Hi @Fluffy unicorn, welcome to the forum 🙂 I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter's diagnosis
How did it come about?I'm sure you are feeling pretty overwhelmed by everything at the moment, as there seems to be so much to take in and it is a steep learning curve, but there is lots of help and support available so try to take things at your own pace and whenever you are in doubt or confused about anything, please ask - either here, or her diabetes healthcare team, whichever you feel is appropriate 🙂 There are loads of friendly, knowledgeable people here who will be only too happy to help, so you are not alone, ever 🙂Thank you very much for your reply.Hi @Fluffy unicorn, welcome to the forum 🙂 I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter's diagnosis
In practical terms, I would highly recommend getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas. This is the absolute best book available that covers all aspects of living with Type 1 diabetes, very well written and an invaluable reference guide. Make sure you get the latest edition, as things can change rapidly in the Type 1 world and new treatments and technologies are coming available all the time - things have certainly moved on in the 11 years since I was diagnosed, and it all makes things easier and safer for your daughter.
I'd also recommend reading Adrienne's essential guide for parents of newly-diagnosed children, written by one of our members whose daughter was diagnosed just a few hours after being born.What insulin has she been given?
Above all, be assured that having Type 1 diabetes does not have to limit your daughter in any way. Mostly it just requires a bit of extra planning, to be proactive and prepared 🙂 There are people in all walks of life with Type 1, from elite sportsmen and women, to former Prime Ministers (Theresa May!). We have members who have lived with it and managed it well for over 50 years, and things are so much better now than they were all those years ago 🙂
As I said, if in any doubt, please ask - nothing is considered 'silly', and everyone here 'gets it' 🙂 Let us know how things go for you 🙂
Tummy will still be fine to inject hun don't worry, I was diagnosed a week before my 25th (by the same way your daughters was picked up actually) my lowest weight since being diagnosed was 41.2kg but I still managed to inject in my stomach without a problem, what size of needles have you been given? 4mm ones are great and would suit fine xx
if you have a box of them it should say what size they are on there 🙂
She has got the 4mm and she has 11 units at night xif you have a box of them it should say what size they are on there 🙂
What basal have they put her on to? (sorry that's the night pen you mentioned, and sorry again if you knew this)
Don't worry you'll be fine, they will go through everything with you and if you need a recap just say to them which part you'd like them to go over again, have a pen and paper handy to write things down as that can be very useful! (I used to make sure I had someone at appointments with me in the hope they'd remember parts of it too lol)
Maths doesn't have to be a strong point either you can always use a calculator if need be to work out how many units she'd need to cover a meal etc, what meter has your daughter been given? there are some that can work out bolus calculations such as the Accu-Chek Aviva Expert
It all just takes a bit of time to adjust but we're all here if you have any questions etc, we all often just come here for just a rant as well when things get a bit too tough, you've joined a great community with a whole lot of knowledge between us
xx
Hi @Fluffy unicorn , sorry to hear about your daughters diagnosis, but glad that you have found this forum.
Hi, my son was diagnosed 7years ago when he was 8. The emotions you are feeling are normal, trust me. Mine was a lot of guilt like I had done something wrong or was a really bad mum. How are you both doing. Is your daughter on mdi's. Just remember it will get better just takes a little time. Feel free to ask me any thing. ☺️
Thank you for your reply. I have got that machine set up but I think they have done it wrong as for 170 carbs ( quite alot) I had to give her 20 units!! Now going through a hyper!!! Really stressful at mo. X
Hi Mandy. Could you please tell me what MDI stands for please?x
Thank you for your reply. I just received the carb counting blood glucose checker and can't get my head around working out the amount of carbs!!x
We found it helped to limit carbs to around 70 carbs for each meal to begin with (my daughter is younger and smaller and it doesn’t mean that’s what will work for you) as the more insulin she took the harder it was to match the timings for insulin and food to avoid hypos (lows). As we’ve got her more in target and got a better hang of what makes her more likely to hypo (hello sushi!) we’ve adapted that. It also helps to mix higher carb meals with fat & protein as it slows the carb release. It’s all a bit of a juggling act and can be hard to balance and highs and lows are to be expected even with well managed diabetes but in the first few months we definitely had more. We do need to have ratios changed at most diabetes appointments as children grow as well as we learn what they need. Don’t worry too much about it being perfect at the moment. You’re aiming for a general pattern of bringing her blood glucose more within target not getting it spot on every time. It will take time to tweak.
Carb counting messed with my head so much to begin with. We use the Carbs and Cals book a lot and have found it well worth the money. They app can be useful too but I find the book easier. We have a notebook where we’ve written the more regular things she eats (including her Dominos order) so we don’t have to look it up each time. You will find it gets easier.
How did you work it out? I have that book too.x
and when I’m tired she ends up with more prepackaged food than home cooked stuff as it makes the carb count easier.
Hi Fluffy Unicorn
