Littlefoot
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent of person with diabetes
My son has had T1 now for 4 yrs – he’s now 24 - also accompanied with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). These two interact with each other and so make it doubly hard to manage T1 and vica versa. It has disrupted his life plans - and it looks like his dreams of studying and being an academic and travelling may be twarted again as he has not been able to fully engage with life generally. Covid 19 and all the restrictions having put the stop to him using his strategies to help himself – he was doing ok until these kicked in. His plans may hopefully not be stopped for ever - but he'll need to find other ways and tackle later when he is on top of his health and can manage these health conditions better.
The upshot is he’s very down. He is so, so tired - at times he can’t face eating (he feels sick), has no energy to eat, or do anything much - not wash, dress, exercise, get outside, sleep patterns are all over the place (doctor is trying to sort this – so far with no success!). It’s so sad to watch – seeing our son in such ‘pain’.
The diabetes clinic is happy - he's never been hospitalised again with T1 / he’s been in good range on his glucose levels. But they don’t know what’s been happening at home – he doesn’t tell them – they see a bright cheerful person – as do most when he does manage to get up and on with life.
Although , I think his glucose levels are falling too low or high before he realises - we notice as he gets out of character and irritable – when I say something about it – he checks his sensor and low and behold glucose is to high or too low. It’s quite worrying – as at times its very emotional. It’s all quite distressing for everyone.
He’ll be living at home now full time. Us as parents are at a loss as to how to help him and it is making life at home tense – making his anxiety worse. And so T1 management harder. It’s a viscious circle.
I have suggested that maybe the new Libre 2 sensor (works like a CGM; he currently uses Libre 1 and a pump – which has certainly helped him) might help a bit. I think he’d find it useful to talk to other T1 people about the emotional impact – he never really has done this apart from at diagnosis with the local group chair – that was really helpful on several occasions. And so on – all practical things that might make life a bit easier incrementally – also emotionally – to know others feel the same way at times but get through it. But he hates us suggesting these things. And our reassurance that life can be better than now doesn’t seem to help much.
He wants to do all this on his own – which is right and good. If we leave him to come to us to ask for our help – he says we don’t care. If we offer we are told to keep our noses out and leave it all up to him. We try to be empathetic but it is hard as we feel we are treading on egg shells.
My father had T1 - I know life can be better for my son – I also know how challenging it is.
Can anyone offer any guidance / ideas etc how us parents and his siblings can best help our son/ brother?
There must be others who have had this situation and come though it ok? How did you? What things helped you? What did your parents / family do that helped?
Grateful please of any insights at all. I’m an avid reader - so any www. links great! Anything that’ll help us all hang onto some hope and fresh ideas to try in this very challenging time for all.
Many thanks everyone.
Littlefoot
The upshot is he’s very down. He is so, so tired - at times he can’t face eating (he feels sick), has no energy to eat, or do anything much - not wash, dress, exercise, get outside, sleep patterns are all over the place (doctor is trying to sort this – so far with no success!). It’s so sad to watch – seeing our son in such ‘pain’.
The diabetes clinic is happy - he's never been hospitalised again with T1 / he’s been in good range on his glucose levels. But they don’t know what’s been happening at home – he doesn’t tell them – they see a bright cheerful person – as do most when he does manage to get up and on with life.
Although , I think his glucose levels are falling too low or high before he realises - we notice as he gets out of character and irritable – when I say something about it – he checks his sensor and low and behold glucose is to high or too low. It’s quite worrying – as at times its very emotional. It’s all quite distressing for everyone.
He’ll be living at home now full time. Us as parents are at a loss as to how to help him and it is making life at home tense – making his anxiety worse. And so T1 management harder. It’s a viscious circle.
I have suggested that maybe the new Libre 2 sensor (works like a CGM; he currently uses Libre 1 and a pump – which has certainly helped him) might help a bit. I think he’d find it useful to talk to other T1 people about the emotional impact – he never really has done this apart from at diagnosis with the local group chair – that was really helpful on several occasions. And so on – all practical things that might make life a bit easier incrementally – also emotionally – to know others feel the same way at times but get through it. But he hates us suggesting these things. And our reassurance that life can be better than now doesn’t seem to help much.
He wants to do all this on his own – which is right and good. If we leave him to come to us to ask for our help – he says we don’t care. If we offer we are told to keep our noses out and leave it all up to him. We try to be empathetic but it is hard as we feel we are treading on egg shells.
My father had T1 - I know life can be better for my son – I also know how challenging it is.
Can anyone offer any guidance / ideas etc how us parents and his siblings can best help our son/ brother?
There must be others who have had this situation and come though it ok? How did you? What things helped you? What did your parents / family do that helped?
Grateful please of any insights at all. I’m an avid reader - so any www. links great! Anything that’ll help us all hang onto some hope and fresh ideas to try in this very challenging time for all.
Many thanks everyone.
Littlefoot
