I Feel Pathetic.

[Dynamite]

Hey guys,

Most of you won't remember me. I posted for some help sometime last year, or earlier this year, I can't remember.

Anyway.. Recently I've been going to wrestling training, 2 times a week, for a total of 8 hours at least. It's very intense, and very active, which I'm actually very glad about, as I feel I'm getting more active.

I've recently reached the 9 stone weight mark, which is my highest ever since being diagnosed 4 years ago with Type 1 Diabetes, but I am still very afraid.

I hae some questions;-

*I weigh 9 stone and I'm about 5" 9'.. Is that a healthy weight for my age and height (I'm 15).

*In general, to many kids my age have trouble with Diabetes? I feel like I'm the only one.

*The last time I was at an appointment was 5 months ago, at the beginning of December. I'm getting one at the end of May, the last wednesday. I really want to go on a good, weight building healthy diet, with strict diabetic control. I also want to get my feet cheked for any problems. Do you think this would be aloud?

I am worried so much these days about my health, and I am constantly telling my parents that my results are good, where they are bad. I feel really bad. I don't know why I'm saying this, really, because I don't know what this will do..

Anyway.. Can anyone help me?

Thanks,

Douglas.

 

[hanadr]

A big part of your problem is that you are 15. right in the middle of puberty.Hormones and growth spurt are pushing your sugars all over the place. You need to talk to your care team and you might find it helpful tocontact other young people. DUK has Groups

 

[totsy]

i totally agree with hanadr,
see diabetes uk for groups in your area, they do holidays etc with other diabetics for kids,it might be worth a try

 

[diabetesmum]

Hi Dynamite,
My 14 yr old daughter has Type 1. It is a tough thing to have at any age but when you're a teenager it can be very difficult indeed. I think you need to go for your appointment, be honest about how things have been going and let them help you work out some ways of doing things better. We had clinic last week, and my daughter's HbA1c had gone up , they weren't happy, she wasn't happy and nor were we, but she knows what she needs to do to get it down. At her age (and yours), it's pretty much up to you, isn't it?

Your consultant and nurses will be able to check your height and weight and advise you on your body building programme. They can also refer you to the podiatrist to get your feet checked. My daughter goes once a year for this. If you are really battling with it all emotionally, you may also be able to be referred to a counsellor, though not all hospitals have this facility. It's worth asking, though.

Hope some of this helps.
Sue

PS. You are NOT pathetic!!

 

[sugar2]

Hi Dynamite,

You are certainly not pathetic! Trying not to sound patronising, but I wish I was as mature at 15!Personally, I would try and give teh diabetic specialist nurses a ring at your hospital, nt the GPs surgery, as tehy seem to be able to give better advice than the Drs when it comes to actually real life diabetes control.

ENJOY THE WRESTLING!
S

 

[Dynamite]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the help so far!

I'm going to go to my appointment and tell them just how I feel and of all my worries. What I dread is my mum and dad shouting at me, and blaming me. They don't understand how hard it is.

About last year my dad took away all my money that I made (I have a job, pocket money, etc.) and said that I won't get it back or be able to use any until it starts improving. I asked why he was doing it, and he said "because you're being childish." I just stormed off, I was ******.

So yeah, hopefully going to this appointment might clear things up. Last Sunday at my health suite I weighed in at 59 Kilos/KG's (or whatver it is..), which is the highest it's ever been since I got diabetes. By ar, in fact.

However, I've had a really bad cold this past week, and missed wrestling today and yesterday due to it. I hope it hasn't lost me any weight.

Anyway, thank you all, and any other help or support would be much appreciated,

Doug.

