I was blessed not to develop diabetes until I was 23 years old. I am in awe everyone who has lived with Type 1 since childhood, teenage years and even the college years.
I have heard a lot of terrible stories of children being dx’d at the hospital because of high bg’s or DKA. I wanted to know if you could jog your memory, tell a GOOD childhood memory of living w/ Type 1 or your favorite childhood memory w/ Type 1 diabetes.
MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY WOULD HAVE TO BE THE FACT THAT I GOT TO GO TO THE NURSES OFFICE FOR A MORNING AND AFTERNOON SNACK EVERYONE WAS SO JEALOUS. THEY ALL WISHED THEY WERE ME…LOL BEEN DIABETIC FOR 17 YEARS SINCE I WAS 7
One of my most memorable times as a child (not necessarily a fav) was when all my friends were eating candy around me and I thought, “Hey, I’ll just get me some sugar-free Certs.” Well, I got about 3 packs and ate them all. We all know that sugar-free Certs have Phenylthalanine (which is the main ingredient in Exlax) in them. Now everyone knows where I spent the entire afternoon…Not funny then, but hilarious now!!!
Too funny…hahahahaha
Wow! I bet you didn’t do that again…
I’ve been thinking about this for two days, Cherise. I was a very happy child and always very positive about my diabetes. I woke from my DKA coma to tell my mom it was going to be okay before going under again. I was always very Pollyanna about it. I liked explaining it to people but liked to do it on my own terms - never as ‘hey, this is melissa the diabetic child.’
BUT…I can’t think of a “diabetic” moment of childhood that was “happy,” per se. The moments where I was aware of being diabetic were generally when I felt ostracized, was having a low, had to eat more than I wanted (ah, the huge meal exchange serving days - I used to have sausage, orange juice, alba cocoa, cereal, and toast w/ butter every morning to get my meats, fruit, dairy, 2 starches, and fat in!), or when my mom made too big a deal to teachers about it.
I guess I liked going to “Clinic” every three months at the children’s hospital. I got to miss a whole day of school, we drove into downtown Dallas, and there was a long model train set in the lobby. I liked going and being praised for having pretty, well-kept, color-coordinated logs (even if my numbers were hell). Got to see my endo, my CDE, my dietitian, and the social worker all in one trip. I still have my hello kitty autograph book from my 8-day diagnosis stay with all the doctors’ and nurses’ signatures. I thought the children’s hospital was fun, I suppose. Or it just made me feel “special” to be there.
I’m just saying that happy childhood memories seem to be separated in my mind from the diabetic memories.
When I was first diagnosed we stuck to a strict meal schedule. Dinner was at 630. On Sundays, when we were at church that would be in the middle of the service. So I got to go back into the nursery and eat my dinner, then the rest of the time I got to play with the kids. It was alot of fun, because I have always loved kids. It was just something to look forward to, even in the midst of doing something no one else was doing.
Also when I was first diagnosed, my parents blamed themselves for my condition. Which was undderly redicuouls, but nonetheless thats how they felt. They would always do special things with me and make me special treats. My sisters were not so happy, they thought I was pretending to have diabetes just to get attention. If only they knew! They’re much understanding now, 11 years later =)
I was diagnosed at age 2. I’ve been Type I for 36 1/2 years now. My brother was also diagnosed at age 2 and has been Type I for 33 1/2 years. My favorite childhood memory would be of a visit to Joslin. My brother and I were both low at the same time and laughed hysterically for a solid hour. It’s one of those “you had to be there” moments, but we still laugh about it now. The movie Gremlins had been recently released and we made horrible imitiations of “Gizmo” and kept repeating “Gremlins in reaction”. Sharing my childhood with Type I with my brother was always a good thing.
I NEVER did that again. I was miserable for several hours and I still remember it well to this day.
I was diagnosed very near my birthday - so every year as we advanced my birthday hat would have my real birthday year and how many years it was since my diagnosis. My mom is trying to find a picture so I can scan and show it to everyone. 
I was diagnosed at 4 and from that time up until I was 7 I INSISTED that my mom test her blood sugar every time I did. Every time, no exceptions. I would throw the hugest fit if she chose not to so she usually just gave in. I was a kid so I didn’t take into consideration the cost of strips or anything, so I’m sure my weird obsession cost my mom a lot of money. I still don’t really understand my logic behind doing that.
Favorite childhoor memory…let’s see here…
I was diagnosed when I was 8 shortly after easter. While in the hospital in the middle of the night I kicked one of the nurses, and she wouldn’t come back to my room! My mom told me this as she would spend 24/7 with me until I got out three days later.
I don’t know if I really have a favorite memory though…I got to leave class early everyday to go to the nurses office and test so i guess that was pretty cool.
