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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322
| So after a very long emotional week (and one helicopter ride to the hospital), my 6 year old step daughter has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Of course they did classes with us in the hospital, but they can only prepare us for so much. She is at home now and doing well... I am looking for any suggestions/ideas you wish you knew ahead of time or were prepared for?
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
 
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
 
| The first thing that you need to do is notify the school nurse. Your school may be out for the year but we seem to go forever so at the beginning of the year make sure that is taken care o. You may have to send her lunch to school because school lunches are NOT compatible wit diabetic diets. Her are a few diabetic foods that I have tried that do or don't work. Some things with artificial sweeteners will give you BAD stomach cramps and diarrhea . We all need sweets once in a while so here you go.
Sugar free popscicles good
Sugar free ice cream. Bad
Sugar free Reese's very bad
Russell Stover sugar free bad
Sugar free hard candies like peppermint and the colored mixed flavors good
Fruit 1st choice, fresh. 2nd choice, frozen. 3rd choice, canned. 4th choice, dried which you need to avoid such as raisins.
Watch condiments such as ketchup and salad dressing that have hidden sugars in them.
I use Splenda in home baked things---- easy to use. You can buy sugar free pie fillings too. This is not much but hope it helps.
When you shop, make sure that sugar is not one of the first four ingredients. |
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| My little brother was diagonsed when he was 9. The hardest part for him was coming to terms with there are simply some things not smart for him to do. The shots ****ed him off at first... mom used to stay tore up about it.
Stay on top of new ideas. They make a lot of break throughs with the disease quiet often. The biggest thing I can tell you advice wise.. is dont let her see it as a limitation. Because there will be times you have to plan THOROUGHLY to make things ideal and safe. ALSO. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check blood before you give or take shots. This part isnt meant to scare you, but my brother started having seizures often for a couple of years. You have to know whether is low or high, by checking their blood, seizure or not, because if you give them too much and their high already BAD and vice versa. It scared us a lot. BUT that being said, my brother found out he also had addison disease. So his body wasnt absorbing his insulin correctly which was why he had seizures at night while sleeping.
At first youre going to be a nervous wreck, you're not going to sleep good and everytime you hear something about diabetes its going to make you break down. I still have moments where I have to just stop and pray for my brother simply because fear can suffocate you with what ifs. But, just pray through it. I promise you, it gets much much easier. It'll be like breathing for her. She'll get to the point she can tell when she's going low or high. Even while sleeping.
things to keep around the house--> Honey, peanut butter, milk and stuff to make chocolate milk, emergency cold drinks like sundrop, all of these things can be used to get someones blood sugar up. Peanut butter and honey will do it gradual. So if its not too low, but edging that way, use that. The others will boost it back up in emergencies.
Edited by americanpride08 2015-05-17 7:16 PM
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I don't have a lot of advice to give, but I can tell you both my sister and brother were diagnosed at 14 and 18 years of age and are very healthy over 50 year old adults. My brother played football through high school and rodeoed into college. He calf and team roped and was a stellar bull rider. My sister rodeoed all over the US for years successfully. They made sure the people they were with knew they were juvenile diabetics knew what to do in case they needed help. Neither have any complications. They are VERY careful about what kind of shoes and socks they wear and take very good care of their feet. Staying physically active is very important to their health, I would say just as important as what they eat. |
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Posts: 12841
| One thing I did not post is regular meals. This needs to be supervised by an adult. If you have to stop what you are doing to get the meal. Children are not responsible enough to handle this. I cannot stress this enough. I am type 2 diabetic so the diet part is much the same. Not much help with the medicine department because they are different.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322
| Thank you all for your responses. We have notified the school nurse... luckily shes almost done with the school year. We continue to tell her she is the same person she was before! We wont let it slow us down, but we will be more cautious thats for sure. |
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| Mis_Trev - 2015-05-18 12:12 PM
Thank you all for your responses. We have notified the school nurse... luckily shes almost done with the school year. We continue to tell her she is the same person she was before! We wont let it slow us down, but we will be more cautious thats for sure.
Also. The emergency needle. Get enough to stash them with you. and always check dates on them after a given amount of time. My younger brother keeps them everywhere he goes and he has a picturegram in each one that walks people through the need to knows. He also wore a bracelet with emergency info on it. =) Good luck, at first its very hard. But with family and God ya'll got this! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1035
Location: TN | My dad is a type 1 - diagnosed at 7 years old. He went to Tennessee Camp for Diabetic Children as a child and teen. They do fun stuff like most summer camps, but they also teach them how to better manage their diabetes. It meant so much to him that he ended up going back as an adult to be the director for a few years. The camp is actually where he learned to ride and got into horses. You might look to see if there is a camp in your area for when your child is older. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322
| KatieMac88 - 2015-05-18 11:48 AM My dad is a type 1 - diagnosed at 7 years old. He went to Tennessee Camp for Diabetic Children as a child and teen. They do fun stuff like most summer camps, but they also teach them how to better manage their diabetes. It meant so much to him that he ended up going back as an adult to be the director for a few years. The camp is actually where he learned to ride and got into horses. You might look to see if there is a camp in your area for when your child is older.
We do have a camp in our area, she is just a little too young this year. We will be allowed to let her go next year tho! |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Both my mom and youngest brother have this. My mom has a pump and just really manages her blood sugar well. She eats most anything she wants. My brother just manages with shots. His is not as well controlled. But both of them manage and have relatively normal lives. PM me if you want more details. My mom is a nurse as well so she's good at discussing all of the whys/wherefores of Type 1. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
| my husband is diabetic as well. diagnosed at age 12 I believe and 32 now. He eats whatever he wants and what he wants is usually not very healthy. He checks his sugars numerous times a day and is diligent about taking shots. So, while he could eat better - I think he still manages his #s very well. He also went to and LOVED diabetic camp as a kid, sees a doctor annually for testing and to make sure things are in check. He uses the Pens, rather than a pump or needles/syringe and they are very convenient. He is otherwise heatlhy, active and normal. Played high level football and basketball in highschool.
