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Feels like having a newborn again...

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annie739

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Hi there
I am new to the whole diabetes game and to on-line forums. My 9 year old boy was diagnosed 6 weeks ago after I noticed he was going to the loo and drinking more than usual. As a health professional myself I was immediately suspicious but felt a real lump in the throat when he came up with high sugars on a urine test. Off to hospital we went and a whole new world opened up to us! It's a steep learning curve and together with the disturbed nights it is very reminiscent of early baby days:confused:. We are currently on basal /bolus and carb-counting obsessively but all is going well with school in particular being very supportive and the paediatric diabetes nurses really good. We have managed our first party , swimming lessons and play-dates at our house but still not sure about leaving him with anyone else although we are teaching friends how to check sugars/hypo advice etc. Look forward to friendly advice!🙂
 
Hi Annie

I know exactly how you feel, my daughter is now 7, was diagnosed about 19 months ago and I'm only just starting to feel like I know what I'm doing most of the time! It is tough at first, a lot to learn and you are probably still in shock at the moment. It does get better though, it sounds like you have a great medical team to help you and a supportive school which are both big bonuses.

I think you are doing brilliantly if you are managing parties and play dates already! I find I have to hang around at parties most of the time to help my daughter, she's getting better at doing things for herself but I don't like leaving her alone in situations like that yet. I do leave her at Brownies and dance classes though, the supervisors have instructions on what to do if she has a hypo (and my phone number handy!). As your son is a bit older perhaps he will be able to get more involved more quickly?

I found with other parents, if I know them well and they ask about it then I tell them, and only leave my daughter alone with other people if they have offered to find out how to look after her. If they don't offer or if I don't know them well then I go along too! Maybe you could try just short periods of time at first, and don't be too far away in case you are needed? My daughter is going on Brownie camp for a weekend soon, I'm dreading it and won't know what to do with myself without her (she's my only child), but we had a meeting with Brownie leaders and DSN to give them all the info they need on diabetes, pump and carb counting, and we all felt much better about it after that, so there's no reason to think that anything will go wrong, and if it does they will only be an hour's drive away. My daughter will probably have a whale of a time and I'll worry myself silly for no reason!

This is a great forum to join, many people who have been there themselves and are all full of good suggestions. I hope it goes well for you, and keep posting if you're stuck with anything!
 
Hi Annie and welcome to the forum 🙂

Well done for managing the party, swimming etc so soon, not easy at all but a good message to give to your son that he doesn't need to miss out on anything - (just have to plan a bit better 🙄 lol)

Best wishes with it all x
 
Hi Anne & welcome, Please ask anything about the big "D" on this site because it is good to let off steam etc. I don't know how my parent put up with me in the early 60s. Keep at it & it will pay off 😎
 
Hi and welcome Annie, I cannot relate to being the parent of a diabetic but Like Hobie I certainly can to being a teenager and probably giving my dad a massive headache when it came to my diabetes ! That was awhile ago now, but I have to say you seem to be coping admirably. Ask anything on here everyone is so helpful TinTin
 
Hi Annie and welcome to the forum 🙂

Sounds like you are doing an amazing job already! Having support in school and caring friends makes a huge difference of course. If you haven't already got it, I recommend the book "Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young People" by Ragnar Hanas - the best resource in existence 🙂

Re your thread title "feels like having a newborn again" - yes, totally agree! My son was diagnosed at the age of 4 and is now 13, but the daily sleep-disruption from all the nighttime BG testing is relentless. I no longer have much sympathy for parents of newborn babies, more irritation that they get so much sympathy from everyone around them, whereas our own fatigue and sleep deprivation goes unrecognised. :(
 
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