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New Type 1

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Coco8

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Good afternoon, my wee boy was diagnosed with Type 1 just over three months ago, aged 7.
He's at school and only this week he will get an assistant trained up to give his lunchtime insulin doses (I have been attending everyday since school started).
He's not a bit happy with someone else giving it yet he's not confident to give it himself either.

Has anyone ever gave up work due to a child's diagnosis?
I only work part time as it is. His grandparents normally collect him from school until I get there at 7pm but they aren't happy giving him is dinner time dose.
Plus he would have attended breakfast hall so that I could make work ontime but im not confident with the school, he wasn't given the correct dinner that I calculated for last week which resulted in a hypo. Anytime I approach them to find out the grams I feel like they can't be bothered. Anxiety is through the roof. Don't know what to do.
 
Coco8 said:
Good afternoon, my wee boy was diagnosed with Type 1 just over three months ago, aged 7.
He's at school and only this week he will get an assistant trained up to give his lunchtime insulin doses (I have been attending everyday since school started).
He's not a bit happy with someone else giving it yet he's not confident to give it himself either.

Has anyone ever gave up work due to a child's diagnosis?
I only work part time as it is. His grandparents normally collect him from school until I get there at 7pm but they aren't happy giving him is dinner time dose.
Plus he would have attended breakfast hall so that I could make work ontime but im not confident with the school, he wasn't given the correct dinner that I calculated for last week which resulted in a hypo. Anytime I approach them to find out the grams I feel like they can't be bothered. Anxiety is through the roof. Don't know what to do.
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Welcome to the forum.
Hopefully he will get used to the assistant doing his insulin. Is it possible he could take a packed lunch so you know what carbs will be in it.
There are a few parents on here and I'm sure they will be along to give you some of their wisdom and strategies.
 
Hi @Coco8 and welcome 🙂 Sorry to hear about your son’s diagnosis. It’s a massive shock and worse if it’s your child who’s diagnosed, I think. I have Type 1 myself but none of my children do so I’ll tag some helpful parents for you @Bronco Billy @Thebearcametoo There are others too.

Has your son’s DSN or someone on the team talked to your son’s school? Have they got an appropriate medical plan in place for him?

I have a child with another medical condition and I did arrange my work around that to start with, and I was happy to do so - for my peace of mind as well as for their benefit. It’s really hard handing control to others when it’s your child, and it’s perfectly natural to be anxious.
 
The DSN is in talks with the school this week and setting up a care plan. I'll try and encourage him to self inject over the next few weeks, see if that helps with the pressure.
Was also thinking of asking the school for a list of the breakfast menu with the measurements of each food. That way I can work out and give his dose before we leave the house.
Dinners every Friday were his treat as it was his favourite dinner, will knock that on the head for a while and stick to lunches like every other day.
 
@Coco8 Maybe I’m paranoid but I’d never give a bolus (meal injection) before leaving the house if I was going to eat elsewhere. Too much could go wrong to delay things and risk a hypo.

I’m pleased his DSN is involved with setting up his care plan. Never be afraid to push or be blunt or ‘over-explain’, and never underestimate the ignorance about Type 1. Better to repeat yourself and explain in detail than assume they realise.

For the Breakfast Club, would you have time to sort out food for him to take, even if it was just weighing out a cereal portion and putting it in a bag for him? I know it’s an extra fuss but at least you’d know the food was right.
 
@Inka thank you. Bringing his own cereals into school is a good idea. Previously he always ate the same 3 things for breakfast while at school, thats why I was thinking a chart with the measurements would be handy so I could stick to that. But il definitely look into it with the school and try and be a bit firmer or less of a wuss, all i seem to do these days is get teary when I talk.
 
I'm not sure if your team would fund your son but if you and he think that the iport may help in him doing his own injections it would be worth asking about, it's a small port you insert and you inject the insulin through it for up to 3 days before it needs changed, it has helped other children xx
 
@Kaylz thank you. Not sure if the iport is the insulin pump, if so, he's on a waiting list for it which is up to 2 years of a wait, and then he may not get it if he doesn't fit the criteria. Thanks again.
 
Coco8 said:
@Kaylz thank you. Not sure if the iport is the insulin pump, if so, he's on a waiting list for it which is up to 2 years of a wait, and then he may not get it if he doesn't fit the criteria. Thanks again.
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no it isn't a pump, it's just a helping hand for injections, you still use a pen and needles but you insert the needle into the iport, it often helps kids because they aren't inserting a needle into their skin every time, here's a link - https://mmc.medtronic-diabetes.co.uk/iport/ xx
 
@Kaylz this sounds ideal, never heard of it (we're totally new to it all) Will definitely look into this for him.
 
Hi @Coco8, welcome to the forum. The school day is often scary as our child is out of sight for 6 hours.

When staff have been trained and the care plan written, you will find that the care at school is better. It may have seemed like they can’t be bothered, but this is new to them as well. It can be difficult, but you have to try to learn to trust the school. I completely understand why you want to give the breakfast dose before he leaves the house. However, there could be many factors that could cause a problem; he might run late, he might not eat any or some of the breakfast etc. As it is a school activity, there should be a member of staff present who has been trained. The same applies at lunchtime. If you can find out what the carbs are, great! The staff will know what to do and can give him his insulin. If you can persuade and teach him to do it himself, fantastic, but he will need help calculating the dose and supervision to make sure he gives the right amount.

Again, I understand why you want to temporarily stop the Friday dinner. It might be an idea to speak to the school about this before making a final decision. It is important for children who are diagnosed to continue to live as normally as possible and do what they usually do. If he misses his favourite lunch ‘because of diabetes’, it can lead to resentment. By all means stop Friday lunch if necessary, but please try to find a way for him to be able to have it if you can.

Good communication with the school is vital. Be clear and tell them what they need to do and why. Open dialogue with them when you need to and make sure they understand what your son’s needs are. Don’t be afraid to ask them how the day went. If problems arise, discuss them calmly with the school, explain what went wrong and what should happen next time. The care plan should deal with the vast majority of situations, but make sure they know they can call you if they have any questions. They are on a learning curve, too, and will want to make sure your son stays safe.

Good luck! You’ll be fine
 
Welcome to the forum!

Sounds like you are all doing amazingly well.

There‘s such a lot to adjust to and to learn in the beginning. Kids are amazingly resilient, and things will get easier!
 
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