 

[sandymaynard]

Hi Dynamite,
You poor soul! Your mum and dad should not get upset with you! I can fully understand where you are coming from! Growing up my mum was always shouting at me! It does get better!
You are at a age where everything is changing for you! You are turning into a teenager where all your hormones are running all over your body!
I am so sorry that you are not feeling very well! You poor soul you can't control your diabeties at the minute! If your control of diabeties is not too good, Maybe you should sit down with your mum and try and have words with her!
It sounds to me like your parents are scared and by being scared they are not showing you they care!
Maybe the childish hint was because he thought that you were not controlling your diabeties! maybe a sit down and talk with your parents would help!
I hope that you are enjoying your wrestling! You are evry mature for your age!
Maybe your parents have not adjusted to you growing up they see the side that they still have to protect you! Some parents have a strange way of coping with things like this!
You are not apthtic, You are very mature for your age! Your are trying to keep yourself happy! there should be no problem with getting your feet checked what so ever!
There is always someone knocking around if you need some support! We are all here for a reason we are all diabetics, We have something that we can all relate to!
I am sure that you will great amount of suppport from this forum!
Sandy

 

[hanadr]

Hi Dynamite
There are support groups for parents which DUK could help you access. Sounds like they are having a rough time too. they CARE! even if they are not perhaps showing it in a way you understand.
However, they have NO LEGAL RIGHt to your money. At the least it must be in trust for you. My friend has children who are actors and what happens to their earnings is very strictly controlled. She's not allowed to take it.
If you earned this money and it's not an allowance from your parents, they MUST give you a receipt and give the money back
Still, I suspect they are so stressed, having a row about it won't help. Contact DUK for them

 

[Dillinger]

I am worried so much these days about my health, and I am constantly telling my parents that my results are good, where they are bad. I feel really bad. I don't know why I'm saying this, really, because I don't know what this will do..

Douglas.

Hi There,

I was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic at about the same age as you and the hardest time to control it for me was when I was 15/16 so I'm afraid you may be in that rough period now; don't worry too much though as it won't last for ever.

In terms of your results I'm assuming that you are doing blood tests and getting regular HBa1c results? If they are not too good then ask about it when you go for your check up; sounds like you are having 6 monthly appointments which is normal. Ask them to check your feet if you are worried, also ask them to do all the normal checks; possibly also attend the eye clinic because that is a very good way of spotting if things are slipping a bit.

What in particular are you worried about though? There are a lot of fit and healthy Type 1 diabetics out there; nothing is written in stone.

Keep wrestling though; I did a lot of sport when I was at school and university and it really helps with controlling diabetes. Just keep those glucose tablets to hand.

Also, trouble with parents is kind of part of the deal when you're 15 so just try and calm it down a bit and tell them as much as you can; it's about communication when all is said and done.

As to the weight; I guarantee one always wants to be something we are not; I look like a rugby player and always wanted to look like Mick Jagger, but then I thought 'to hell with it, I think I'll look like me...'.

Onwards and upwards.

Dillinger

 

[Dynamite]

Hey,

OK there are things I have missed.

I can't remember when I was diagnosed, it was either 4 or 5 years ago. I've never been good at controlling it. Not good at all. I do my insulin and such, but I have always been dismal on the bloodtesting, in the fact that I just don't do many.

For the past few months (before my last appointment) I was controlling it very well, and I was doing more tests than ever before. I had always been having appointments either every 1 or 2 months, which I thought was great. I find it a lot harder to do so many bloodtests over longer periods. In fact, 6 months is the longest I've ever done, and was really surprised. It's a large jump from my previous 1/2 month schedule.

Basically, it's been a 6 month period, and I've only done about 112, which is less than one a day. This is the main reason I feel pathetic. I can never seem to bring myself to do them, it's not that they hurt, but I just don't think about them till the last minute.

With my tests, I usually don't do them and then tell my parents that it was good or "a little bit high" when really I have no idea what it could be. I don't think about telling them or anything until a few weeks before my appointment, where really, I think "I'm going to get shouted at like hell if I do tell them or if they find out at the appointment, so I may as well wait and at least have some sort of support".

I know I probably sound pathetic. I'm probably one of the worst controllers out there. I can understand that it may be hard during my teens years, but I've had it since I was about 10/11, which is what makes it seem ridiculous.

Anyway, I weighed in at about 60kgs at my last weighing last Sunday, but I've been sick with a really heavy cold which also stopped me from wrestling, so I'm afraid it may have gone down. I hope it hasn't.

