very sad mummy

Jayne, I tried to send this as a quick reply so please excuse me if I am just repeating myself. I am so delighted that things are going a little bit better for you. I had to get my daughter injecting herself as she was screaming and crying and I told her that she would not hurt herself as much as I probably was. She took this onboard and with my help guiding her hand she injected herself and then each subsequent time I withdrew a little bit more until she was on her own. Bribery also helped! I hope the school transition is pain free. I sent her in with a bag (Little toilet bag) with glucose/biscuits/wipes/tester and spares. She brought it to the teacher's desk and tested in front of her each time. Now I have bought her a bum bag that is the exact same colour as her school uniform and she holds all this inside and wears it all the time. She says it makes her feel less different than the others in her class. Please pm me at anytime and I will try my best to help you out, you know that saying many hands and all that! Anyway take care of yourself and keep in touch.
M

my mum was like that when I became diabetic... you just got to be strong for your daughter is she sees you upset its going to make her feel upset aswell. you can get leaflets and subscribe to diabetic magazines i got loads when i became diabetic from hospital... and they are really helpful they show you what to do if your child gets sick, if they going on partys they can take some lilttle snack with them to eat, or if they going on holidays what to.

Hi Jayne my sister was 6 when she was diagnosed and although a massive shock the family adapted well but it does take time. She was the youngest person on the children's ward to inject herself. It was tough and it took her a while to pluck up the courage to tell us when she felt hypo but after a while we all got to read the symptoms.
I to was then diagnosed with type 1 at 18 and for me it wasn't really an issue as I'd grown up with it. I have two children who will ask me to check there BM they are 7 & 9 and they often helped me do my injections before I started using the pump.
The star chart sounds a great idea it's about whatever you need to do. Is there a support group at your hospital where she can meet other kids? That may help. Give her time she will amaze you x

Hi very sad mummy, I know this has all come as a huge shock for you and your daughter. My daughter Lottie was diagnosed at 3 1/2. It is normal to go through a form of grief when dealing with such a life changing diagnosis. I certainly did. Your little girl will get used to this new part of her life really quickly. The reward chart is a fab idea and is obviously working. Make sure she knows how proud you are. Diabetes will soon be the norm and she will be fantastically brave as all children with diabetes are. If you need an understanding ear feel free to pm me. Take care x

hi jayne15 i know how you feel my 4 year old son was diagnosed a week ago and its killing me too everyone i have spoke to said it will get easier but at the minute it don't feel like it is i hope your getting the hang of it as were only doing whats best for them xx

Hi Jayne,
I can totally sympathise with your situation my son was diagnosed when he was 12 2 years ago, and the 2 years since he has also been diagnosed with ADHD and has also lost his hearing and could be profoundly deaf within a year. For a 14 year old to take all this in is an utter nightmare my poor boy doesn't know wether he's coming or going at times and to top things off my younger son is Autistic.
Life is pretty hard for us on a daily basis and sometimes you can't see a light at the end of the tunnel but trust me we do have good days too! Your little girl will get used to it and it will just become part of her everyday routine and she will surprise you one day by getting up and doing what she needs to do without even asking you, those are the good days, hope you feel better soon hunny,
Anne x

Hi am so sorry for you but althou it seems the end of the world its not it happen to me twice both my daughters have diabeties and it never stoped them from doing anything like rugby yes rugby and football,now one is a Lawyer and other one is doing good too it takes time to sink in and never let you child see you upset they tend to think that they have done wrong it was so hard for me back 30yrs ago we never had anything one to help us but now there!s allsorts out there,one of my girls is on the pump so she doesnt have injections now which is along way from me haveing to boil a needle.Chin up

Hi I keep doing a message then deleting, doing it again then deleting. I have registed just to send you a message (came up on my fb page). I have never done anything like this before but very sad mummy struck a chord with me. I was once a very sad mummy, ten years ago my special needs son (25 now) was diagnosed type one. I also have a diabetes free seven year old so maybe it was that. It will get better please believe me. My biggest memory was my mum saying to the consultant 'but he'll get better won't he?' He got better, he didn't get over diabetes but it became a way of life, we don't let it get the better of us. With support, advice, understanding, knowledge etc you will learn to live with diabetes. Your beautiful little girl will be strong and she will amaze you with her resilisence. Children are amazing at dealing with things. We look on in wonder at them, and you will. It is still very early and there are a million questions and you wonder how you will cope. But you will. I hope these are all the right things to say. I am not making light of it and there will be many tears but you will learn to live with diabetes in your lives. Take care and take all offers of help and advice x

Hi...My son Louis was 4 when he was diagnosed with type 1 and had just started reception. That was 3 years ago this month. When Louis was diagnosed our lives were turned upside down everything in our lives changed and we felt they would never be the same again....You feel as though your life is consumed with facts and information that you know you should digest but cant as you are grieving and mourning the loss of your 'normal, healthy child' .

