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Have I lost my little girl?

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I think it's tough enough on anyone being diagnosed with diabetes but when you are a child it can be more confusing and traumatic than if you are an adult.

For one thing it is harder for a child to understand the complexity of diabetes and how it effects things and impacts on their normal routine. Obviously children also don't want to be seen by other children as being different so may well resent diabetes and get angry as a result and take out their anger on anyone who happens to be around(which is more than likely to be family members).

Also as we all know, mood swings are part and parcel of diabetes and I'm sure we all get days when we snap at people for no apparent reason and say things we don't mean. Or we get frustated because of highs or lows in our BSL's despite our best efforts to keep them under control.

I hope your daughter gradually comes to terms with being diabetic and realises that everything she has to do is for her own wellbeing however nasty and frustrating it may seem at the time.

I agree that it would be of great benefit to talk to other children with diabetes if possible as they can relate to what she is going through.

All the best to you and your daughter and I hope things get better sooner than later.
 
Thankyou all very much

Thankyou to all of you for your advice and comments. It is so nice to know that we are not the only parent and child who is suffering through the process of accepting, dealing with and living with diabetes. It has made me a little bit happier but I STILL HATE IT. X
 
i know its hard but things will get easier i think i was in shock when my son was first diagnosed but the tinternet is a wonderful thing for information
and especially places like this site were you can come for a moan or a bit of info
one thing i would say is try to get on basal/bolus four a day as soon as possible i moaned to the dsn for ages about changing from two injections
noticed a change straight away good luck to you
 
Jacqkie - I feel just like you do. Katie is 6 and has been diagnosed for nearly 4 years. She has a terrible temper and life is a constant battle. She is used to the blood testing and injections now but just seems to be angry all the time. It is esp hard as my 10 year old is pretty well behaved. She too is on 2 injections a day but we are moving to 3 injections next week. I really hope her readings improve as they have always been up and down. I really do feel for you.
 
Hi delta is right about moving onto more injections.

2 a day just won't do it. I know how hard it is to have to do more injections and I know if you give your child the choice they will say no but my advice and this comes from personal experience and the wealth of knowledge I have from hundreds of other families, do not give your child this particular choice. Say there is no choice and this is what you have to do.

As soon as they change from 2 injections to 4 and you get better control, which you will do amalgamated with carb counting you will get your little child back. Everyone sees this.

I do understand how hard it is, I've been there. However you are saving their future lives by giving these more injections and whilst you are just thinking about another few injections think of the future. The sooner you can have been control then the less complications there will be for the future, and these are serious complications. I have heard of a 15 year old boy with a leg problem (Bev can tell you about this), a 19 year old who is now blind, the list could go on but it is too depressing. By moving off an old regime of 2 injections to 4 and the younger and sooner you do it, the better health your child will have in the future.

I know this is harsh, I'm so sorry, but it is reality. All doctors who use 2 injections a day these days, need to be shot at dawn. They are starting the damage to our kids from day one, when they do this. Yes it might work for a bit whilst in honeymoon for some children but then trying to get the child to accept 4 injections its harder as they are used to 2. It needs to be done though.

I hope I have explained this without sounding patronising or scaremongering, I'm not, that is not the intention. It is reality.

Take care and go get your child back.

🙂
 
gewatts said:
Jacqkie - I feel just like you do. Katie is 6 and has been diagnosed for nearly 4 years. She has a terrible temper and life is a constant battle. She is used to the blood testing and injections now but just seems to be angry all the time. It is esp hard as my 10 year old is pretty well behaved. She too is on 2 injections a day but we are moving to 3 injections next week. I really hope her readings improve as they have always been up and down. I really do feel for you.
Click to expand...

Hi mum of Katie

The anger and temper is purely a side effect of bad levels and the big swings, it is not because she is cross, she just can't help it. Moving to more injections will be slightly better. I won't go on again about moving totally away from the mixes as you know how I feel about them already but when you finally move to proper MDI you will notice an even bigger and better change in Katie and the temper as a side effect will diminish. I wish you luck for next week and hope you gain better control, its hard work but and constant but doable.

Take care. 🙂
 
Thanks Adriene - now have a tear in my eye! Do appreciate your advice. I was really stressing about carb counting but am starting to get my head round it a bit now. Will speak to my DSN about moving to 4 injections. Not sure about school though. Will need to speak to them.
 
gewatts said:
Thanks Adriene - now have a tear in my eye! Do appreciate your advice. I was really stressing about carb counting but am starting to get my head round it a bit now. Will speak to my DSN about moving to 4 injections. Not sure about school though. Will need to speak to them.
Click to expand...

Hiya mum of Katie

Don't cry. I never know whether some of my replies will be taken the wrong way. I don't want to accuse people of doing things wrong, as they are only being told what to do by the medical professionals and it is them who have it wrong !!

The DSN may well try and dissaude you from moving to a lunch time injection. So many of them say 'it is best for the school'. Your answer to that is clear. It is 'stuff the school, you need to protect your child from future problems so need to get the levels right now, not in years to come, just to appease the school'.

There is no law protecting diabetics in school. The staff have to volunteer and if no volunteers the school are under the obligation to employ someone who WILL give the lunchtime injection or if Katie can do it herself then to supervise. The school have a duty of care to all children including those with disabilities. It used to be twice daily injections so the schools didn't have to bother but since MDI arrived about 5 years ago, schools now do have to bother. They should each have a proper full care plan which is followed to the letter in school.

If you want help I can email you our old MDI emergency care plan ie hypos and hypers.

Look at www.childrenwithdiabetesuk.org and there are care plans on there you can use and adapt for Katie. They are tried and tested care plans and are being used in schools as we 'speak'.

I'll do all I can to help you if you want me to, up to you, as will Bev and the others. You are not alone with this. 🙂
 
Thank you so much Adriene. I cry very easily! Life is sometimes so hard - my other daughter is epilepic but that is another story! The head mistress at Katie's school has a teenage diabetic daughter herself so is very understanding. Also 2 of the TAs have diabetic children. Hopefully it will get sorted. I will send you my email address on private message! Sorry if I sound thick but what does MDI stand for??
 
Sorry, only just seen this message. MDI - multiple daily injections. You may see is as BB as well, basal/bolus which is the same thing. The lantus or levemir is the basal and the novorapid is the bolus.
 
Great - thanks. I always wondered what those meant!
 
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