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Looking for a bit of advice - High School.

M

MumofT1warrior

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Parent
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
My son was diagnosed 4months ago - he is 12yrs old. He is on MDI and finger testing only. I am super proud with how he is managing this but need to know if I should be advocating for him more at school. He is really smart and he tests at break and takes his insulin no problem and knows how to treat if he feels low and his friends have also been a fantastic support. I have asked him to also test his BS before a test / exam to ensure he isn't riding high but he wont and tells me even if he is high he feels fine and doesn't impact him at all. I don't want him risking his education as even at this point - at 2nd year in High School its already steering him on a certain path towards him being able to sit certain exams and I don't want him putting himself at a disadvantage especially when he is more than capable at studying at a top level. Is anyone able to share any links or show impacts of high BS regarding lack of concentration etc so I can show him how important it is to monitor this.
 
Hi @MumofT1warrior and welcome to the forums

I'm a little puzzled as to why your son isn't using a libre... If you are in the UK he should qualify.

To be honest I'd be more concerned about the mental effects of going low...

(Speaking as a T1 who was diagnosed pre glucometer and did well in exams despite very high bgs in my teens).

Having said that, very high blood sugars do effect some people (I guess I got used to them).

But if I were you I'd pick my battles here. Twelve is an in between age, he'll be managing his own sugars on his own soon, and being a teenager is hard enough without adding T1 to the mix...

So push for a cgm...
 
He is able to access the libre and worked through the modules however he is adamant at this moment that he doesn't want it - or the pump - however that's a 2yr waiting list for the pump and we have added him to this as I am sure he will change his mind. He has had so much taken away from him at the moment so don't want to force something onto him. His worry with the libre is his sports, he places a lot of racquet sports and football and is hesitant due to this.

Thank you for taking time to reply as well, appreciate it.
 
Agree - he needs to use a CGM.

Does he worry about being seen wearing one or that it could fall off if he plays sport ?
 
Maybe if you could convince him to use the Libre for the week(s) when he his exams to see the impact.
That would help him (and you) decided whether he needs to check his levels at key times.
 
Staying in range during exam time is important, too high and it's difficult to focus or think clearly, too low and you cannot think, however doing any intense brain activity can drain glucose stores quickly - which is why it's so important to monitor, for the sake of a few hours during exam time, wearing a CGM would help massively, can avert the low before it's an issue, you can turn the alarm down or off, but still be able to scan which is far easier and quicker than a blood glucose meter check, it's difficult drumming it into youngsters when you know what's best, so you have my sympathy.
 
Juicyj said:
Agree - he needs to use a CGM.

Does he worry about being seen wearing one or that it could fall off if he plays sport ?
Click to expand...
one of the boys in his football team has T1 and they wore one and a pump and it was constantly getting knocked etc, this was before my son was diagnosed so its whats stuck in his head. The other boy ended up quitting the team so this is what my son is focusing on and reasons why he doesn't want it. He is also very self conscious, always has been and although he says it wouldn't embarrass him I know that also factors into it.

I know it will help him loads but he had no control over getting diabetes and I can't and won't force how he manages it, as long as he does manage it.

I thought everyone was impacted when sugars are high and that he was playing down how he felt as he says he's fine and just corrects if needed at next dosage.
 
Pumps are very discreet these days and can easily pass for a mobile phone if you don’t look closely enough at what it actually is. A CGM would by far be the best option if he doesn’t want to prick his finger, at least then he’d be alerted if he was going high/low at any point.

There are a few celebrities who have T1 and openly speak about it/wear their devices in public, perhaps you could show him those to show him it isn’t something he needs to worry about.

In terms of playing sports some people do disconnect whilst they are playing sports as you can be safely disconnected for up to an hour, this may be something to consider if he’s worried about a pump being knocked during playing.

In terms of blood sugar, I suffer more when my sugars are low and I definitely wouldn’t be able to take an exam if that were the case although when my sugars are high depending on the number I do feel more tired which I don’t think would help either but that’s only when I reach 20+.
 
Nicola M said:
Pumps are very discreet these days and can easily pass for a mobile phone if you don’t look closely enough at what it actually is.
Click to expand...
Thankfully, insulin pumps are much smaller than today's smart phones.
However, it does depend upon which pump you use and how large you are as to whether they are discrete.
As a small-framed woman, I found I was incredibly conscious of my pump having to be on display most of the time. I needed to get it out to bolus so couldn't hide it completely and even when it was under clothes, it caused a bulge unless I covered it with lose clothing or a 1980s bow.

My current patch pump is much smaller and controlled via a phone app so more discrete. But that doesn't mean I am not conscious of the bulge. However, it cannot be removed for sports.

I agree CGMs are smaller and easier to hide. I believe Henry Slade wears one and you can't get more contact team sporty than International rugby.
 