Also, I found out my appointment is on the 20th, not the 27th. I'm really frightened. My parents and my nurses are going to be so **** disappointed. So am I. I'm scared of what might happen..

Still, thank you for all the support!

EDIT: Also, to my above poster (thank you for your reply) I'm mainly afraid that I'll have leg problems. Mainly because I really want to wrestle when I'm older, and if I were to lose my legs and my ability to wrestle, I would ultimatly be crushed - What would there be for me? Also, I had an eye-screening around 7 weeks ago, in early April. I get a yearly one, and they've always been fine, but I haven't got the results back yet. (I don't think..)

RE-EDIT: Hopefully after this appointment, I can start some sort of diet or fitness regime. It might look a bit odd me just going out for jogs, and trying to do more excercise, so hopefully I can break it to my parents this way. Also, for the diet regime, I really want one to control what I eat. At school, pretty much everything is sugary or carbohydratey, with nothing to tell how much is in it. I've tried taking packed lunches, but they're usually quite bad with very little to actually eat, so I always end up taking money as well. Odd, eh?

 

[TROUBR]

Dynamite

You are far from pathetic and the fact that you are posting on here shows that you are concerned and wanting to get this right. Your parents should be proud of this. I am sure they are only being hard on you because they love you and are worried about you, I know my mum worries and I am 39! It is hard for them because they can't protect you from this and if they aren't diabetic they can only understand a certain amount about how it feels etc.

Instead of looking back to how you have been in the past why not use the appointment to start a clean slate, it sounds to me like you are ready to now take control and not let this beat you - it sounds to me like you have grown up!

Write down your concerns and say that you want to start off from now, even ask to go over the basics again with your dsn as if you were new to this so you can be sure you are not missing anything. They will also be able to give you advice re your wrestling - although it will be personal to you and exercise seems to affect us all slightly differently.

If you go in prepared and get in first with a " I know I haven't taken this seriously before now but...." I am sure your parents and the dsn will see that you are ready to move on.

Best of luck, please come back and let us know how you get on.

Louise

 

[Dynamite]

Hey all,

Thank you for all your amazing replys, it's really helped and inspired me, and I think I'll be so much better off with all the help!

I'm going to my appointment with my mum in about 2 1/2 hours, and I'm still dreading it, but hopefully it won't be too bad at all. Hopefully my weight hasn't gone down any because of last weeks severe cold!

Thank you all, I'll be spending a lot more time here for support and to help people, if you're willing to accept me! :wink:

Thank you all,

Douglas.

 

[sandymaynard]

Hi Dynamite,
I will have my fingers crossed for your appointment! good luck keep your chin up!
Remember to tell the speciallist everything! Please keep calm and a open mind!
Most of all just be you! You have been honest and open here I am sure you can be honest and open at this appointment!
Good luck
Sandy

 

[martinsoton]

Thanks for you email earlier hopefully you have got my responce.

Dont feel pathetic. I was diagnosed when i was 25 (7months ago) i still forget sometimes to test and take my mediaction. I have tried to build it into my day to day life but unfortunatly when life changes from the norm i do sometime for get to test/take maedication.

I am a bit of a wimp, i hate the finger pricks and the needels but am slowly getting used it it. I know it is not recommented but i am always testing my friends and family with my glucose testing kit it kinda helped me get to grips with it, and also involved my friends and familys understand what i was doing on a daily baisis.

I can image what it is like being diabetic at your age, i was the least organised person in the world at 15 lol.

I would not worry too much about your weight at 19 when i played ALOT of rugby i was 5'8 and weighed 18stone about 115kg but had a 32 inch waist, and could run fast! Next time you are at your diabetics appointment ask to have a muscle/fat analysis test done as weight and BMI dont take into account what your body is made up of and this is the most important point. I bet that all those wrestlers would be classed as obese using the body mass index system, but they are quite clearly not!

Think about it you are now an accepted member of a very select club, you are diabetic now, and we all stick together and help each other.

drop me an email any time if you feel down, have questions or want to chat

good luck buddy!