My name is Karee and I live in Arkansas. My daughter Olivia (age 6) was DX on July 3, 2007. Talk about fireworks for us. We spent the whole week in Children's hospital learning about diabetes, learning how to check BS and give shots. It was nothing but learning, learning and more learning. We even had to take a test before we left. Then we get home and I feel like they just sent me home with a newborn baby. What do I do, How do I do it??? Questions and more questions. No sleep for the first few days cause I was up checking her making sure she was OK. Then comes the heartbreak of her asking for a sweet and me saying well ok if you want a shot. Never mind she would say. I hate this diease as I'm sure everyone who has it or knows of someone who has it does. It's not fair that she just can't up and go down the street without mom saying did you check your BS, or are you high or low? Or No you can't stay the night because her parents don't know how to do your shots or count your carbs. Geez - I just want her to be a "normal" kid but I know God put this on me for a reason. I believe he doesn't do anything just cause. I'm putting it all in his hands.
It's been 3mths and things are better but still it's hard at times. I know alot more than I did and I rely on the internet and message boards like this to help me along. Thanks!!
Olivia is in first grade. She does MDI by novolog and lantus at night.
Well, keep up the hard work. It will get easier. I have type 1 but I would have a rough time if either of my kids had it. The only advantage is that I know what to do. Have you thought about getting her on the pump. I am working on that and can’t wait til I am on it.
She doesn’t want it - She doesn’t even like for us to mention the word. She is embarresed by her diabetes and we try and tell her it nothing to be ashamed about. But being her age she really doens’t understand that so I’m holding off until she get’s a little older or she tells me she wants it.
It has gotten alot easier but it’s still frustrating as I know you know.
Welcome to this site.
Your story sound so familiar to me (and I am sure to many other parents…)
I also have a first grader with diabetes. We just “celebrated” our three year mark with this “uninvited guest”.
My daughter is now on a pump, and I feel like the whole management game got so much easier! Don’t think I would ever want to go back on shots. It’s not foolproof, but makes us feel almost-normal.
Please feel free asking any questions, we are here to help each other!
Let me try this again! My granddaughter just erased a whole page awhile ago when she hit the off button on the strip pad GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Ok let me see…Your daughter is probably embarresed by being “different” than everyone else and dosen’t want you talking to anyone else about her “condition” to others> I had that when my mom would do it and also lived with it with my 19 year old who is a Type 1 too but for a whole other reason, she was born missing her left hand, she was kinda OK if I talked about her diabetes but most diffantly not if I said anything about her hand! The problem with that was and still is it’s noticable and ppl ask anyway. It really gets flustrating when you have to deal with not being just like your peirs and I wont to tell you now GET READY!!! When she hits her teens she will probably do what all of us Type 1’s have probably done she will rebel by eating what she wants when she wants and maybe like me refuse to take her shots and then wind up in the hospital for a few days while her dr trys to get her bs back down. Don’t worry too much about it though it took me like 3 times to learn that if I did that I fealt a lot worse and it took a few days to get better! That little stunt took my daughter only 1 time to get it right that she had to take her shots! Now constantly checking her bs well that has been another story but what can I say she’s too much like me! HA! All you can do is to try to establish what’s right and wrong for her and she will take a little of it with her and do what she has been taught! My daughter is now the mother of a 13 month old and pg with her 2nd baby and has gotten back on track b/c she wants to see them grown. Just give her time and she will get there. I hate to ask you this b/c I know your new to this life and your a mom too but are you maybe putting too much into this and making her feel like she’s not “normal” ? I did that with my oldest without her hand and got some really negative reactions from her about her hand. The diabetes was ok with her b/c another kid in her jr high had it but she was the only one in all 3 schools born without a hand and I know that nkids really ribbed her about it so now yoou don’t meanchin it to her. I did that with my mom too. When you guys get used to this life tell her than she can go spend the night with others she’s just got to learn how to count her carbs and when to say no. It’s a long process I know but if you give her a reward for doing this she will try harder to do it! AS for it taking me so long to get back to you well the computer’s smarter than me! I just now got back to my blog commits!~ HA! See Told ya’ this computer was smarter than me! HA!
She has loosened up a little since she found out her cousin has it too! He found out a month or so ago. She now understands that anybody can get it and she doesn’t have to be ashamed. I hoping she won’t rebel when she get’s older. I’m trying to teach her now that she can eat what she wants just we have to make sure we cover for it. She pretty good at that. I don’t think I’m not making her feel normal. It’s just before she could go and do freely. Now when she wants to go to a friends house (depending on the time) I make her check her BS or if she wants to go over for dinner I have to call to see what they are eating and ask the mom to measure it or tell me how many spoonfuls she ate. That’s the only “normal” I was talking about. I’m glad your daughter is doing good. Thanks for sharing with me - It’s nice to see others out there going or gone thru the same thing.
Hey that sounds like your doing just right and with a mom like you she may be great forever! It really helps ppl like us when there’s another Type 1 to talk to about this and sorry for her cousion but glad for her! If she now sees that anyone can get it it really helps her out! When I got it I had a 1st cousion who had it also and really up till that time I felt like we had nothing in common. When I became a Type 1 she was my best friend it didn’t matter anymore that she was 10 years older than me or about to get married I loved talking to her and hearing her experainces especially when my harmones decided to act crazy! She was there to explain it all to me! She had had to live through that one too. When I turned 30 and she was 40 I called her and cried like a baby b/c I was “old” now and she said something as long as I live I will never forget,
" I just thank God for everyday I wake up and see daylight and that He let me live this long to see it." She left us about 5 years ago and I have always looked up to her and always will even though she’s gone now. She taught me the courage you need to make from day to day when things get rough. Debbie if you can hear me Your MY IDOL! Bless her heart she had gotten diabetes when they had to biol the same needle and use it again back in the 50’s, hada kindey transplant (the kidney given to her by her mother) and then both legs amputated and fingers too. I think she wound up with 2 fingers on 1 hand and 1 on the other but she always looked at the bright side and if she ever had any bad thought about what was going on in her own life she never said a worg to anyone. I think that’s honerable in anyone! Good Luck you and your daughter! You guys WILL make it sometimes it just seems like you won’t! A saying I have always stuck with is, God never puts more than you can handle on your plate. But sometimes I think I got seconds when I didn’t want them! HA!
hey Karee! Im from Arkansas too! South of you in Camden. We just missed you at ACH … My son was Dxed Aug 9 2007… I had to drag him out of there with all the pampering and the Xbox and flat screen tv and internet !LOL!! Our Dr. is Dr. Morales. she is great. who is yalls? We just went last week for a check up adn as always we had to go to the Hospital to eat lunch cause he loves the food there!lol.
I know exactly what you are going through …im on the same page as you are!
how is you daughter doing now?
