My 12 year old son has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes

[Jaysmum]

Hi Jaysmum, My 11 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1, 6 weeks ago. It is a real rollercoaster, and I’ve been amazed at how my son has dealt with it. The NHS have been excellent - my son quickly got the hang of the “pay as you go” insulin that his medical team explained to him (if you have carbs, you have to pay with insulin). We’ve been all over the place with emotions, and at times my son has become really angry at how Type 1 has changed his life, and then gets back into the routine of not letting it get in the way of what he wants to do. Like others have said it’s about taking time and care of yourselves. We’ve also realised that the stroppy 11 year old boy behaviour that we sometimes see has got worse, is often linked with where he is with his diabetes. We’ve found reading some of the posts on the forum really helpful. And even found a local group for families with Type 1 that our diabetic team mentioned, which had meant we’ve been able to ask for advise, and even had a chat with parents at footie matches when our son’s have been playing against one another. There is a lot of support out there, and helpful to know that other parents are going through the same thing and can share their experiences.

Thanku so much it has also affected my sons moods so much too, hasn’t been easy and school behaviour has been abit affected but he is trying so hard bless him

 

[Heathero]

Glad to hear he is trying hard to manage at his young age. I got diagnosed age 4 now 57 and no side effects. However recall as a child my moods were also affected by Diabetes, but it gets easier. I recall telling myself and others that as long as I control ‘ It’ , it doesn’t control me.

 

[kitedoc]

My Best Wishes to you @SWC123, your family and particularly your son. My post above is for him too.
Yes, diabetes sucks at times (and I was diagnosed at age 13, over 52 years ago)!!
And just so you know: Diabetes daily: DiaTribe - 2018: A Paramount Year for Low-Carbohydrate Year for Diabetes
Muccioli Dec 19th 2018 - which includes a study on children and adults using Very Low Carb diet.
Of course any discusion about such things would need to be done with DSN and doctor !!

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Thanku so much it has also affected my sons moods so much too, hasn’t been easy and school behaviour has been abit affected but he is trying so hard bless him

Hi @Jaysmum Just to give you a few indicators in my experience of both too high sugar levels and too low.
Too high can cause:Blurred vision, diarrhoea, ketosis (where it feels as though your muscles are generally locking up, breathing is shallow, breath smells of nail polish remover) lethargy, nausea, feeling antisocial and bad tempered, frequent weeing, unexpected runny nose, unquenchable thirst and extreme tiredness.
Too low can cause:behaving like a drunk, auras, inability to make choices and decisions, depression, bursting into tears for no logical reason, very shaky hands, acute headache, slowed or slurred speech, vague staring, violent or agressive reactions when someone is trying to administer some form of glucose or to do a test, and exccessive yawning.
Looked at as a list can be very alarming, but some of these may rarely, if ever appear. We are all different. In my worst hypo I was unconscious for at least 7 hours and in another I had an epileptic fit, even though I have never been diagnosed with epilepsy. Never feel ashamed to call for help - that is what we all pay for!

 

[Triscornia]

Hi my eldest child who is 12 has just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and after being in hospital for a week since the diagnosis we were discharged yesterday and are on day one of being at home and the beginning of our new lifestyle of several blood sugars and insulin’s etc daily for the rest of his life now. I have two other children, also boys, one aged 8, and baby is 6months so I know it’s not going to be an easy ride. I have been all over the place with emotions and it is so overwhelming and so much to take in. Surprisingly I can’t believe how well my son is dealing with it but I can’t lie I’m being real strong as this is out life now but I’m so heartbroken and frightened by it all if I’m totally honest and just reaching out as some advise and support from other parents of children with type 1 diabetes I think will be a great thing for me. Thanks, Charlotte x

Hi Charlotte, sorry to hear your son has type1. My son who just turned 15 also came out of hospital last month with type1. I still can’t believe it but have now stopped crying and can actually talk about it without bursting into tears. It’s very hard to see your child like this and also not fully understanding what is going on or to happen. My son is brilliant with calculating and injecting himself. He has a freestyle on his arm that helps us control his levels especially at night. At the moment he has stopped the insulin for a few days as he levels were too low but I am told this is honeymoon period. I hope everything goes well for you both. It does help if you know someone locally with type1 that u can ask questions as this has helped me and I am constantly learning and asking questions. It’s the only thing on my mind since it happened and I wish it was this time next year where it’s all settled and we know what we are doing. Best of luck. X