Hi NannyFacetime, welcome to the club no-one wants to join
As TheClockWorkDodo said, I have two children with type 1. They were diagnosed a few months apart about nine years ago. Scary and uncertain are two excellent adjectives to use, that is exactly what the early days are like. You will notice that I said ‘early days’, it will get easier, I promise. Your grandchild’s life has changed in a big way and so have the lives of the family, including you. If you want to look for positives, if your grandchild was going to be diagnosed with type 1, you may consider it better that the diagnosis has happened early in life. It will be easier for the child to adjust to and accept.
Type 1 is something that the vast majority of people know nothing about until it suddenly rears its ugly head. You will be surprised how quickly everyone learns about it. Each day, you will all learn a bit more and will be better equipped to look after your grandchild. It is a steep learning curve, so no-one should be harsh on themselves if mistakes are made. It happens to all of us.
You have already been told about the Ragnar Hanas book, I recommend it as well. It’s regarded by parents of type 1 children as ‘the’ book to have. He is a highly respected and renowned world expert on the subject. The parents board on the forum is a good place to look for advice, not to mention the numerous Facebook groups.
If you’re worried about your grandchild’s future, you needn’t be. It will still be possible to live a normal life, it will just need more planning than the average person gives their life because you always need to check that the necessary equipment is with you, such as glucose. We have always encouraged our children to ‘get on with it’ and treat type 1 as just something that is a part of them, but doesn’t dominate them or stop them doing anything. The Six Nations rugby tournament starts next weekend. There is a player in the England squad called Henry Slade. He has type 1, but still plays international rugby.
It sounds like the parents will have support from you, and that will be really helpful. That support will need to be in the form of encouragement as much as practical.
If there is anything specific you want to know, please ask. No question is too silly.