my 18 year old son was diagnosed with type 1 3 years ago. at first he was very good with his control. july 2012 he was in hospital for a week with DKA. he just doesn't seem to take it at all seriously. i find empty full sugar drink bottles in his bedroom. he doesn't do readings , he will quite often go out without his insulin pen and reader. if i ask him about it he will lie and say he's done it. he never looks healthy what can i do?
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Help!!
- Thread starter melcurtis
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Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi melcurtis, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear about your son 
Unfortunately, this is quite a common thing to happen as young people move into adulthood. Has he changed teams recently? Has he left school and started at college, perhaps meeting new people? It may be that he wants to fit in and not be like the others, but by not looking after his diabetes he must be feeling pretty terrible most of the time and potentially causing himself long term harm, as no doubt you are aware.
It would be worth asking what psychological care is available for him as he needs to get to the root of why he is behaving this way. He needs to realise also that it is MUCH easier to simply spend those few minutes a day doing his testing and injections than it is to feel terrible and lay himself open to all sorts of infections and worse. Does he know anyone else with diabetes? Do his friends know about it, and does he have any good friends who you could get on side?
What insulin is he on, and what was his last HbA1c?
Unfortunately, this is quite a common thing to happen as young people move into adulthood. Has he changed teams recently? Has he left school and started at college, perhaps meeting new people? It may be that he wants to fit in and not be like the others, but by not looking after his diabetes he must be feeling pretty terrible most of the time and potentially causing himself long term harm, as no doubt you are aware. It would be worth asking what psychological care is available for him as he needs to get to the root of why he is behaving this way. He needs to realise also that it is MUCH easier to simply spend those few minutes a day doing his testing and injections than it is to feel terrible and lay himself open to all sorts of infections and worse. Does he know anyone else with diabetes? Do his friends know about it, and does he have any good friends who you could get on side?
What insulin is he on, and what was his last HbA1c?
Lauras87
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi Mel & welcome.
It sounds like he wants to be normal (I can't say I blame him at times) I too was 15 when I was diagnosed
There is another user on here who is going through the same with her son, she was going to speak to his consultant & team & gp
It sounds like he wants to be normal (I can't say I blame him at times) I too was 15 when I was diagnosed
There is another user on here who is going through the same with her son, she was going to speak to his consultant & team & gp
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Wilsonmt12
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I was the same age as your son when I was diagnosed and I had to cope with those awkward years(I'm now 26). I very rarely used to test at that age and was very stupid with it. But he's an adult and it just used to make me worse if people were telling me what to do (they don't know what it's like etc...) What changed me was my DN telling me I would have my driving licence taken off me if I couldn't improve my control.
It is a really hard time to be a diabetic though and I hated it. But there's lots of sugar free drinks out now, but generally just in supermarkets. You could buy in some sugar free versions of your sons drinks so he can take them out with him. There's a rubbish selection in corner shops generally.
Tell him it does get better!!
It is a really hard time to be a diabetic though and I hated it. But there's lots of sugar free drinks out now, but generally just in supermarkets. You could buy in some sugar free versions of your sons drinks so he can take them out with him. There's a rubbish selection in corner shops generally.
Tell him it does get better!!
Lauras87
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi wilsonmt. So you are were the same age as me when you were diagnosed & similar in age (I'm a little bit younger than you)
Sorry am excited coz I've not found someone who was
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