My son aged 20 was diagnosed with Type 1 on Friday, after been in the door 10 mins I am panicking dont know what I'm doing, what do I feed him, what do i avoid i literally am clueless, so much info taken in in hospital I'm completely overloaded and confused
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- Thread starter Jues
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SueEK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Don’t panic Jues, there are lots of people who are type 1 that will be along to help you. Unfortunately I am type 2 so am unable to give you accurate info but I hope you have a good care team in place who you can call. Ask any questions at all and there will be someone who can help. Take care. Sue
SueEK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I’m sure it is and as I said try not to panic. We have lots of people here who like you have come on so worried because they don’t know what to do. It will probably be helpful to the other T1s if you could let us know how he was diagnosed, the circumstances and what insulin he has been out on.
As regards foods to eat, basically it is carbs we need to avoid, although I believe it is slightly different for T1 but the lower the carbs I believe the less insulin he will need. So that’s bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, all sugary things, pies etc as the carbs turn into sugar. Fruit is good but not too much because of natural sugars, berries are the better choice. I don’t want to give too much info as I’m sure your head is in a whirl. Others will be along and you will get lots of help x
silentsquirrel
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
What insulin(s) is he on? Is he initially on a fixed dose or is he already adjusting his meal-time insulin to match the carbs he is eating? If he is on fixed doses, lowering the carbs from what he has been told could be risky - that may come much later on.
Can I just check - he is 20? Not a typo for 2? He may have retained more information than you think, and at 20 is surely at least jointly responsible.
Tagging @Northerner and @everydayupsanddowns who as T1s will be more help than I can be!
Welcome to the forum and good luck! It will get easier.
Can I just check - he is 20? Not a typo for 2? He may have retained more information than you think, and at 20 is surely at least jointly responsible.
Tagging @Northerner and @everydayupsanddowns who as T1s will be more help than I can be!
Welcome to the forum and good luck! It will get easier.
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Panic is a perfectly normal reaction to your son’s diagnosis. It is a lot to take in very quickly and then suddenly he takes on the role of his pancreas, with your help. As @Kaylz has said with T1 your son can do all that others do, it will just take a bit of planning, and a lot of getting used to.
At the beginning it all seems complicated, and the best analogy I have seen is it is like learning to drive. I didn’t do that until I was 25 and it seemed complicated at the start. Changing gear, looking in the mirror, steering, ... all at the same time. Now I don’t even think about that I just drive, but keep a watch for any interruptions and hiccough son the way. So it is with my Diabetes.
So first things first, what insulin’s has your son been put on? It is likely to be one of the long acting insulin’s (basal) which deals with the glucose his body makes to keep him ticking over, and a quick acting insulin (bolus) which deals with the glucose from the food he eats.
He will have a specialist diabetes team that he met in hospital, and they will work with him to gradually bring down his glucose levels into the normal range. At first this will be a bit hit and miss as he is likely to go through the Honeymoon Period during which he will have a few beta cells, which are responsible for making insulin, that have not yet been destroyed by the antibodies which cause T1 (nothing to do with lifestyles, and nothing he could have done to prevent it). These remaining beta cells will every now and then, having had a bit of help from the insulin injected, Chuck out a bit of insulin.
A book I was recommended was Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas. Ignore the age references. I was 53 when diagnosed and still found it invaluable. It explains things clearly and is a clearly explained.
I will stop waffling on. Just to say, Don’t Panic. It will definitely get easier, and there are plenty of people on here who are happy to answer absolutely you and/or your son have. Nothing is considered silly. Just ask anything youare confused about.
Bronco Billy
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
Hi Jues, welcome to the forum.
As others have said, try not to panic, although I know it’s easier said than done. I think you should try to fight your motherly instincts to look after him. Let him take charge while you watch closely from the sidelines.
Diet doesn’t have to change, everything in moderation is the mantra to follow. Have either of you been taught carb counting yet?
