back up lancet devices, etc. I keep a small box in the car with extra stuff just in case he runs out.
Thanks everyone.