I am having a hard time with DD getting her to check her blood and write it down. She has gotten to where she never writes it down so when we get to the Dr. or we start to write them down in our binder she doesn’t remember what she took or ate. I wonder do you either of you have any tricks for this? I think i am going to post it somewhere else as well. I just thought I would throw something out there to get us talking. She is 14 and pretty much has most of the control of her diabetes. However I am thinking that i should take a bigger role in it. I help her calculate how much insulin she should take and calculating how many carbs she is eating. I also write them down in the binder. I just feel like we are way to early on in her diabetes for this to start happening.
For instance this morning she at pop tarts (yes I know they are high carb) and she at them without checking her blood and taking insulin!!! I told her that she is not supposed to eat anything w/out doing those 2 things 1st! She told me mom its not the 1st time I have done it. That just tells me that I haven’t been paying much attention to what is going on w/her and I need to play a very much more active role in her diabetes, how much though? I mean she is a teen. I am confused.
I’d love to see some teens weigh in on this…but meanwhile, writing everything down is hard, I write almost everything down, but if I’m out of the house all day, I don’t take my binder with me and I forget too! However, my Accu-chek system works with a Palm Pilot, and the Palm has the bolus calculator on it. It’s easy to punch in your bg, and then how many carbs, and it tells you the bolus. Then you can upload your bg numbers to the Palm from up to two meters - you really need two.
Now this doesn’t answer the “not testing before eating” - why not test after the poptart so she can see what that does to her bg?
I dont know if the freestyle lite you are able to download the results but maybe you could just work this out by getting the data cable and software for you particular meter and begin downloading the results. This way you could see when and if she is testing… My meters are both downloadable and it fills in the gaps from 1 meter to the next so the logbook is complete… This may acomplish a few things:
1 you can see when she tests and what her results are …
2 she no longer has to write things down therefore her time that it takes is reduced
3 the numbers dont lie when they are downloaded from the meter
You could download the results once a week and keep tabs on her that way…
Hope this helps
Ron
another idea - I think we all know how positive reinforcement produces better results than negative reinforcement. Think of a reward that would motivate her and then discuss what steps she needs to take to get it. Take small steps. Obviously you need to test before meals; that needs to become second nature. and a second meter for her purse, software, whatever makes it easier.
Well, lots of things going thru my mind on this one… teens know everything, you stupid parents! So she maybe getting a little cocky with things, just normal teen stuff. Doesn’t want to be “different”, maybe a little denial thrown in Add a pinch of rebellion and teen angst and VIOLA!
I think having a meter that will keep a log for you to download would be a good idea, makes it less work. Give her a target to shoot for on testing and a set reward for getting there. If she continues to not do what she needs to, loosing privileges (tv, phone, computer) so she will have time to think about the error of her ways seems to work with our kids pretty well. You probably already know all this, but I find myself sometimes get wrapped up in the enormity of D and forget to look at the real problem. The real problem here is not D, but the fact that her behavior is not appropriate for the circumstances. It’s like the people who talk at the movies… there is a special hell reserved for them.
I’d also do less of the record keeping for her, you’re doing it, why should she? Help her get there, then phase yourself out, so it is her responsibility. Then when test times come around, she can have a bit of pride knowing “she” did it, with a large helping of support from mom, of course.
/wink
Scott
I can put in my “been there, done that” thoughts on this topic. Having been diagnosed at age 2 1/2, I really have been there. Marie has some great points. Positive reinforcement totally helps! And Scott’s idea on losing privileges always works well.
I was the WORST diabetic teen imaginable. At age 15 I did everything I could to ignore the disease. Having been in the same shoes that your daughter is in, I think Marie has a point in the reward system. Is there some sort of electronic gadget that she would be inclined to use and that is affordable? I’m thinking some sort of palm pilot of blackberry that she can use to plug in her daily numbers and then upload the information. It could be her “cool” tool to help with the diabetes. Ask her. Give ideas…
In addition, I would show her worst case scenarios… gangrene was one that always scared me. Show her what she is doing to her body by not taking care of herself and what could happen. At 14 you think you’re invincible and your parents are stupid (diabetic or not - we’ve all been there!), but if she can see what the consequences could be it could help. My dad showed me photos of diabetics who had lost their legs and that scared the daylights out of me.