As a mum i felt totally overwhelmed because for the 1st time as a mum I wasnt in control of a situation that involved my child. The best advice I can give you at the moment is dont worry about learning everything straight away as with time you will learn and digest everything you need to know. Just make bloods and injections your priority the rest will come in time.

I never thought Louis would get used to having injections and although for the first couple of weeks he did get upset at injection times he now has 5 needles a day and doesnt even flinch when he has them....he does have times when he says why does he have to be diabetic but as quick as that happens it goes and he is proud that he is different and so are we.....you will be suprised how strong and resiliant children are, they are superstars they really are.

Dont let anyone make you feel guilty for feeling so sad and upset.... yes its the child whos got diabates and its horrible but your the mother whos life has been turned upside down and has to see their baby uspet and hurting.

Yes your life will never be the same again but you soon wont remember what it was like to live without diabetes in your life and neither will your daughter....

good luck and remember its ok to cry I still do 3 years on

xx

Dear Jayne

Take it from somebody who was diagnosed Type 1 just before turning 7 a many years ago - you can have a long and happy life as a Type 1 diabetic. Your daughter will get her head round it soon. Diabetic life now is so easy compared to when I was diagnosed. Although injections were only twice a day, the syringes were the old fashioned large type you had to boil sterile again!!! Luckily my mother took to everything medical like a duck to water. I depended on urine sugar tests st home and shudder to think what my HBA1C must have been...
I remeber my father always telling a story whilst my mother injected - that was nice and took the mind of worrying about the needle. I eventually had to learn to inject myself for a school trip as I did NOT want mum to come along - obviously. I must have been about 13 at the time. I was then on to the smaller plastic syringes you only used once, which was fine. Nowadays treatment has advanced so massively that my stories seem to be out of ancient times. I know all this won't help you much right now, but trust me, be cheerful, keep yourself informed about all new developments and don't let your daughter see your worries. If you are fine with it she will be too. And in 50 years she'll get a medal (though when I get mine in 8 yeras I suppose I should really give it to my mum!).

Hi Jayne,

My son was diagnosed 08.02.10 age 6 and our lives changed in that respect as everything now revolves around carbs/hypos/hypers but it does get easier as time goes by. Our lives are still all carbs/hypos/hypers but now football is added.

My son started doing his own injections a week after leaving hospital as my father was a little heavy handed one night giving his injection and from then on he has taken charge. My husband and I sort all the insulin and such but he injects (he also is very good at working out carbs but guessing or using the carbs & cals app/book) . The hospital at first thought it was a bit early but it has really worked out well for us.

His love of football has seen him through - he has been to the JDRF Junior World Cup in Geneva, he trains with an SPL club and has been asked to train with a few others - but there's not enough days in the week.

We still have our ups & downs with the bloods results, tears and tanturms - it's normal now for us now.

Good Luck and kind regards
Lesa

Hi Jayne,

For what it's worth, I was diagnosed in 1981 when I was 12. I was in the second year at secondary school and my mother had been widowed for about 7 months. At that time, I was taken into hospital (Alder Hey in Liverpool) for a week to get used to injections, blood tests, urine tests and to get my sugars in check. As someone else has posted, it was two injections a day, manual mixing, Actrapid and Monotard. There were two or three of us being diagnosed at roughly the same time and the first time one of the other lads did his own injection I was sick in the sink!
31 years later, things are much easier. I'm happy to do injections myself of course and I'll do them anywhere. It's not something to be ashamed of and it's really easy with insulin pens.
My only significant advice would be NEVER to reuse needles and to make sure you swap round injection sites too.

Hi Jayne.

No advice about T1 from me, I know nothing! However, when it comes to how children express their feelings, I'd like to suggest something and forgive me if this is something you have already thought about.

My two children, now all grown up, and my grandchildren have gone through some horrid moments in their lives, the sort of things that as a parent and grandparent, I would happily die for, if it meant that my death spared them the pain, but I soon realised that by protecting them, I wasn't acknowledging how they felt. It IS unfair, it IS nasty, it IS upsetting and letting them express how they feel is by far, the best thing I can do for them, whilst sobbing with them.

