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Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Just diagnosed
- Thread starter Fiona17
- Start date
- Status
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Oh @Fiona17 how awful for you 
I am so sorry to hear about your little one. I am tagging in some of our regular parent-posters who will be able to share their experiences @Thebearcametoo @Sally71 @Bronco Billy @stephknits
Feeling shaken by a T1 diagnosis is completely understandable. It can feel isolating and overwhelming - but help is at hand. Your DSN and paediatric team will do everything they can to support you. And it’s great that you‘ve found the forum too! We have lots of years of lived experience from parents and people with diabetes alike.
Diabetes is serious, but it is manageable, and modern treatment options, technology and insulins make near-normal BGs tantalisingly possible while still having a fun, fulfilling and active childhood.
Give yourself some time to ‘grieve’ and to find your feet. There’s a lot to take in, bit you don't have to know everything all at once. Diabetes can feel like a massive puzzle at times... get the edges in fairly quickly learning the basics, and the picture will gradually become clearer as you discover exactly how your daughter’s unique and individual diabetes responds to things.
You and she will be the experts in no time 🙂
Many find Ragnar Hanas’s book Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People well worth a read
I am so sorry to hear about your little one. I am tagging in some of our regular parent-posters who will be able to share their experiences @Thebearcametoo @Sally71 @Bronco Billy @stephknits
Feeling shaken by a T1 diagnosis is completely understandable. It can feel isolating and overwhelming - but help is at hand. Your DSN and paediatric team will do everything they can to support you. And it’s great that you‘ve found the forum too! We have lots of years of lived experience from parents and people with diabetes alike.
Diabetes is serious, but it is manageable, and modern treatment options, technology and insulins make near-normal BGs tantalisingly possible while still having a fun, fulfilling and active childhood.
Give yourself some time to ‘grieve’ and to find your feet. There’s a lot to take in, bit you don't have to know everything all at once. Diabetes can feel like a massive puzzle at times... get the edges in fairly quickly learning the basics, and the picture will gradually become clearer as you discover exactly how your daughter’s unique and individual diabetes responds to things.
You and she will be the experts in no time 🙂
Many find Ragnar Hanas’s book Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People well worth a read
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Thebearcametoo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
Hi and welcome. I’m so sorry you’re in the midst of this.
Is she still in hospital? You will have a lot of support to get her (and you) used to the management. There are needles with covers so she can’t see them if that helps. Your team will have lots of experience of dealing with kids who are scared of needles and will have lots of ways to help and support her into the new normal.
Your life will never be the same but you will soon get used to a new normal. We’re 18 months in and my now 10 year old is dealing well with it. You will be ok. The first few weeks are a huge adjustment though and you will have a huge amount of information to take on board. You’ll have ongoing support from your team though and lots of contact with them over the first few months (and then quarterly clinics)
Is she still in hospital? You will have a lot of support to get her (and you) used to the management. There are needles with covers so she can’t see them if that helps. Your team will have lots of experience of dealing with kids who are scared of needles and will have lots of ways to help and support her into the new normal.
Your life will never be the same but you will soon get used to a new normal. We’re 18 months in and my now 10 year old is dealing well with it. You will be ok. The first few weeks are a huge adjustment though and you will have a huge amount of information to take on board. You’ll have ongoing support from your team though and lots of contact with them over the first few months (and then quarterly clinics)
Hi yes we’re still in hospital she’s had her third injection about an hour ago and it’s horrible. She’s fine with the finger pricking now but she still won’t do her own.
stephknits
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome Fiona. Sorry to hear of your daughter's diagnosis. My daughter was diagnosed in May and was terrified of needles. She is now absolutely fine with them. It took her about two to three months to get really comfortable with injecting. The DSN team are very used to helping families with needle phobia and will give you loads of support. any questions or need to offload we are here for you. 🙂
Thebearcametoo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
It’s early days yet. They won’t discharge you until she can cope with injections (not necessarily her doing them but her being ok with you doing them).
Is there a play therapist available? They may be able to work with her in ways to make her more comfortable. We’ve just don’t pump cannulas into sponges as my daughter was struggling a bit with the idea of doing them on herself and she’s in the process of getting a pump.
You may get a JDRF pack from your team with a soft toy bear in it. Rufus has patches to show injection sites and can be a help with younger kids to normalise the whole process.
Bronco Billy
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
Hi Fiona. Sorry to hear about what you and your daughter are going through.
I know it doesn’t seem like it at the moment, but dealing with the condition will become easier. You will learn more very day and become more experienced. This will make dealing with type 1 a little bit easier each day, although it won’t always feel like it. Life has changed and ‘normal’ will be different. Normal is only what each of us is used to and is different for everyone, you will adjust to the new life and that will become your normal. Everything that seems difficult, hard work and confusing now will soon become second nature and something you take in your stride, I promise.
It may take time, but your daughter will get used to the injections. If it’s the pain that puts her off, you could try numbing the site with something like a sugar free ice pop and give her the ice pop afterwards. A bit of bribary goes a long way in the early days.
Good luck, you’re doing much better than you know.
Take care
I know it doesn’t seem like it at the moment, but dealing with the condition will become easier. You will learn more very day and become more experienced. This will make dealing with type 1 a little bit easier each day, although it won’t always feel like it. Life has changed and ‘normal’ will be different. Normal is only what each of us is used to and is different for everyone, you will adjust to the new life and that will become your normal. Everything that seems difficult, hard work and confusing now will soon become second nature and something you take in your stride, I promise.
It may take time, but your daughter will get used to the injections. If it’s the pain that puts her off, you could try numbing the site with something like a sugar free ice pop and give her the ice pop afterwards. A bit of bribary goes a long way in the early days.
Good luck, you’re doing much better than you know.
Take care
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