For your sanity. I can tell you from first hand experience, she will be fine. Just be there for her.
Note: with the high BG’s from things like pop tarts, her emotions will be exaggerated … outrageously and it can feel worse on the inside. Just listen to her and remember that at her age it’s all about her. I have a 13 yo without diabetes and can understand what you’re going through.
Erin
Thanks. I like these ideas.
Hi Erin, thanks. I have an iPod Touch and hve thought about getting something like that. Its not really affordable, but maybe if we set some kind of monetary value to keeping track then we can afford it. Also I know all about how I am a stupid parent (wink) I remember thinking my mom didn’t know anything. She is fully aware of the complications of this disease having watched my step grandmother, loose and eye, and her life to the disease. I only have to remind her of that. I try to always remember that this disease does mess with her emotions like that. ITs hard sometimes to tell the difference between being a teen and being diabetic. 
Thanks for weighing in. Also we have ordered a one touch ultra mini for her purse. I am also looking for a cute purse for it like from stick me designs. Maybe that could also be a reward. thanks Guys!!! I would also like to hear from some teens. Should I maybe post this in their corner?
hi Ron, I think there is a cable for her meter, its the freestyle freedom (I need to change my profile), I think the endo gave me a link for something. That would be awesome, however our Pedi Endo also wants to see how much insulin she is taking. So the meter doesn’t show that.
Hi Marie, I am not sure about the not testing before eating, we have always done it before so that we can see if she also needs to do an insulin correction. I try not to lay too much testing on her, so she tests before each meal and before bed. 4 x a day. Plus is she feels weird. I do have to say that if she doesn’t feel right she is very good about checking.
She will love the ultra mini and if you ebay you can get the cable to download the readings cheaper… The Ultra mini has a 500 reading memory as well… Good luck!!!
Cool Thanks I will look this weekend
If you use an ipod touch, there are websites where she can keep a log. Two good examples are Log for Life and Sugar Stats. This is good if you need to save more information than your meter can store. You can enter info by sending an email or enter on a fancy mobile.
I use Log for life and really like the layout and design. If she has internet access if you just be sending an email-- or she can just text it to you and then you can enter when she can’t.
My dear, cynical as it sounds, there is no help for teenagers!!! 
ha ha ha
Lois La Rose
This is great info! Thanks Kristen. I will check out both sites. I know she is tech savy and would be more likely to use something like this.
Another good one (which I think that i might switch to because they can now handle data downloaded from the Minimed pump and at least one meter) is glucosurfer.org .
Hi! I have a darling 16-year-old son who is neglecting some of the exact same tasks as your daughter. I don’t have any successful solutions, Sorry! What I think would help my son, specifically, is to find a psychologist/social worker who lives with Type 1 diabetes to talk to him weekly. I feel like my son is always giving himself insulin two hours after he eats, many times guessing at what would be a good dose, rather than testing and doing things the right way. He goes to the doctors and answers all of their questions beautifully, but then comes home and does whatever he pleases because he is sick of all of it. He was diagnosed when he was thirteen and was the diligent, perfect, (petrified) patient. Now, he feels put out and defeated. I don’t have the means to “reward” him every week with prizes, and good, prolonged health doesn’t seem to be an incentive for him at the moment. He is probably depressed. School work is not a priority either, he has enough on his plate…no pun intended. That’s really all. God bless all of you who are coping with this and you have my utmost respect. lmjones
This is the site to order the cable cheaper than from life scan
http://www.celeritous.com/estore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=128
hehehe. I know!
Hi Linda!
Could you get your son to join TuDiabetes? We have some GREAT teens on this site and it might help him to “chat” with other teens who understand what he is dealing with!
I am a “mature” 26 year old with type 1 diabetes and I also go through waves when I care more and times when I just give up. I have found that communicating with other people with diabetes is what helps me most!!