We find ways of showing how we feel without being nasty to others; screaming into a pillow, making loud noises, sobbing until we fall asleep and most of all, dancing, singing, clapping and jumping when it all goes right. It was very difficult to hear my daughter screm at me 'I hate you' but she did it because she knew she was safe to say it, I wasn't going to abandon her for it. What we try very hard not to do is brush aside our feelings, they are important and very, very necessary.

wiflib

VSM
at the moment, you are probably suffering more than your little girl. At 7 she probably can't think very far ahead to the consequences of her situation.
It's my experience of many years working with children, that they do best if given at least some of the decision making responsibility. Obviously with supervision whilst they are little. However, it's you that will have to be brave. Chances are; your little girl will grow up into a happy healthy adult[ albeit with diabetes]
Hana

My Daughter was diagnoised last November 8th and my world fell apart, she was 9. Life stood still and i remember feeling like I was drowning in confusion and fear while trying to look brave and in control. I DO know how you feel. She copes really well but when she blew out her birthday candles she said she wished for a cure. I still cry although nobody would know as I always seem so in control. We have the pump now which is amazing, the injections were difficult although she injected herself from day 1, I dont know how she did that. Id be very happy for you to get in contact with me if you like? If you feel ready for that ill give you my email address. My Daughter would also be very willing to help in any way she can. We have met other Diabetic children which really help as they really know how each other feel. Dont worry, it does get easier x

Hi there il a type 1 was diagnosed when I was 12 I no it's gap from ur daughters age but honestly she will get the hang of and be fine we practiced on an orange when I was first diagnosed 19years ago,although I used syringes not pens as I have now it took a while to get used to but my family were great and I've managed it well,as long as u have the support from hospital diabetes team she will be fine it is a hard thing to get ur head around I know stay strong big hugs xxx

As previous posters have said, hang in there, it does get easier. My gorgeous daughter was diagnosed 2 years ago when she was 4 years old. I felt such guilt and so bad that I hadn't gotten her tested beforehand. We were on holiday in Australia when she first started displaying symptoms, but as she was recovering from chicken pox I brushed everything aside thinking it was a post viral thing. As our return date arrived I realised something was seriously wrong, but at this point I just wanted her back in the UK. Diabetes had occurred to me but I had written it off as there was no family history, and she was losing weight. When we arrived home, my mother said she believed my baby was dying as she looked so ill. She spent a week in hospital, just to get her DKA stabilised, and touch wood, has only had one incident where we needed to take her back. Her sugars are kinda up and down when she gets a cold or a virus, but for the most part she's just like any other little girl. She can go to parties with her friends as she knows that whatever she eats she needs insulin for it, she currently gets 3 injections of novorapid after every meal and levemir before bed. She hasn't yet progressed to self injection but does all her own blood sugar testing and knows what her bm's mean. She also is quite hypo aware which helps a lot especially at school where they are very supportive. As her 7th birthday nears the nurse specialists have encouraged her to take her insulin in her tummy, and she accepts that when she's big enough to do her own injections that's where it'll be easiest for her to use but for now we rotate sites (arms, legs,etc.) We encouraged our little one to be involved in her condition and don't really treat it like a disease. She knows that she's different to the other children in her class and teaches them to be more accepting of that difference.
I hope that you experience the same support that we have from the hospital team and also from your daughter's school. Forums like these are brilliant for increasing your knowledge and support base.
Stay strong, and by all means have a good cry when she's asleep, sometimes we need to empty the barrel before it empties us x

I haven't been in the forum for ages but your post has prompted me to let you know that it will all be okay. There is so much to learn at the start just to get through the day but over time everything gets a little easier while your bag gets a little heavier. My son was dx at 8 months and turns 6 fairly soon. It is certainly a journey that can test your stamina. You have already discovered the relentless nature of testing, eating, insulin. Be happy and just find ways to keep doing what you're doing with diabetes. Search out whatever information you can as even though some things won't work, there will be some gems that help out in tricky situations.

Hi,

I am the feeling the same has you are. My beautiful, caring little girl found out she had diabetes on the 13th July this year, it as been the worse months of our lives. For Grace we are been very brave and trying to keep life as normal as possible for her. Some days I just look at her and my heart breaks, I would do anything to take it for her.
To make matters worse on Monday we were informed that Grace also as coelaic, again another big blow. How do you keep life normal when your child is going through hell.
My friends, family, and DT have been a great support and keep you going. I have to stay positive and think to myself that there are worse things in life Grace could have, and with a healthy lifestyle and support and love, she can live life like any other 5 year old.

Thinking of you


Kellie