RebeccaS Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 It's been 11 months since my oldest daughter was diagnosed. It's type 1, so I wish all the well-intentioned people in my life who try to help would stop. She has to be on insulin. She can't just lose to weight or do this or that to "cure" it. I hate that she has to have so many shots. I hate that her life will not be the same. And I hate that I had to give her another bedtime shot that hurt. :( We've started the process to get her a pump, but it's going to take time. She was sick about 3 weeks ago-like in the ER, puking non-stop sick. Her numbers have been crazy ever since and we cannot seem to get her down. She's eating well, exercising and high. I know it's just a phase until we get her dosage sorted out again, but I hate it. I hate that she feels so crummy. I hate that she hurts. It makes me want to cry. It was just a bad night. Thanks for listening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I am sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I'm so sorry :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: . My Dad was dxed Type 1 at the age of 19, and the pump improved his life so much a few years ago. Praying that your dd and you get some relief and get her numbers under control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniBlondes Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I am so sorry. :grouphug: I can only imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukale Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I know that has to be hard and scary. I have a pump (one touch ping) and love it. I was doing 6 or more shots a day before. I also have a dexcom 7 plus. Here is a link to the new model that is out now. http://www.dexcom.com/dexcom-g4-platinum. My dexcom will wake me up if I get low at night, which is the scariest thing for me being on insulin. Send me a PM if you want to talk. It takes time but it will get easier and not feel like you are thinking about it every minute of every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I'm sorry. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I totally get it. My 8yo dd has type 1 and it is no picnic. I'm sorry. ((hugs)) eta - just wanted to add that we use a pump - a Ping - and a a Dexcom G4. It has made a world of difference. Hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowing Brook Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 :grouphug: :grouphug: hugs to you and your daughter. I am sorry you all are going through this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 My dn is 13, she has been diabetic since she was 3. She doesn't qualify for a pump yet. She also has a heart condition, thyroid disease and celiacs :( She was born with the heart condition, thyroid issue was discovered about 2 years ago, the celiacs was discovered about 9 months ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Hugs, my niece is type 1 (she lives here part time) and its been a wild ride to keep her regulated we are hoping she gets to a stable point to get a pump it breaks my heart to see her in pain :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 so sorry! It hurts our hearts when our babies hurt, and we can't fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I'm sorry. I hate it too. My 14 year old dd was diagnosed when she was 9. The pump was a definite improvement, though. ((Hugs))) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I just wanted to send you a virtual hug. My dad (got it at 19)was a type 1 diabetic, as is my sister(got it at 11). I have lived my whole life with diabetics. When I moved to SC, I found a best friend and she is also a type 1 diabetic since she was 3. A few months later, I added another dear friend to my life and... Yep... She is a type one diabetic since she was 10. It is a big part of their lives, but I will tell you that they are busy homeschool moms just like you and me. One has 4 kids and the other has 3 kids. I just wanted to give you hope that over time, she will learn to take shots without help and it will become her normal. Hugs to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I understand how you feel. My son is 18 now diagnosed at 9 and we still regularly say to each other "diabetes sucks" It just never really gets easy. It's gets easier but it's always a pain in the butt. He's on a pump and it is great but without careful monitoring his numbers are all over the place as well. Hang in there :) We get all the stupid comments too and it can be incredibly annoying. I've had people from scout campouts ask me why he was eating this or that and have to explain all the time that it isn't diet related and that when he is low he will be eating sugar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 oh and it took my son about a year, but when he switched to insulin in a pen he began to give his own shots. After that he wouldn't let me touch him at all. I never expected he would ever get to that place and I gave plenty of painful shots myself that I felt so bad about. She'll learn how to do it herself. It was weird because my son has taken care of himself for so long that he just had a major high incident where I had to go pick him up and I had to give him a shot of insulin and I couldn't even remember what a normal dose is because he's been on the pump so long. I need to get back up to speed with all this myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaS Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 Thank you all so very much. :) While my family tries, they don't really get it. Tomorrow will be better. We'll all be rested and ready to take on yet another day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukale Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 When you are ready for some humor, here is my diabetes pinterest page ........ http://pinterest.com/sstallsmith/diabetes/ ...... there is some useful stuff on there too :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 When you are ready for some humor, here is my diabetes pinterest page ........ http://pinterest.com...smith/diabetes/ ...... there is some useful stuff on there too :) I have to show this to my son.................very cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 This isn't something I'm experienced with, but I do know how hard it is to watch your child suffer and not be able to do anything to fix it. It's so hard on a mom, and you have all my sympathy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Oh, Rebecca, I'll be your diabetes vent friend. My DD was diagnosed at 6. She's now 10. It sucks. It really, really, sucks. But it's been amazing watching what a strong girl she is. I hate that she'll have to deal with this for the rest if her life, but I can already see how this trial is shaping her to be resilient and responsible. Getting the pump will definitely change your life. Hang in there till then! I love hearing from the others on this thread. We know very few people IRL with diabetes, and it can be isolating. It's nice to commiserate with you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justkeepswimming Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Can I ask some of you with children with type 1 diabetes some questions? You can PM me with replies if that's best. I have a child who just had some tests come back that are raising some flags and so we have more tests coming up, but it's put diabetes on my radar for the first time - ever. How did you find out your older (8+) child had diabetes? Were they having specific symptoms that caused you to go to the doctor to get checked out? Or was it routine blood work that came back with problems? The doctor has a plan in place that we're following, and I am trying to not check "Dr. Google" because that never ends well... but I'm wondering how parents first realize there could be a problem? I'm wondering if I'm discarding symptoms my child is having without realizing it and not bringing it to the doctor's attention - and perhaps those things are important. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Can I ask some of you with children with type 1 diabetes some questions? You can PM me with replies if that's best. I have a child who just had some tests come back that are raising some flags and so we have more tests coming up, but it's put diabetes on my radar for the first time - ever. How did you find out your older (8+) child had diabetes? Were they having specific symptoms that caused you to go to the doctor to get checked out? Or was it routine blood work that came back with problems? The doctor has a plan in place that we're following, and I am trying to not check "Dr. Google" because that never ends well... but I'm wondering how parents first realize there could be a problem? I'm wondering if I'm discarding symptoms my child is having without realizing it and not bringing it to the doctor's attention - and perhaps those things are important. :/ DD was younger than 8, but the symptoms are pretty much the same. Our first clue was when she began wetting the bed every night after never having problems before. Then we noticed her needing to go potty all.the.time, like four times in five hours with a huge amount each time. And along with that extreme thirst all the time. I think she was really tired. She was pretty skinny, too, although we didn't realize how much so until after the diagnosis. Those are pretty classic symptoms, and this all happened within a period of about six weeks from when she started wetting the bed until we got the diagnosis. I hope this isn't what you are facing with your daughter, but you can come here for support if you need it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaS Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 When you are ready for some humor, here is my diabetes pinterest page ........ http://pinterest.com...smith/diabetes/ ...... there is some useful stuff on there too :) I looked a little last night and it gave me the biggest laugh at times! Thanks! :) Oh, Rebecca, I'll be your diabetes vent friend. My DD was diagnosed at 6. She's now 10. It sucks. It really, really, sucks. But it's been amazing watching what a strong girl she is. I hate that she'll have to deal with this for the rest if her life, but I can already see how this trial is shaping her to be resilient and responsible. Getting the pump will definitely change your life. Hang in there till then! I love hearing from the others on this thread. We know very few people IRL with diabetes, and it can be isolating. It's nice to commiserate with you all. Thank you so much! We have a few other people in our church who are also diabetics (types 1 and 2), but they are all older than me. So, we really don't have anyone else either. I appreciate all that you said. Can I ask some of you with children with type 1 diabetes some questions? You can PM me with replies if that's best. I have a child who just had some tests come back that are raising some flags and so we have more tests coming up, but it's put diabetes on my radar for the first time - ever. How did you find out your older (8+) child had diabetes? Were they having specific symptoms that caused you to go to the doctor to get checked out? Or was it routine blood work that came back with problems? The doctor has a plan in place that we're following, and I am trying to not check "Dr. Google" because that never ends well... but I'm wondering how parents first realize there could be a problem? I'm wondering if I'm discarding symptoms my child is having without realizing it and not bringing it to the doctor's attention - and perhaps those things are important. :/ My daughter had been complaining of excessive thirst. It came on gradually, but it became quite the bother. She'd cry from being thirsty (she's a super-sensitive child anyway), we'd carry water bottles everywhere as a matter of course. She was losing weight like crazy (though, we had been trying to work with her on getting active and eating better so it wasn't something that jumped out at us-we just thought we were doing something right). I had my suspicions that it was diabetes, but not knowing was easier. So, I didn't pursue it, much to my shame. We were away at a church study weekend last May. My good friend was there and she is an RN. I told her about what my daughter had been going through and she thought we should test her bloodsugar. My friend's mil, who is also a type 1, was at the same study. She tested my daughter's sugar and she was astounded because it was just under 600. This meant absolutely nothing to me at the time, but, the mil insisted I take my daughter to the doctor the next day (or sooner if she felt worse). And that is how she was diagnosed. She was hospitalized the next day while we learned all about diabetes and they began teaching us how to care for her. In retrospect, she was also extremely fatigued most of the time, she'd been getting up multiple times a night to use the bathroom (which I hadn't known until the doctor asked her). