Teenager refuses insulin

[emmakx]

Hi @emmakx and welcome to the forums.

I agree that diabetes can seem overwhelming at times, particularly if combined with being a teenager, which can be overwhelming on its own without adding diabetes to the mix. (The good news is, you may be stuck with diabetes, but being a teenager doesn't last forever. I found things much easier once I was older.)

But unfortunately skipping insulin is likely to make you feel very ill, as I'm sure you know, and this doesn't help your mental state at all. I second @Hopeful34 's question about talking to your hospital team. They should be very familiar with diabetic teenagers who are finding it difficult to cope and (hopefully) provide you some help. Is there a particular reason why you can't bring yourself to inject? Would you feel more comfortable about it if you had an insulin pump? (I have no idea what the waiting list is like in your area but as an under 18 you may be eligible for the new technology.)

Once more welcome. Sending you virtual hugs from New Zealand.

i’ve just recently moved city’s so i’m at a new hospital and i’m with the adult ones now and i feel like they’re not that supportive ive tried to ask about a pump or an iport ( i think that’s what it’s called ) but they said it wouldn’t help and dismissed it without really thinking of them options, i don’t feel like they want to help and they appointment seemed rushed. i’m not sure why i can’t inject and it’s not because it hurts but everyone always says it’s because it hurts. i have struggled with depression even before i was diagnosed so i feel like diabetes has made it worse 100%. my brain just doesn’t care about the dangers even though everyone is constantly telling me. i want to take care of my insulin but i don’t think i want to enough and idk how to change that. thank u for ur message!!

 

[Jaylee]

i take

i am prescribed novorapid for my food one then my long acting one is tresiba i think that’s how you spell it, but it’s hard to do both so atm im just taking my long one but even that one’s hard to do too

Focusing consistently for a start on your Tresiba could be the first step forward..

I can appreciate on a late night out if you normally inject before bed it’s not going to be top of the list.
But putting it on the list when you get home, could help lessen the impact waking the following day…
If you give your basal in the morning? Factor into your morning routine.
If it’s your day off? (On a lie in.) still better late than never.
It’s better than days without, as a short term compromise.

Have you been prescribed a sensor or CGM?

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @emmakx

Sorry to hear you're feeling the way you do, I have to admit it's an absolute awful condition to live with when levels are out of control, but having your numbers in range every day helps you to feel alot better, your body is under stress when trying to off load the extra glucose when running high and this affects your mood/mental state/vision as well as hunger levels. Getting them into range means everything becomes alot easier to deal with, so if you can just focus on one day at a time to just test/take insulin then you are onto a winner already.

Keep talking too, we here know and understand how it feels we have all been there and are more than happy to listen and help where we can.

Also remember you are a t1d warrior too, dealing with this and navigating your way through life is not easy but you can do this, connect to others on Twitter, there's a massive community there as well as Insta and various Facebook groups too, sharing your burden with others helps lighten the load.

 

[emmakx]

Focusing consistently for a start on your Tresiba could be the first step forward..

I can appreciate on a late night out if you normally inject before bed it’s not going to be top of the list.
But putting it on the list when you get home, could help lessen the impact waking the following day…
If you give your basal in the morning? Factor into your morning routine.
If it’s your day off? (On a lie in.) still better late than never.
It’s better than days without, as a short term compromise.

Have you been prescribed a sensor or CGM?

i had a dexcom but after moving they stopped giving me it so i’ve got a libre now but i’ve not put it on yet

 

[Jaylee]

i had a dexcom but after moving they stopped giving me it so i’ve got a libre now but i’ve not put it on yet

Lower profile than the Dexy.

If you are concerned about it getting spotted? Try placing it inside the arm… (opposite side to where they tell you.)
Though in my experience no one gives a toss. (I do some pretty public stuff in a tee shirt.)

 

[emmakx]

Lower profile than the Dexy.

If you are concerned about it getting spotted? Try placing it inside the arm… (opposite side to where they tell you.)
Though in my experience no one gives a toss. (I do some pretty public stuff in a tee shirt.)

it’s not that i’m embarrassed about it, i don’t care if anyone sees it or not. idk why but it’s just a lot and easier if i just don’t put it on or inject

 

[Jaylee]

it’s not that i’m embarrassed about it, i don’t care if anyone sees it or not. idk why but it’s just a lot and easier if i just don’t put it on or inject

I normally bang mine on, on a Sunday after a shower. The Libre lasts 14 days where the Dexy has a 10 day life.
I’ll will have the new one ready on the one arm till the other runs out a few hours later, then swap with the app & remove the old one at my leisure..

What are your pursuits?
Do you have any personal goals or hobbies?

 

[SJPCam]

Hi, my son is 16 and has been diagnosed 3 years. He is struggling to accept his T1D diagnosis, I guess he wants to be ‘normal’ again. He is constantly running high because he doesn’t inject. A few weeks ago he let me do the diabetes management and his levels were mainly within range but now he refuses to let me help. He is home schooled due to bullying and his GCSE’s are in 4 weeks time. He sporadically sees a psychologist linked to his team but I don’t think this is often enough. He doesn’t think he has a mental health problem but his team and I think he does. I don’t know who to turn to for help.

Hi there. I'm in this situation - almost exactly - with my 17 year old son now. He suffered severe DKA last November and was diagnosed as a result - we didn't know he was T1D until that point. I wondered if you might be happy to tell me where you're at now and how the last year or so has gone? Any advice, or anything that unlocked a positive pathway?? We are desperate and very sad.