Very new to this

[Jues]

Thank you so much my son wont join at this moment as he is feeling very down and has today twice already expressed a wish to end his life as it's over anyway. I am at the GP in the morning and I am going to ask them to prescribe something to help him settle dow little x

 

[Drummer]

There are people who have lived for many decades with type 1, through the years when there were no meters, monitors or pumps - modern technology must be a relief to them - but perhaps there is more to come - although I am lucky and do not require medication, I find it fascinating to learn how people are getting control and living their lives on their terms and I hope that your son can understand that it is not the end of everything.

 

[SueEK]

Hi Jues, apologies for the wrong info on the carbs, thankfully there are so many knowledgeable people on here to give excellent advice on type 1. Good luck at the GP this morning and I’m sure your son will come to terms with his diagnosis but obviously it will take time. Sue x

 

[Kaylz]

Thank you so much, he is currently at angry stage his sugars just risen dramatically after going for a drink with his friends and now is sugar is 33.7 he wont check his ketones as he doesn't want to end up back in hospital, he has mentioned twice today he might as well kill himself, in scared if I'm honest about everything cause he is one that would follow that up

Hi 🙂 how are your son's levels today?

Alcohol can be tricky, lager etc has carbs whereas spirits don't, it's also advisable to have something to eat before going to bed if you've been drinking as while the bodies trying to deal with alcohol the person could become hypo, I gave up drinking as it just wasn't worth the hassle for me

I strongly suggest he check his ketones though, high blood sugar doesn't always mean ketones are present and ketones being present doesn't always mean a trip to the hospital
xx

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Thank you so much my son wont join at this moment as he is feeling very down and has today twice already expressed a wish to end his life as it's over anyway.

Obviously his life isn't over. It's changed, but probably not as much as he fears.

Something that's perhaps helpful to know (though not practically very useful) is that blood glucose levels have effects on mental state; he'll feel bad because the sugar levels are high, and lowering them will allow him to feel more healthy. (However, there's an obvious Catch 22 problem, making that not practically very useful.)

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

There's virtually nothing he can't do with type 1 diabetes that he could have done without type 1 diabetes, it just takes a bit more management. Have a look at this thread, about what people have achieved with type 1 - https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/famous-or-successful-type-1-diabetes.71447/ - everything from professional sports players to forum members who have travelled the world to a former prime minister. Perhaps he would look at that, even if he won't look at advice threads, and see that having type 1 isn't the end of having a life.

His levels will settle down after a while - the insulin doses they put him on at first are a "best guess" and obviously they haven't got them right yet, but once they do he should feel so much better, physically and emotionally.

I don't know what you can do in the meanwhile except just be there for him - it must be terrifying for you having him talk about ending his life. Perhaps you could talk to his diabetes team and/or your GP and ask for their advice about that, as it must be something they've come across before. Would he ring Samaritans, if it would help him to talk to someone who's not family and not a medical professional and will be completely non-judgemental (not suggesting that family or medical professionals would be judgemental, just sometimes it helps to talk to someone outside the situation)?