Type 1 My teenage daughter has lost interest in controlling her diabetes

[MagsW]

My 17 year old daughter is rarely checking her blood sugar levels and I suspect rarely calculates/corrects insulin levels. My attempts to encourage and motivate her are not working, she is seriously fed up of the impact of diabetes. I had hoped when the clinic introduced teenage group meetings she would find support from others in the same situation but it seems she is now even more complacent having discovered that her control is better than some others (despite her frequently having blood sugar levels of 25+ mmol/L). Before I make things worse has any parent dealt with this situation and has any advice/suggestions I could try? (my daughter was diagnosed type 1, 12 years ago).

 

[Lisbet]

I was like her 45+ years ago as a teen and empathise completely! (Have survived fit and well into early 60s now, miraculously with few serious complications). The teens are difficult and you may have to let her 'grow through' her feelings. But you could ask her team if there's psychological support available - some hospitals have specialists to help T1s as it's now recognised widely that chronic health probs bring psychological challenges. I was brought to my senses when I got neuropathic pain, which disappeared once I regained control, but it took time and much struggle over the years to learn to look after myself. Good luck!


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[MagsW]

Thank you for responding, that is helpful and greatly appreciated.

 

[noblehead]

There's a lady who sometimes posts on the forum that says there's a Facebook group for parents, if your a member you may want to take a look. As Lisbet says it's a difficult age and you should look for support from your daughters diabetes team, I was diagnosed myself at 18 and remember well it was pretty hard to deal with at that time, hoping you get the support you need Mags!!

 

[Lucie75]

I was diagnosed aged 9 and remember completely rebelling against my diabetes as a teenager. I used to not inject for lunch at school and eat chocolate and sweets and not care at all. I can't remember ever testing - I don't think I even carried my tester around with me. My mum was also at her wits end and I remember my consultant telling her that she should just let me be a teenager. I'm pretty sure this is just a phase - even if it lasts a couple of years. As hard as it may be, I wouldn't worry too much. I'm relatively fit and well now in my late thirties with no complications so far. There weren't any support groups or anything when I was in my teens - perhaps this might help?

Hope it all works out xx

 

[donnellysdogs]

It's so hard for both parents and children to cope with diabetes. To be honest, I have never seen a posting anywhere that says " HEY, MY T1CHILD AND I ARE PERFECT".....

Personally, I know of a gentleman whose daughter was diagnosed in her teens and he is at his wits end because of her being admitted 3 times to hospital because of DKA. After meeting me, and seeing how I have lived with it for 30years, she is now at least doing her blood tests and injecting. She wasn't told I was diabetic before meeting me, and she didn't know that I was using my remote control with my pump until meeting up for meals for the 3rd time... She thought I had a mobile phone...not my remote control, and my pump is under my jumper on my arm, so she couldn't see that either. She knew I went to order meals, and that was when I tested myself, so she saw that I was living as a totally normal non diabetic.......she didn't have a clue. On our 3rd meal.. Afterwards we told her, and now she wants to be like me, with a pump and getting on with her life. We talked about sex with pump etc, meeting boys, feeling different... Things she couldn't talk to her parents or her non diabetic friends about. Do you know whether your hospital may have somebody like me that would perhaps do the same with your child?

 

[MagsW]

There's a lady who sometimes posts on the forum that says there's a Facebook group for parents, if your a member you may want to take a look. As Lisbet says it's a difficult age and you should look for support from your daughters diabetes team, I was diagnosed myself at 18 and remember well it was pretty hard to deal with at that time, hoping you get the support you need Mags!!

Thanks for that, I will have a look on Facebook

 

[MagsW]

I was diagnosed aged 9 and remember completely rebelling against my diabetes as a teenager. I used to not inject for lunch at school and eat chocolate and sweets and not care at all. I can't remember ever testing - I don't think I even carried my tester around with me. My mum was also at her wits end and I remember my consultant telling her that she should just let me be a teenager. I'm pretty sure this is just a phase - even if it lasts a couple of years. As hard as it may be, I wouldn't worry too much. I'm relatively fit and well now in my late thirties with no complications so far. There weren't any support groups or anything when I was in my teens - perhaps this might help?

Hope it all works out xx

Thank you for the reassuring advice, hopefully this is a phase (I did get off lightly through the "terrible twos").

 

[MagsW]

It's so hard for both parents and children to cope with diabetes. To be honest, I have never seen a posting anywhere that says " HEY, MY T1CHILD AND I ARE PERFECT".....

Personally, I know of a gentleman whose daughter was diagnosed in her teens and he is at his wits end because of her being admitted 3 times to hospital because of DKA. After meeting me, and seeing how I have lived with it for 30years, she is now at least doing her blood tests and injecting. She wasn't told I was diabetic before meeting me, and she didn't know that I was using my remote control with my pump until meeting up for meals for the 3rd time... She thought I had a mobile phone...not my remote control, and my pump is under my jumper on my arm, so she couldn't see that either. She knew I went to order meals, and that was when I tested myself, so she saw that I was living as a totally normal non diabetic.......she didn't have a clue. On our 3rd meal.. Afterwards we told her, and now she wants to be like me, with a pump and getting on with her life. We talked about sex with pump etc, meeting boys, feeling different... Things she couldn't talk to her parents or her non diabetic friends about. Do you know whether your hospital may have somebody like me that would perhaps do the same with your child?

many thanks, I will enquire with the clinic. It would be great if she could be encouraged to focus on the good things in life rather than fighting the diabetes menace.