Ok well if he was to wear a libre he could wear on the back of his arm and use rock tape which comes in many different colours/patterns to keep it secure, he wouldn't even know it was there once he gets used to wearing it. If he's self conscious there's not much anyone can do about that as it's his mindset which is putting the wall up, however if you look around instagram there's many youngsters showing off their kit online so it may encouraged him to see others wearing theirs.
 
When he does, eventually, think that a CGM would be ok, he/you could also invest in a small transmitter to attach to it so his self-set high or low blood sugar warnings could be alerts on a watch.
As @Juicyj says, he could use rock tape to protect the CGM. He could also use tape to cover a watch, or take it off during sport.
A CGM can be linked with phone apps that you can share so you could be alerted if he goes low during the night.
As for advocating for him at school, as long as all his teachers and support staff are aware of the range hypo symptoms, and how to help him treat a hypo, and that they also don’t think school rules about having food in the classroom are more important than his health then you’ve covered the important bases.
How good that his friends are supportive, nice friends.
 
Fairygodmother said:
When he does, eventually, think that a CGM would be ok, he/you could also invest in a small transmitter to attach to it so his self-set high or low blood sugar warnings could be alerts on a watch.
Click to expand...
Assuming you mean a Miaomiao of Bubble, there has been no need for such a transmitter since Libre 2 was released.
 
In Response said:
Assuming you mean a Miaomiao of Bubble, there has been no need for such a transmitter since Libre 2 was released.
Click to expand...
For a stand alone watch like the Watlaa one.
I do need to use a Bubble mini bridge to scan & transmit.
The miaomiao no longer works with the L2. I couldn't chop sense into the algorithm.
 
Jaylee said:
For a stand alone watch like the Watlaa one.
I do need to use a Bubble mini bridge to scan & transmit.
The miaomiao no longer works with the L2. I couldn't chop sense into the algorithm.
Click to expand...
I am not sure many kids nowadays will need to go for a solution without a phone.
If they are able to use the native LibreLink app on their phone, they can use the phone as a bridge.

However, it is interesting that you mention the Watlaa, I was wondering the other day if they still exist.
 
Thank you so much for all your responses - really appreciate it.

I will continue encouraging him and he is comfortable injecting and testing bloods when we are out - does this openly and without any shyness but I know that's because we are there.

I will keep trying to encourage him to agree to at least test out the libre and at least that will stop me having to 2finger test him a few nights at 3am lol

Thanks again :-) and for those that are T1s yourself, you really are incredible in all that you face and still continue to help others and share advice to make things easier for those in similar positions.

I can never understand these challenges but just want to make things as easy as possible for my son.
 
Jaylee said:
For a stand alone watch like the Watlaa one.
I do need to use a Bubble mini bridge to scan & transmit.
The miaomiao no longer works with the L2. I couldn't chop sense into the algorithm.
Click to expand...
MM2 does talk to the libre2, but you need to pass the data onto something (like XDrip+'s OOP or a hacked version of LibreLink) in order for the payload to be decrypted. I use a MM2 on the (thankfully now rate) ocassions that the Bluetooth fails on my libre2. I am using XDrip+ though
 
Hi, and sorry to be late to the discussion.

There has been a lot of good advice given on how to secure the L2 and it all works.

However I suspect that your son is still trying to come to terms with a major change in his life, just when he is trying to adjust to many other changes. He also has to cope with his parents trying to "help him" just when he is stretching his wings. - That is not a criticism of you, it is just how parents are. My mum, even after 40 years, still kept checking up on me .

From your description your son has only really seen one other T1D with similar tech and their challenges using it. Perhaps you could both explore other role models. There are many sportsmen with T1D in football and other sports, not to mention Nick Jonas, James Norton and Este Haim in the entertainment world.

A pump is one way to tackle it but MDI is also very successful and a useful discipline to have to fall back on if there are difficulties with a pump. Personally I have found that routine helps a lot, something that you also need for sports.The

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions. The best advice I was given was that living with T1D is a marathon, not a sprint.
 
Nicola M said:
There are a few celebrities who have T1 and openly speak about it/wear their devices in public, perhaps you could show him those to show him it isn’t something he needs to worry about.
Click to expand...
Good idea. Gary Mabbutt was diagnosed at the age of 17 with T1, he's got 17 caps for playing footie for England : //www.diabetes.co.uk/celebrities/gary-mabbutt.html - he has frequently used the saying that 'you shouldn’t live your life around diabetes but work the condition around your life.'
 
MumofT1warrior said:
He is able to access the libre and worked through the modules however he is adamant at this moment that he doesn't want it - or the pump - however that's a 2yr waiting list for the pump and we have added him to this as I am sure he will change his mind. He has had so much taken away from him at the moment so don't want to force something onto him. His worry with the libre is his sports, he places a lot of racquet sports and football and is hesitant due to this.

Thank you for taking time to reply as well, appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Encourage him to try the Libre with sporting activities. The data you get from the Libre is life changing in terms of managing blood sugars ie keeping them in the normal range. They supply extra sticky covers that support the Libre for swimming and other sports. I have competed nationally in a number of different sports and have never had any issues with the sensors.
 
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