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Mum of a 13 year old son recently diagnosed with diabetes type 1

L

Luca 11

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi , new here , just wondering if anyone can help me , my son isn’t coping well with his diagnosis , isn’t eating properly , missing insulin - slow and fast acting , and his mood is terrible , you say anything to him and he is very angry , his mood seems very low , any help would be gratefully appreciated ,
 
Hi @Luca 11 , welcome to the forum.

I'm sorry to hear your son is having troubles coping, this must be very hard for both of you.
Would he accept you being a bit more involved, like doing his long acting and the injections before meals when he's at home together with you?

We don't have many parents on this forum.
Are you on Facebook? Two groups on Facebook that pop in mind and that are very friendly and open to all approaches to diabetes with children are The Insulin Gang, started by a UK mum of a teen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/495961283869403, an Juicebox Podcast, started by a US father. If you like podcasts, I'm sure they have multiple episodes on teens not dealing well with their diabetes, and the group itself is very understanding and informative as well: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boldwithinsulin/

Good luck!
 

I'm so sorry for you and your son. I am now 20 years old and I was diagnosed when I was 12. I am actually on this website today because I am having a bad diabetes day. 8 years after my diagnosis. I think this shows the reality of diabetes. I have come so far yet it is still a struggle. Your blood sugar levels effect your mood more than you could ever imagine. I slept with a high blood sugar last night and I am so tired today I have already had a cry and its only 11am. Your son is going to be confused probably a bit scared and maybe even in denial. From when I was 12 till around the age of 16-17 I had a very hard time even grasping the concept of diabetes and realising that it is a serious disease. As a child you feel invincible. He probably doesn't want to give it too much attention right now. His whole life he has never had to think about this and to be honest with you his life has been changed forever. I don't want this to come across harsh in anyway but being in your sons position myself I know how he must be feeling right now. A good support system is what he needs right now and will always need he has gone from normal human responsibility's to also having the 24 hour job of an organ. That will take a lot of getting used to. I went from not doing any injections and not caring to being the most responsible with my diabetes out of any other diabetic I know. Diabetes is a long journey and you've only just began. Im so sorry for you and your son. It will be just as hard for both of you but if you are truly compassionate and go about this with care you will get through to him and also be a safe person for your son to come to when he isn't feeling the best with his diabetes. My nan has always been good with me and i felt she understood what i was going through and I have even text her today for abit of diabetes support. Having a good circle of support and love is the best thing. The 8 years i have had diabetes have been seriously up and down and I personally think the beginning of this journey is the most difficult for me and my mom. Don't give up hope and be optimistic I was the worst with my diabetes as a child and now im 20 and this summer im going to live in america on my own and everyone knows i will be able to care for myself and my diabetes better than the next person.


I hope this helped, sorry if it doesn't!
Love to you and your son it will all be okay
Katie x
 
Hi,

Welcome to the forum,

I was diagnosed pretty much on my 8th birthday?
High BGs can make one feel grotty. For me, I also have no appetite…
Couple that with hitting a certain age where you are probably finding your own identity, it can get a little “emotional” anyway.

Is there anyone in his diabetic team he can engage with?
 
What a lovely post @katieeeeee123, thanks for sharing, I’m sure this will be very reassuring for the OP
 
I'm also mother to a newly diagnosed 13 year old (daughter). She is a naturally upbeat kid but this has really knocked her (and all of us).
I think I'm lucky that she talks, but I also worry about all the things that she doesn't talk about. SHe has an Omnipod 5 and Dexcom G6 - having dealt with injections at the hospital, I am so glad we were discharged with these.

Generally, I can see what is happening for trends, with the glooko app, which means I know what she is bolus'ing for; and I still prep her breakfast/lunch/dinner so mainly I know what she is eating. I've bought a lot of "keto" style snacks to allow her to eat without thinking about inslin needs.
She also shares her details on Apple Health (with her permission) although frankly I feel this is rather intrusive; she doesn't mind but that's probably because she hasn't thought too deeply on this.

I do have a friend who is t1 diabetic also and he has had a rotten time of it, but is great for advice. He suggested an Apple watch, to reduce the notification fatigue of a pinging iphone. Not sure if that's an option, to get your son to feel "in charge" of his own health? I've also experimented a lot with glucose choices, just so that when she is low, she feels she has more options than those prescribed.

Separately, the comedian Ed Gamble is a type 1 diabetic and has a stand-up routine around it - it brought some much needed relief for us.

I hope none of that sounds like "oh we're doing brilliantly" - I have been in tears all morning!
 
Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences with me , it’s greatly appreciated, we are at the start of a not great journey , and my son isn’t coping the type who tends to not say much about anything and when I approach him to try and get him to talk I’m met with mum ! Just leave me alone , it’s so soul destroying when your child will not speak to you and understand that you want to help him ,
 
The dynamics change when diagnosed?

As a kid, it felt like I may as well stollen a car…
But then in my later teens I sat down with my mum (general chat.) & she blurted she’d felt guilty for my condition.
By that time, I’d worked it all out & responded with “don’t worry, s### happens..”

If it’s any consolation to you.
I’m part of a care package with the family supporting the care of our mum, these days..

Hope your son finds peace & balance.
 
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