Mrs B

[Kelly Marie]

Hi
Parent to newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes
A roller coaster ride it can be !!!

 

[MrDaibetes]

Hello & welcome to the forum. I hope you find it useful any questions feel free to ask away.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.
Yes, it's bad enough to get your head around your own diagnosis without having that responsibility for a child. How old is your youngster?
We have quite a few parents here on the forum whose experience will no doubt be extremely helpful in guiding you through these scary and confusing early stages. I am sure some will welcome you here but if you have any specific questions, the parenting section would be a good place to ask them.
I hope you have a good team of supportive health care professionals and teachers and that things go as smoothly as possible for you.

 

[Kelly Marie]

Thank you Barbara , my daughter is 12 years old

 

[Kelly Marie]

Hello & welcome to the forum. I hope you find it useful any questions feel free to ask away.

Thank you

 

[rebrascora]

Oh gosh! Not exactly an easy age to start (if there ever is such a thing!) with puberty to deal with as well. Hormones often play havoc with BG levels so you may find things a bit unpredictable at first. I am sure there are other parents who will have some useful tips/guidance for you when they come online.
Which insulins is she on? I am assuming she is MDI (multiple daily injections) and not a pump at this early stage. Have you been offered a Freestyle Libre or heard it mentioned? What are you finding most difficult at the moment?

 

[Kelly Marie]

Oh gosh! Not exactly an easy age to start (if there ever is such a thing!) with puberty to deal with as well. Hormones often play havoc with BG levels so you may find things a bit unpredictable at first. I am sure there are other parents who will have some useful tips/guidance for you when they come online.
Which insulins is she on? I am assuming she is MDI (multiple daily injections) and not a pump at this early stage. Have you been offered a Freestyle Libre or heard it mentioned? What are you finding most difficult at the moment?

Yes she is currently on nova rapid injections through the day , and tresiba for her night injections ,
Oh yes with Hormones etc !!!! Is the freestyle libre the patch on arm ?

 

[rebrascora]

Yes, the Freestyle Libre is a sensor which sticks to your arm and there is a little probe in it which is inserted under the skin when you apply it and you can then scan it instead of finger pricking every time you need a reading. They have a little arrow which shows the direction of travel so if it is a downward arrow and she is already on the low end of the range then you can sometimes stop a hypo before it happens etc. Has she had a hypo yet? The first few can be pretty scary until you get the hang of them but the idea is to avoid them if at all possible.

 

[Kelly Marie]

Yes, the Freestyle Libre is a sensor which sticks to your arm and there is a little probe in it which is inserted under the skin when you apply it and you can then scan it instead of finger pricking every time you need a reading. They have a little arrow which shows the direction of travel so if it is a downward arrow and she is already on the low end of the range then you can sometimes stop a hypo before it happens etc. Has she had a hypo yet? The first few can be pretty scary until you get the hang of them but the idea is to avoid them if at all possible.

Yes I have heard of this, sounds good to have , as she is having to check her levels quite often during the day !
Yes first hypo last night levels dropped to 2.1 , was scary , but acted quick with her coke and she was back up to 5.6 within 15 minutes

 

[rebrascora]

Sorry to hear she had a hypo but it sounds like she dealt with it very well.
There are all sorts of difficulties in the early days with trying to count carbs and figure out how much insulin to use and perhaps her own pancreas chipping in with a bit of insulin when you least expect it... which is called the honeymoon period.... but things do get easier and eventually it becomes your (and her) new normal. Some people liken it to learning to drive. It is all very complicated when you first start to learn but after a while you do the changing gear and indicating and steering without even thinking.

 

[Kelly Marie]

Sorry to hear she had a hypo but it sounds like she dealt with it very well.
There are all sorts of difficulties in the early days with trying to count carbs and figure out how much insulin to use and perhaps her own pancreas chipping in with a bit of insulin when you least expect it... which is called the honeymoon period.... but things do get easier and eventually it becomes your (and her) new normal. Some people liken it to learning to drive. It is all very complicated when you first start to learn but after a while you do the changing gear and indicating and steering without even thinking.

Thank you , yes all dealt with well ,

 

[Bronco Billy]

Hi Kelly Marie, welcome to the forum.

There is certainly a lot to take in, but it will get easier, Scout’s honour. Now is the hardest time because everything is so new. Soon, what seems difficult and stressful now will become part of your daily routine to the point where you don’t really notice you are doing it anymore. Each day, you will be more knowledgeable and experienced than the day before, even if it doesn’t feel like it. There is a lot of experience here, so feel free to take advantage. I have two teenagers with type 1, although they were 6 and 5 when they were diagnosed. Feel free to ask any question you like, and remember, no question is too silly

 

[SB2015]

Hi @Kelly Marie , sorry to hear about your daughter’s diagnosis but pleased that you have found this forum. It is indeed a roller coaster at the start, and so much to learn in such a short amount of time. As others have said it really does get easier for both you and your daughter.

Whenever you have a questions rattling around, just ask. Nothing is considered silly on here, and there is plenty of help and advice available.