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 (((Hugs))) Dd was diagnosed at 9. There have been some really rough moments, but it does get better. Right now, diabetes plays only a small role in her life, I realize not everyone is so fortunate, but things have become much more stable post-puberty. Hang in there--you will get through this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaS Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 This is very encouraging! My dd is not past puberty yet and we all feel (her endo, dh and I) that it's playing a large part in her crazy numbers. (((Hugs))) Dd was diagnosed at 9. There have been some really rough moments, but it does get better. Right now, diabetes plays only a small role in her life, I realize not everyone is so fortunate, but things have become much more stable post-puberty. Hang in there--you will get through this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I'm so sorry! :grouphug: You guys hang in there!! :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 NOt our issue but having children with chronic illnesses and having a number myself, I totally get it. :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mango Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 :angelsad2: Poor Angel. Poor Mommy. I messed up my numbers because I was stressed out during the 2 year unemployment. Big mess and my new doctors threatened insulin. I freaked out. I'm Type 2. It has taken me more than a year to see an acceptable AIC. My doctor was encouraging because the numbers kept inching back down at each 3 month visit. Progress was happening. But it was slooooooowwww! I have exercised and watched the nutrition, lost 30 lbs, and taken my meds religiously and it felt like nothing was helping. Don't give up. Look at the big picture. Are her numbers lower than before? Do they keep getting lower are are they holding? Progress is the goal. It takes a really long time for our bodies to readjust. Be patient. It really helped me to test 1 hour after meals to see which foods might be suspect. Some "diabetic safe" foods I can't have. Butternut squash, dairy products (plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese), beans of any kind, all give me huge spikes. Don't believe the charts. Test your dd's reactions yourself. My folks and sister are also diabetic and you'd think with 4 of us in the house that family meals would be a breeze.....nope. Each of us can cheat, but not the same cheats. They can all eat potatoes. But I've learned that even a small amount of potato is a really long spike for me. I CAN eat freshly dug from the garden potatoes. :) And I'm looking forward to this in the fall. But if they sit for any period of time it's no good. They eat all the stuff I can't and they shake their heads at me and say, "But it's low carb?!"Whole wheat flours, brown rice ---they don't work for me either. FWIW the nutrition counselor at the hospital messed me up big time by not pointing this out. I thought I just needed to follow the charts of approved foods and I was golden. Nope. Test it individually. Start with the ones that she craves. Diabetes sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I'm so sorry. It's the worst thing in the world for a mom to go through. Poor baby too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah1615 Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 My oldest son was diagnosed when he was 2 years old. He's 7 now and in a few weeks we'll be celebrating his 5 year diabetes anniversary. My husband and I have made a strict rule of ourselves to never act like diabetes is a big deal in front of our son. We want him to know that everyone has things that make them different and one of his things is diabetes, but it's not the end of the world. We realize, of course, there are hard days, but we try to make sure that we focus on how grateful we are that usually we have the tools to keep him healthy. It's so hard in the beginning, but I swear you will find a new normal. The pump goes a long way to making diabetes less burdensome. Whenever I feel down about diabetes I remember that we are so lucky that our kids were diagnosed with diabetes in this day and age because less than 100 years ago it was a death sentence. I'm so sorry you, your daughter and your family are forced to adjust to this new lifestyle. You'll come to find out that diabetes is just so predictably unpredictable in kids that you will always be adjusting and figuring it out as you go. Just when I think we've got it figured out, it changes again. So is life I suppose! If you ever want to watch an interesting documentary to learn how insulin was discovered (probably without young kids watching since it does show some graphic images of the poor children wasting away before insulin's discovery), here's a link to The Story of Insulin: . ETA: Whoa, I didn't know it would post the link like that. Oh well, I don't know how to fix it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 I'm really sorry. I have a child with a chronic health issue that we can't get under control. It is awful to watch my DD suffer. Comments...comments...oh, do people make comments! My best advice is ignore. Don't internalize it. It sucks the energy you need to care for your DD. (((Hugs))) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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