Diabetic Recipes
I think I am losing my mind.
Back when I was in High School I never thought about diabetes or the fact that I could get it. I never thought that a disease would sneak into my life and change it forever. It was just not on my radar and not on my parents radar either. They were just as shocked as I was when I was diagnosed.
So now I am the parent and since I have diabetes, it I think about all the time. I hope some parents with diabetes can tell me how you deal with this but I think I am a little paranoid about my children getting diabetes.
My son is in High School and has joined the track team. He runs a lot. It is extremely hot here is Southern California. It makes sense that he is thirsty. But I panic when he refills a cup of water he just drank only to guzzle that one down too!
And he eats all the time. He is always hungry and never gains any weight. But he is a Freshman and he is growing. He also loves to play basketball and like I said before, runs a lot. Of course he would be hungry. Of course he would not gain weight. Of course he would be skinny.
But he is tired a lot. Sometimes he goes to bed before his bedtime! What teenager does that? Why is he tired so much? Maybe I should read those two paragraphs above.
The other night I was laying in bed and heard him get up to go to the bathroom. It took every ounce of control to stay in bed and not run and check his blood sugar. I hardly slept after that waiting for another visit to the bathroom that never came.
I do not want to check his BG ever time I suspect something or he does something that could fall into the catagory of diabetes symptoms.
What is wrong with me?
Is it wrong?
Honestly, and as hard as it is to admit, it is almost as if I am waiting for it.
Shame on me.
Why not put your mind at ease and have him tested for the potential? There is a study being conducted to find links in genetics of those with type I. Go to www2.diabetestrialnet.org/ , click on general public and participating clinical center in the middle of the page. This may be able to predict up to five years in advance whether something could develop. Hope this helps.
NOTHING is wrong with you, you're just a parent, and we worry.
Mine are adults but - the food and drink that our teenage boys went through was absolutely amazing, most especially at 14 & 15.
I do agree with you though that testing him every now and then, would make sense. You have an advantage, he is a bright young man and so well aware of your concerns.
It makes me very sad to read your post. I never expected to end up with Type I diabetes - it isn't anywhere else in my family. It showed up for me after my children were born.
I'd convinced myself my son had escaped it when he turned 20 - don't most Type I cases emerge before then? Just a few months ago, it dawned on me that my son did not have the flu; he had in fact developed diabetes. The absolute worst day of my life. So, I'd say do keep an eye on your son. You never know.
I realized I found this blog long after the the discussion ended, but I did want to add that it is not foolish to be paranoid.
My husband has Type I diabetes. Two years ago our daughter was diagnosed with Type I at the age of two. While for her we can find the trigger to be a case of Strep Throat, there is no doubt in my mind that genetically she was prone to get Type I, it was just a matter of what set it off.
With our eight year old son, I do check him occassionally. I don't want to ever find myself in the same situation we did with our daughter, in the ER, vomitting, and dehydrated, because we did not take her thirst as seriously as we should have.
While it may feel like paranoia, I think it is just good parenting.