Managing Your Child's Diabetes - from Blogabetes
Welcome to the start of another week, and another sneak-peek into dLife's Blogabetes. This morning's post is written by Julia Zegarra, Blogabetes writer and mother of a child with diabetes:
Mrs. Fix-itI’m more than a little OCD when it comes to Olivia’s diabetes care. Not in the “must log every number and every carb and every speck of exercise” (because, hello? She’s twelve and doesn’t ask for food any more, she just goes and gets it and exercise? Hah. But that’s another post.), but more in a “I need these numbers to be even,” way.
It’s maddening. Olivia could eat the same thing at the same time and do the same amount of exercise (hah) every day and still have wildly different bg readings each day. And I just want. To. Fix. It. I finagle insulin doses like pieces on a chess board. I obsess and worry over the timing of her insulin dose – should she have that before she eats? After? Dual wave? Square wave? Super bolus?
This is not a good disease to try and manage when you’re more than a little OCD. In fact, it’s the type of disease that has you up at 2 a.m., pleading with the internet for some help. Thankfully, there are plenty of sources to go to: here, of course. The Children With Diabetes Website and their parents email list and various diabetes-related bulletin boards.
But what I can never get is an answer to the question of “Why?” The doctors, the other parents, the posters on the bulletin boards all shrug and say “That’s just diabetes.”
It’s enough to make me lose my mind.
Check back on Friday for more from the Blogabetes writers!
Comments
- At 08:26 AM on Fri, Jul 27, 2007 Michelle wrote:
Hello Julie I too am the parent of an 11 y/o T1 with rollercoaster type levels. Our life has now become a very fixed routine just so the doctors cannot point their finger at us and say we are not doing it right.
I have been told by our doctor that at this age, girls, are starting to "grow up" and much of the ups and downs are caused by hormonal changes and rapid growth. Do you keep a growth chart? My daughter has rapid growth spurts and it tends to coincide with above average bgls.
The best advice I can give is to keep your daughter active, source the net for information, prepare only low gi meals and address your doctor if you feel your daughters treatment/regime is not adequate.
Best wishes - At 07:25 AM on Thu, Jul 26, 2007 Lisa Bishop wrote:
Hi - I didn't say anything about carb free! Nothing at all about carb free. Olivia has a deadly disease. Any support you can give her at home is critical to her success in managing this.
I re-read your post. You mention "pleading for help", "I just want to fix it", "I obsess and worry over the timing of her insulin dose".
I'm trying to give you help. You said nobody can answer "Why?". You wanted more than "That's just diabetes". Well, I just told you "Why" and I'm also telling you that it's NOT "just diabetes".
And - in my opinion, it IS fair to ask Olivia to cut down carbs - she has a DISEASE and you don't. She must be responsible for herself and you are the only one who can teach her to do so. Her life and her health depends on it!!
I want to stress again, that I am not being critical. You pleaded for help, and I answered you plea. You said that this is enough to make you "lose your mind". I'm only trying to show you how you don't have to lose your mind - but you have to be open to suggestions. If what you're doing now isn't working (which is what I clearly got from your post), try something else!!
I have a 12 year old too -- been dealing with this for 5 years. I used to lose my mind - but I don't anymore.
I wrote back to help you. I hope this helps.
- At 06:13 PM on Tue, Jul 24, 2007 julia wrote:
While it's true that carbs could definitely be cut back in our house, I'm not willing to go carb-free and I don't think it's fair to ask Olivia to if the rest of us aren't.
- At 08:32 PM on Mon, Jul 23, 2007 Lisa wrote:
Hello. In my experience, the only way your daughter can eat the same thing everyday and have different blood sugars would be if she's eating a food with ingredients that can't be managed. To eliminate this problem, you should eliminate certain foods. Easy! :)
Well, maybe not so easy. Anyway, I would seriously take a look at the food she is eating. Normal blood sugars ARE possible for a Type 1 Diabetic. Visit www.libertybella.com for more info on how we manage blood sugars.
Hope this helps ... I'm not being critical.
I have 2 children with type 1 and I understand the wanting to scream everyday and wanting to pull your hair out. It seems just when you think you have it down, the numbers go everywhere once again. One thing I have learned about this disease is that therre is never a sure thing. My son now is going through puberty and thats a whole new nightmare as far as his numbers go. I wish I could tell you something that would bring everything in line but I don't have the answer...just continue to monitor and watch what is being eaten.
Julie