I don’t have a favorite memory to be honest, I also have childhood memories, but not as being a diabetic, atleast nothing is popping into my head right now…
I actually dont remember a time when i was a kid getting insulin but my mom told me a story that when i was like around 5 i went trick n treating with my baby cousin *he was 1 * and i actually didnt know what diabetes was or anything so they would give us candy and my mom would always take away my candy. She would say that i couldnt get none cause they were posion i never believe it anyway cause she would eat them so i would tell my aunt to take away the candies from my cousin cause then he was going to die. I dont know now that my mom tells that story its kinda funny idk i was a kid so yeah…
LOL!
I see. At least you still have your hello Kitt book and some day you can share it with you child:)
I would have to say that I loved diabetes camp. I was always so excited to go because it was like a special camp that only I got to go to (not my brother or my sister). We went kayaking, hiking, had campfires… it was great. I learned some of the best camp songs there. I also learned how to waterski and boogie board there. I loved diabetes camp so much. I sometimes wished that there was a camp for adults!! 
. I also liked the one year that they gave out coca-cola syrup as the treatment for lows — all the kids tried their best to go low just to get that syrup, it tasted so good.
OOH I have a few!
This one is not so bueno, but oh well. I was dx the summer before 5th grade and when i started 5th grade for the first few months nobody would go near me because they thought whatever i had was contagious. No matter how much i explained to them that it wasn’t it didn’t matter, they were still scared. …that’ll do a number on your emotions.
okay, i rarely used diabetes to get out of things…actually I have only really done it a few times in my life. The first time I was in 7th grade and we had to run 2 miles for our final…ya well…i got ‘low’ during the run
This one is from my freshman year in college. I was at a frat party (first and last one ever) and i had to give myself a shot (no pump yet). There were tons of people crammed into a garage dancing and drinking, so i tried my hardest to find privacy (bathroom lines were ridiculous). Anyway, i drew up and put it in, then look up and see a really drunk guy with bug eyes just staring at me, then he leaned in and said “duuuuuuuuude” then shocked, he turned away. oh good times
A couple of weeks ago i was totally the MacGyver of diabetics. Let me try to remember all the details… at work (i’m a nanny so i couldn’t leave to go home for a minute), pump ran out of insulin (stupid me i know), but ahoy, i have a pen in my purse…except the needle was jammed or something so it was just getting seriously pressurized and nothing was coming out. Here’s what I did… a. soaked the pen needle in hot water for about 15 minutes to loosen up any potentially ‘stuck’ insulin in the needle, WORKED! b. took my reservoir out of my paradigm pump, detached the tubing and stuck the pen in that little soft spot where the tubing needle sticks in. c. dialed about 100 units from my pen into the reservoir which in turn pulled back the plunger and filled perfectly. d. I have a pump full of insulin for the rest of my workday. WIN! I’m sure that brakes 100 sanitary rules but hey, when you NEED insulin you NEED insulin. you all know how it goes
(i’m sleepy sorry for the probable typos)
I wish i went to diabetes camp, i wish my mom had pushed for it. I just wasn’t aware of any 
I avoided camps because I felt pressured to go from my doctors. All my friends were going to regular camps and I didn’t see why I should have to go to one where the only thing I had in common with other kids was my diabetes. I wish now that I had thought about it differently. I know me and know that it would have inspired me to be a better advocate and that I would have made friends and learned to care for myself better there. I think on some level I was afraid I’d be told I was “doing” it wrong.
Cherise,
I love these nostalgic memories.My diabetic kids are writing their memoirs so we can publish it in a book sold to support diabetic children.
i was diagnosed the summer before 5th grade. i didn’t like telling people at first but i got over it quickly. i remember a kid in 5th grade saying i was like joan of arc when he found out i was diabetic. it was funny. he found out when the teacher told me i needed to eat my snack a little earlier b/c we had something to do which he overheard & thought everyone got snack. so the teacher had to explain to him i was the only one getting snack. i guess the only good times would be getting out of stuff (which i don’t do a whole lot but when i do i don’t feel so bad. i figure i might as well get some good out of being diabetic. it’s never anything too big.) also it makes some projects easy to do. i’ve done a paper and a presentation on diabetes. the presentation had to be 1-15 min. long. everyone else was worried about it. not me. lol
i do remember this one time however not long after i was diagnosed. we had sugar cubes in class (not sure why but we did) and i wasn’t thinking & ate one. i told the teacher yeah i could have one. needless to say, my sugar went high (shockingly though not as high i would think it would). the teacher found out and told me she was disappointed in me and that she couldn’t trust me anymore. anytime we ate anything, i would have to go ask my mom first (who was a teacher at my school). now i laugh at it but i wasn’t too happy then.