You’re not useless, you’re new to this, that’s all. It is a massive change, not just for the person diagnosed, but for their immediate family. Now is the hardest time because there is so much to learn and changes in day to day life to get used to. I promise it will get better and easier in time, and the fog of confusion will start to clear. Probably sooner than you think it will happen, what seems difficult and confusing now will soon become normal and part of everyday life. Each day, you and he will become more experienced and knowledgeable.
If there is anything you want to know, please ask. There is no such thing as a stupid question. Maybe your son would like to join the forum, too.
Good luck to both of you.
As others have said, try not to panic, although I know it’s easier said than done. I think you should try to fight your motherly instincts to look after him. Let him take charge while you watch closely from the sidelines.
Diet doesn’t have to change, everything in moderation is the mantra to follow. Have either of you been taught carb counting yet?
You’re not useless, you’re new to this, that’s all. It is a massive change, not just for the person diagnosed, but for their immediate family. Now is the hardest time because there is so much to learn and changes in day to day life to get used to. I promise it will get better and easier in time, and the fog of confusion will start to clear. Probably sooner than you think it will happen, what seems difficult and confusing now will soon become normal and part of everyday life. Each day, you and he will become more experienced and knowledgeable.
If there is anything you want to know, please ask. There is no such thing as a stupid question. Maybe your son would like to join the forum, too.
Good luck to both of you.
silentsquirrel
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Yes, follow what the DN said, reducing carbs drastically is good advice for new Type 2s, but treatment and diet for Type 1s, especially initially, is very different.
Kaylz
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
as a Type 1 he can eat carbs, Sue's advice is more geared for Type 2's although a Type 1 can choose to reduce their carbs as well, as your son will be on fast acting insulin etc he will need carbs if taking the insulin, as us Type 1's have said his diet can be the same as a non diabetics but it will take more planning etc xx
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
This is a very informative gathering - even though I have no need of medication I have learned a lot about the various treatments - about how some people inject their insulin at various points before the meal as the insulin they are prescribed needs to be synchronised with their eating, how they adjust their amounts for the amount of carbs and also for some the time of day as their reaction to the insulin requires a different ratio. It is all here to be read, so I hope that you soon feel reassured (and get the jargon down pat too).
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
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Sorry to hear about your son’s diagnosis @Jues - I was diagnosed at a very similar age. It’s a real shock to get a diagnosis, but nearly 30 years on I’m still ticking along with not much to show for my T1 life apart from always having high glucose sweets in my pocket and a head full of carb counts for various foods!
As others have said, the instruction to eat carbs at every meal is to ensure that your son has something to balance the insulin he has been told to take. Very soon he (and perhaps you!) will begin to learn how to match different insulin doses to whatever he wants to eat, alongside allowances for level if activity and a few other things. It’s never an exact science, but a few basic principles can provide decent outcomes that can help to reduce risks of any long-term nasties. For now, just eat what you normally would - and keep notes of levels and what you ate.
You might also find the Ragnar Hanas book a useful introduction. Don’t worry too much about the title, it’s useful whatever age you are! https://www.t1resources.uk/resources/item/type-1-diabetes-in-children-and-young-adults-ragnar-hanas/
As others have said, the instruction to eat carbs at every meal is to ensure that your son has something to balance the insulin he has been told to take. Very soon he (and perhaps you!) will begin to learn how to match different insulin doses to whatever he wants to eat, alongside allowances for level if activity and a few other things. It’s never an exact science, but a few basic principles can provide decent outcomes that can help to reduce risks of any long-term nasties. For now, just eat what you normally would - and keep notes of levels and what you ate.
You might also find the Ragnar Hanas book a useful introduction. Don’t worry too much about the title, it’s useful whatever age you are! https://www.t1resources.uk/resources/item/type-1-diabetes-in-children-and-young-adults-ragnar-hanas/
Thank you so much, he is currently at angry stage his sugars just risen dramatically after going for a drink with his friends and now is sugar is 33.7 he wont check his ketones as he doesn't want to end up back in hospital, he has mentioned twice today he might as well kill himself, in scared if I'm honest about everything cause he is one that would follow that up
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