Carer Questions - What would be helpful?

[Mugwump]

So as some of you may know, I care for a wee Type 1 in school, and have been lurking around here for quite a while. I'm finding most of job alright at the moment - there are days when I barely have to intervene with my T1 and we don't hear the telltale dings of a pump alarm - and there are days when it seems like everything that normally happens just doesn't happen and we have to adjust accordingly.

We are focusing on making sure I can do as much as possible to ensure that the diabetes doesn't interfere with my T1's school life. He participates in all of the 'regular' school activities (which I think was a great decision from the parents), and does PE/has the school lunches and snacks, etc. Most of the time this does go to plan, although I will admit that PE can be a bit of a nightmare due to what the nature of that particular day is - high carb lunch, cake for dessert, and so on. From an academic standpoint, I just make sure I talk to him about what he finds tricky at times when he is experiencing a hypo/hyper and ensure the teacher is aware of what is happening. He has mentioned that he is sensitive to noise when high, so whilst I deal with a correction he is offered to sit in a quieter area just outside of the classroom. Obviously we want to limit the extent to which he is physically apart from the rest of the class, but this seems to help

I just wanted to ask if there is anything in particular that might be useful for me to know, as obviously I can't experience the reality of a hypo/hyper/rapid drop or rise. We are making decisions in school based on what he is telling us, but I thought it might be useful to get an adult perspective. I realize it is likely different for every diabetic (what works for one won't work for all!) but would appreciate any insight you could provide...

Thank you for reading my long post (if you managed to make it to the end!) - I know this seems like a lot, but we are aiming to make sure that his T1 has as little impact as possible on his school life, and although his parents have done a wealth of pattern-spotting and are incredibly supportive, a little more insight on what it all actually feels like could be incredibly beneficial in my thinking about what happens during the school day.

 

[Jaylee]

Hi,

It's great you're keeping an eye on this child. My own "care package" at school was souly in the hands of an 8 year old. (Me!)

So, if I can help in any way with regards to a non diabetics idea of the highs & the lows..? I'll 'ave a go..
I was once told by a T1 mom that her daughter explaining a low said "it felt like Christmas."

Though a child will not have experienced certain facets of adult life, I'll try to generalise the experience as an adult so you may understand.
I can empathise that a bustling school environment is not the best place to experience for an out of normal range BS.
Lol, neither is work!

The high sugar levels could be something with a red wine hangover crossed with a little flu? So yeah, the child may feel they want "time out" from the rest of the class.. I personally can't stand anyone touching me when I'm high. (Think PMT.?)
The lows not disimilar to being "stoned" on marijuana..
Rapid drops or rises from the aforementioned would be rather disconcerting.

Needless to say the above more than a little disruptive to possible child educational development..

Hope this helps!

 

[azure]

Hi again @Mugwump

The first thing I'd say is to really make sure he doesn't feel any different from his friends. Although any carer must obviously have Type 1 in mind all the time, he shouldn't be aware of that - if that makes sense? I think you have to be careful about pathologising every aspect of his school life, and making everything about the diabetes.

There's no reason why he can't do everything the other children do - with appropriate care and support, of course - and he should be able to do those things with age appropriate attention to Type 1 rather than Type 1 being the biggest thing in his school life.

The signs of high blood sugar are thirst, tiredness, frequent urination, blurred vision, possibly feeling headachey, irritability, etc, but it depends on the person and how high their BS.

The signs of a hypo are confusion/spaciness, sweating, trembling, paleness, vision difficulties, difficulty in concentrating, tingling lips or face, tiredness/weakness, faintness.

 

[Claire007]

I need a good half hr of peace and quiet after a hypo. I don't like anyone talking to me/fussing over me while I'm low, I just need to let the gluco tabs do their job until I feel human again.
At the other end, when I'm high, I just don't notice it, it's often a surprise. Obviously if he needs the loo, then he needs to be allowed to go no matter what he's doing as this is often the first thing that alerts me to a high, if I need to pee frequently, then I know to test.
It's great that he has good support and it sounds like he's not letting his diabetes stop him from anything he wants to do.

