Diabetic Recipes
Remember a while back, when I said Olivia was a pretty compliant, easy-going kid? Yeah, well karma just came and bit me in the arse. Holy mood swings, Batman!
I don't know what's going on with her (besides the fact that she's a 13 year-old girl), but I'm about at my wits end. She's sullen, she's mouthy, she's on the phone all. the. freaking. time. But what's really pissing me off is her failure to check her blood sugar.
Up until a week or so ago, I'd ask her every time I saw her eating something and before every meal, if she'd check. She'd say yes or no, depending, and everything was fine. Suddenly, though, I'm getting this attitude.
"Did you check?" I'd ask.
HUGE, HEAVING sigh, pffffing of the hair and a long, drawn out, sarcastic "Yessssssss, Mother, I diiiiiiiiiiid."
Me: "OK, cut it with the attitude."
Her: "I'm NOOOOOOOOT giving you attitude."
Me: *glare*
Her: Huge sigh, rolling of the eyes.
So, I kind of gave up asking. I'd still check in with her, ask how her blood sugars were at school. Last week, I didn't download her meter information. I had two sick babies, then I got sick, then my sister flew in from California and my mother left for Peru and it was just chaos and I forgot. But tonight, I took her meter and her pump and went thru it.
Today, she checked at 6:15, again at 8:45 (she was low), re-checked at 9:05 and then checked for lunch at 11:30. And then nothing. No checks until I took her meter and pump from her and got angry. From 11:30 until 9:15 tonight, she didn't check her blood sugar. She ate. She bolused for what she ate, after school and for dinner, but she didn't check.
And when I asked her why, she said she just doesn't think about it all the time. So I said that I would remind her, if that would help. If she can't remember, then I will remember for her and I will say something to her about it. I won't nag, I'll just ask. But in return, I expect an answer of yes or no, not a heaving sigh, a pfffffing of the hair and a snotty tone. You can't have it both ways. If you really can't remember (and I know she's a teenager and a flibbertigibbet and can totally understand why she can't/doesn't want to remember to check), then that's why I'm here: to pick up the slack. But please. Enough with the attitude about it.
I used to be like that with my dad, he tried so hard to get me to check my bloodsugar and I told him I would and never did...I was AWFUL!!
Maybe you could use another way to ask her to check her sugar that's more encouraging? I'm not sure how to word this but I read an article on the internet about Diabetes and Marriage. It said that maybe the partner could encourage their diabetic partner with different ways to say it like "How do you feel today?" or starting off with "How was your day?" and eventually lead to discussing blood sugars. My fiancee asks me like that a lot and I don't even realize he's asking me how my sugars are until I tell him and then we discuss a different way to deal with an error if there is one.
I guess hearing the words "Have you checked your blood sugar?" drives me insane and I usually don't respond in a positive way.
I hope this helps, good luck!!
Ahh, I feel somewhat responsible. I think it was me asking about how the teenage years or adolescence was going. So I may have caused the response that caused karma to bite you in the rear. Sorry. But really that is a bummer. But pretty normal behaviour I think for a teenager. It's one of my biggest fears. Hopefully CGM's will come down in price and be covered by insurance. Although, then our girls will get all body conscious and not want things hanging off of their bodies. Sigh.
I have Type 2 diabetes. I've had it for 14 years now. I was never really compliant and my daughter gets onto me all the time. I am better now than I was about 2 years ago.I had a major wakeup call! My left leg was amputated just below the knee! I still have some trouble with compliancy but it is getting better. I, too, get upset when someone keeps after me to check my blood sugar. I am just now learning more and more about this illness and how to cope with it. My main problem is trying to find a food plan that is diabetes-friendly, low-carb, low-sodium and heart-friendly. And also low-budget. Any ideas? I have no idea where to start.
I have been diabetic since I was 10 years old and I hated it when my mother would ask me about my blood sugars, I always felt like it was my disease so she should let me control. However, when I became a teenager I stopped caring. I just wanted to be normal and that meant pretending like I wasn't diabetic. My mother did the smartest thing she could have to help me. She contacted our local JDRF and sent me to a summer camp with teens my own age. I had a blast and brought home not only memories but a different outlook on my diabetes; I started checking my sugars every 2 hours and was actually really enthusiastic about keeping them in a normal range... Look into it, it may help your daughter too.
The lack of support available for kids with Type 1 diabetes with or without pumps is lacking. They need peer support and shared experiences of peers. Suggest anyone in need of this support go to:
diabetesrocks.com
There young people will find that support and encouragement. Enjoy............
I was the same way at her age and unfortunately my attitude and not testing have caused some damage. Advise her you are doing it for her sake, my parents tried and I failed to listen and now I regret it. Your daughter can lead a healthy life but she has to listen to what you say regardless if she wants to or not. Let her know that she can either live with diabetes or die from it.