Unlike some people, he can tell when he is getting either high or low. He is pretty in tune with what he needs and honestly it is just a part of his life that (although very serious) is easy to forget about because it's so much a part of his normal day to day activity.
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I am guessing she is insulin dependent
If so
I would be looking at islet cell transplant, this has been tested in Canada where insulin dependent diabetics have islet cells transplanted into their pancreas. Majority of the subjects were able to go off of insulin, some have been insulin free for over 5yrs
Also snacks are important, and how are you guys doing the insulin, carb counting basing insulin on this, or blood sugar then doing sliding scale.
I also would be speaking to your doctor or diabetic nurse about blood pressure medication.
The last lecture I went to is 5 years ago and they were saying if anyone is diagnosed with diabetes, they should go onto blood pressure meds.
The bp meds are not for blood pressure, but as the blood sugar fluctuates the blood vessels fluctuate in expansion and contraction, over time this causes atherosclerosis of the blood vessel. This is hardening of the arteries, long term blood sugar fluctuations causing blood vessel expansion contraction fluctuation puts diabetics at an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, peripheral neuropathy, infection, and loss of limbs.
As I said the last lecture I went to was 5 yrs ago, so the information may not be current, but I would ask, the bp med is Ramipril.
I know she is young and this is why I would be proactive about it.
Good luck prayers |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322
| Thank you all for your suggestions... We cannot do the pump yet as her pancreas is in "honeymoon" stage and still producing a little insulin. Once it is 100% done then we can look into using a pump - this could take anywhere from 6 months up to 2 years. We have pretty good control during the day. She seems to spike after we go to bed (we check every morning at 2am per our doctors recommendations). We currently call her numbers in everyday to a specialized nurse so they are aware of this! It is nice to know we are not alone!!! |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | My niece is almost 12, diagnosed at 18 months. It was so cute to see her at 3 years old looking at the packaging of something to eat or drink and saying "How many Carbs are in this?" Only because she had heard all of us saying it to see if she could have it or how much. She is a competitive gymnast and is very aware of when her blood sugar is off. The one thing that her mom and dad did was not to really take any foods out of her diet, other than sodas. They knew there would come a time when she would have to make decisions when she was away from home and didnt' want to set up the "hiding" what she ate issue. The allow her to go trick or treating, she gets a pretty normal Easter Basket, etc. etc., she just knows that there is a limit to what she can eat before she gets sick and she hates to miss gymnastics or riding her horse so she keeps herself within her own boundaries. |
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Mis_Trev - 2015-05-18 4:10 PM
Thank you all for your suggestions... We cannot do the pump yet as her pancreas is in "honeymoon" stage and still producing a little insulin. Once it is 100% done then we can look into using a pump - this could take anywhere from 6 months up to 2 years. We have pretty good control during the day. She seems to spike after we go to bed (we check every morning at 2am per our doctors recommendations). We currently call her numbers in everyday to a specialized nurse so they are aware of this! It is nice to know we are not alone!!!
I sounds to me that you have things pretty well under control. It is very difficult for a child to handle school parties etc when everyone brings candy or there is a cake. Again, parents have to provide healthy foods to take the place of these things. Like I said I cook my own sweets and replace sugar with Splenda. Works well. Keep a record of foods that run her blood sugar up and try to avoid those. Pizza seems to run my blood sugar up like candy and you can't imagine how much I love it. I just stay away from Pizza Hut!! You will learn what works and what doesn't pretty quickly. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | run n rate - 2015-05-18 5:53 PM My niece is almost 12, diagnosed at 18 months. It was so cute to see her at 3 years old looking at the packaging of something to eat or drink and saying "How many Carbs are in this?" Only because she had heard all of us saying it to see if she could have it or how much. She is a competitive gymnast and is very aware of when her blood sugar is off. The one thing that her mom and dad did was not to really take any foods out of her diet, other than sodas. They knew there would come a time when she would have to make decisions when she was away from home and didnt' want to set up the "hiding" what she ate issue. The allow her to go trick or treating, she gets a pretty normal Easter Basket, etc. etc., she just knows that there is a limit to what she can eat before she gets sick and she hates to miss gymnastics or riding her horse so she keeps herself within her own boundaries.
A lady that I work with, her granddaughter hasType 1. She was diagnosed a couple years ago and is around 6 or 7 now. She does very well with it. She knows what she can and can't eat, how much she can eat, and to make sure to tell someone if she feels off. Sometimes the other adults can be an issue. I know they go places and even family members will try to give her candies and stuff and then make a big deal out of it when she tells them no she can't eat that. Sure you can!! Just a little won't hurt!
I also know a bull rider who came up through youth rodeos with me and my sister who has Type1. He now wears a pump and you would never know unless he told you. He is very fit although last I knew he wasn't really following a very healthy diet, he has a big sweet tooth. But he still manages well and rides PRCA and even competed in Vegas a couple years ago. After some riding hand trouble he's making another run at it this year. |
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Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | For Andi I think not making it a big deal for her helps. Because she knows that she won't be "in trouble" she self monitors what she eats very well all by herself. The other day at gymnastics one of the little girls brought cupcakes for her birthday, the mini ones and gave every one 2. Andi explained that she could only take the 1 because she had had some juice at snack break and handed one back. I think since she knows she is allowed to have the treats within a certain limit than it doesn't become a "hoarding" issue when they are available and sets up honest conversation between her and her parents when she gets home about what she ate. |
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