 

[Ann1982]

So as some of you may know, I care for a wee Type 1 in school, and have been lurking around here for quite a while. I'm finding most of job alright at the moment - there are days when I barely have to intervene with my T1 and we don't hear the telltale dings of a pump alarm - and there are days when it seems like everything that normally happens just doesn't happen and we have to adjust accordingly.

We are focusing on making sure I can do as much as possible to ensure that the diabetes doesn't interfere with my T1's school life. He participates in all of the 'regular' school activities (which I think was a great decision from the parents), and does PE/has the school lunches and snacks, etc. Most of the time this does go to plan, although I will admit that PE can be a bit of a nightmare due to what the nature of that particular day is - high carb lunch, cake for dessert, and so on. From an academic standpoint, I just make sure I talk to him about what he finds tricky at times when he is experiencing a hypo/hyper and ensure the teacher is aware of what is happening. He has mentioned that he is sensitive to noise when high, so whilst I deal with a correction he is offered to sit in a quieter area just outside of the classroom. Obviously we want to limit the extent to which he is physically apart from the rest of the class, but this seems to help

I just wanted to ask if there is anything in particular that might be useful for me to know, as obviously I can't experience the reality of a hypo/hyper/rapid drop or rise. We are making decisions in school based on what he is telling us, but I thought it might be useful to get an adult perspective. I realize it is likely different for every diabetic (what works for one won't work for all!) but would appreciate any insight you could provide...

Thank you for reading my long post (if you managed to make it to the end!) - I know this seems like a lot, but we are aiming to make sure that his T1 has as little impact as possible on his school life, and although his parents have done a wealth of pattern-spotting and are incredibly supportive, a little more insight on what it all actually feels like could be incredibly beneficial in my thinking about what happens during the school day.

I think you are doing a great job. It is a lot to take on for a non diabetic person who has never experienced it themselves. I would only suggest keeping in regular contact with the parents. Well done!

 

[lizdeluz]

I used to teach, and as a Type 1, I found that diabetes could get squashed out of my attention, because life in school was very hectic, very few pauses really.
I think it's great that you are doing such a good job of researching the needs of your charge. What is his age? Are you in a secondary or primary school?
I didn't become a Type 1 diabetic until I was 30, so I didn't have to cope with it while I was a student in school, but, later, just as a teacher in school! At one point I had two Type 1 students in my class. At the time they were 14 or 15 years old. No one was in the class looking out for them, though I was aware, as were all the teachers, of their Type 1 and they had support in the school and the permission to leave class if necessary.
As @azure says, it's important that a Type 1 student can conduct his/her own school life as normally as possible. The way schools provide for Type 1s has changed a great deal over the years that I was teaching, in the same way that public awareness has changed. There were some barmy ideas sometimes, but they were always meant well and aimed at helping the student with diabetes to cope.
I wish you well with carrying on with what you are already doing: joining the forum to find out about diabetes, how people feel about lots of different issues, new developments, maybe reading the youth and parent sections as they will be ultra relevant to your work. Good luck! I'd be interested to know how schools currently approach diabetes.

 

[mentat]

Sounds like you're doing an amazing job! In my experience:

• Highs are much preferable to lows.
• When diabetes or life is particularly unpredictable or stressful, it's good to raise targets a bit so that one doesn't have to work extremely hard. This is a good lesson for later in life, when a few weeks of higher sugars is much preferable to a few months (or years!) of burnout.

 

[covknit]

It is great you are looking out for the lad and I certainly cannot advise re diabetes and how to handle it. I had a different illness which at the time was considered terminal. The op is routine now but there was a big hoo ha surrounding the op on the first Uk patient -me. My school let me do what I wanted. Officially I was on the roll and the same as everyone else but when we got caught smoking in the loos the teachers caught and gave detention to everyone - except me. If I didn't like a lesson no one ever told me to get on with my work. To be fair I went to school because I wanted and sat exams with the others but "for fun" the school never considered it was worth registering me with the examination people (at that time there was a charge per pupil. May be different now). I do think it is important that he is treated exactly the same as everyone else.

edit to change smaking to smoking

 

[Leanna1980]

Wish i had a teacher like that. Don't think my school ever helped me apart from giving me old horrible digestives. Them days that what you had. Well done you.