Looking for a book that is for teens with diabetes. There are several out there I just am not sure which one has the best information. She is 14 and has been diagnosed for 3 months.
I don't know an answer - just wanted to say my daughter is 15 & was diagnosed last year at 14, in Nov 2010. She hasn't really read anything, but I've read Think Like a Pancreas and The Diabetic Athlete's Handbook because she's very active & plays field hockey & softball.
I like "Think Like a Pancreas" if you are thinking an owner's manual. I found the style really engaging and light and that it had a ton of useful information. A lot of it sort of corresponded with what I knew when I read it but it sort of suggested that I wasn't as nutso as I was concerned I might have been.
I loathe reading books about people with diseases so I'm not really able to recommend those. History of disease books, e.g. "The Black Death" are ok but I am not a huge fan of personal tales of triumph or whatever. If something is going to kill you, you should kill it first. There's a cool video The Story of Insulin that talks about people who knew that insulin was around from 1889 but couldn't get a useful version synthesized until 1918 if she might be interested in that sort of thing.
I agree w/ Samsmom. My 13 year old has zero interest in anything we read. Thank goodness "Tropic of Cancer" and "Naked Lunch" won't show up on her radar for a few years!
There's a real need for an online program for early teens. Nerdy early teens can digest Think Like a Pancreas. I have a nerdy early teen grandson who would put it into a website, but he wouldn't read the book. Maybe encouraging use of the web as questions are asked is the way to go.
Yeah, I've been thinking & thinking about a way for teens to be involved & learn about T1 or even T2 right after diagnosis & you're probably right about the web. It has to be easy access & they like to have feedback from others -- the way facebook does it. I was looking for a book for Sam written from the "I've got diabetes, I live with it & I still exel" point of view -- just because she was assigned to read nonfiction for school anyway -- but I couldn't find anything like that in the bookstore. Team Type 1 founder Phil Southerland's book would probably be the closest, but I haven't read it yet:
NOT DEAD YET - My Race Against Disease: From Diagnosis to DominanceBy Phil Southerland and John Hanc
Part memoir, part sports adventure, Not Dead Yet tells the inspirational story of Phil Southerland’s battle with Type 1 diabetes and how from diagnosis to sheer determination, Phil Southerland beat all odds and turned his diagnosis and his passion for cycling into a platform. From leading a Race Across America to now managing a world-class cycling program, his journey on and off the bike is changing the way the world views diabetes.
That sounds like an interesting book. In some ways though, bicycling is sort of cheating as its super easy to lug meters, carbs, sandwiches, phones and other gear along for the ride. Whenever I ride instead of run, I think that it's a lot easier! It sounds like an engaging book though. I read a story about them in a cycling magazine that seemed to sort of dangle the CGMs they use out there as a gizmo that "straight", diabetes-free cyclists could find handy to monitor their own fuel needs. It seemed sort of absurd that anyone without diabetes would go to that expense but people who have $8000 bicycles with $2000 wheels and $300 aero bars and other *bling* probably wouldn't think twice about a couple grand for a CGM? So far they need an RX but maybe there's a grey market on Ebay or something?
Sam is a little older than my daughter but I'd be concerned about online stuff just because there's so many distractions there! I'm concerned about myself as I was going to finish my "ExerNewWave" playlist but got distracted by Tu about 1/2 hour ago!
I would recommend "Sugar Free Me" by Naomi Kingery. It is a book written specifically for teens. It is a book that deals with acceptance of the disease and making something positive of it. 'Sugar Free Me' is the first of a series and is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Naomi also has two e-books in this series called 'Sugar Free Teens and 'Sugar Free Support'.
Naomi, herself, is a diabetic and has been since she was about 12. As a young adult, she is a certified yoga instructor, leads an active life as a college student and a Customer Satisfaction representative for Medronic. A very driven individual, she has become an authority on diabetes issues faced by young and old alike.
I am privileged to call Naomi a friend.
Be well.
Brian wittman
I've read it. It's great. Inspiration for people with or without diabetes. Phil is amazing.
If you're looking for a 'textbook' that both of you can use; to dip into when needed.
Ragnar Hanas : 'Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults. How to become an expert on your own diabetes'