Coping as a parent

[Gleary85]

Hi,
I don’t know where to start really. Does anyone else feel like it doesn’t get easier to cope with? The worry of looking after your child, the second guessing all day every day, the not having a full nights sleep, the alarms, watching how anxious it makes your child, and worst of all realising threw groups etc just how bad the complications can be?

Iv started having nightmares about my son and getting sick etc and he’s been diagnosed 2 years now but I’m really struggling - I feel terrible because it’s him going threw it all.
We recently had a amazing holiday and I didn’t sleep properly for the whole time with worry and correction doses during the night (he came off the pump while we was away)

Sorry for the rant

 

[VashtiB]

Hello @Gleary85 and welcome,

I'm not a type 1 or a parent of a type 1 so wanted to just welcome you and offer a virtual hug. Being a parent is tough. Being a parent of a child with any additional needs if even tougher. So you may want to check out the section of the forum labelling parenting- I'm sure you will be very welcome there and have people who really understand and who may be able to offer some practical advice.

Welcome and good luck.

 

[EllieM]

Hi and welcome @Gleary85

I don't have any T1 children but was diagnosed aged 8 to a T1 mother. I only found out as an adult just how upset and guilty she felt about my diagnosis. In those days the prospects for T1s were still quite grim and I think she was expecting me to be dead by the time I was 50? Well, she went on to 78 (would have lived longer if she hadn't smoked for 50 years) and I'm still healthy and (mostly) complication free at 60, despite the fact that my childhood was pre glucometer and my diabetic control in my teens was particularly awful.

OK, maybe I'm lucky but my point is that you don't have to be perfect 100% of the time for your son to have a long and healthy life. And I have never blamed my T1 mum for either my diabetes or my childhood diabetic control. I'm happy to be alive and I'm grateful that she brought me up with the idea that diabetes could be a normal part of life, rather than something that was more important than the rest of my life.

I can only imagine how hard it is for you now but I just wanted to say that there is light at the end of the diabetic tunnel. Plenty of us lead normal active lives with the proviso that we make a few allowances for our diabetes. There are very few careers that are ruled out by it (astronaut anyone?) and the prospects for today's young T1s get better and better.

Hopefully you'll get some parents of T1s posting soon who will be to empathise better with what you are currently going through.

Lots of virtual hugs.

ps Feel free to express yourself and have a rant any time you wish. One of the purposes of these forums is to be supportive to anyone who needs to have a rant.

 

[Gleary85]

Hi and welcome @Gleary85

I don't have any T1 children but was diagnosed aged 8 to a T1 mother. I only found out as an adult just how upset and guilty she felt about my diagnosis. In those days the prospects for T1s were still quite grim and I think she was expecting me to be dead by the time I was 50? Well, she went on to 78 (would have lived longer if she hadn't smoked for 50 years) and I'm still healthy and (mostly) complication free at 60, despite the fact that my childhood was pre glucometer and my diabetic control in my teens was particularly awful.

OK, maybe I'm lucky but my point is that you don't have to be perfect 100% of the time for your son to have a long and healthy life. And I have never blamed my T1 mum for either my diabetes or my childhood diabetic control. I'm happy to be alive and I'm grateful that she brought me up with the idea that diabetes could be a normal part of life, rather than something that was more important than the rest of my life.

I can only imagine how hard it is for you now but I just wanted to say that there is light at the end of the diabetic tunnel. Plenty of us lead normal active lives with the proviso that we make a few allowances for our diabetes. There are very few careers that are ruled out by it (astronaut anyone?) and the prospects for today's young T1s get better and better.

Hopefully you'll get some parents of T1s posting soon who will be to empathise better with what you are currently going through.

Lots of virtual hugs.

ps Feel free to express yourself and have a rant any time you wish. One of the purposes of these forums is to be supportive to anyone who needs to have a rant.

Aww thank you so much for your reply x

How strong was ur mum looking after you and herself I’m so glad your doing well and it does give hope x

I was just having a bad day which I suppose is allowed haha

It’s definitely better to speak to other people affected by t1 xx