My daughter was diagnosed 3 years ago. She just turned 17. I want to keep on top of her BG levels and her insulin regimine but she is stubborn. She knows it all. I am worried about her numbers. Sometimes they go up over 300 and down below 70. Her drs just changed her insuling regimine to a 1:7 ratio with the standard sliding scale and Lantus at night. When I ask her her numbers she gets upset and says she is fine.
She just started living with me last year. long story… Her dad has dealt with this from the onset and had a let her do it attitude. Not me. I want to stay on top of everything to make sure she is fine. Don’t get me wrong, she does her test, she counts her carbs, she measures her insulin, but when I make suggestions she gets pissy, for lack of a better word. On the weekends I know she isn’t testing enough but tells me she has always done it that way and it is ok. I know it is not.
Any suggestions on what I can do to help her. To be more involved without taking away her independance.
I unerstand how you are feeling, I went through this with my parents. I’m 24 and have been diabetic for 17 years. I wish my parents would have just told me to let them know what is going on so they can be informed because they care. Just tell her you want to know because it makes you feel better, NOT because you are being nosey… I think if she feels you dont trust her then she doesnt care if you know how she is or not. And the getting pissy in my opinion is that teen stuff…lol good luck. have her join the site if she hasnt already. I didnt always take care of myself and if I would have found this site years ago, pretending it has existed for 10 years then I think my care for myself would be much better. Not that I’m bad. Just not great… Good luck
Thanks Linzie,
I will try that out.
Thanks,
Lisa
And by the way you are the mom!!! Tell her its for her own good and that life will be so much easier and you will be less annoying if she just gives you a heads up… lol
I dont live with my dad but I do work for him and I tell him everything that comes to diabetes, new things I learn what my sugars have been my a1c all kinds of things and he may not ever care but I love sharing new things I learn or find out…
I’m not going to lie I get pissy with my parents all the time when they ask me about my numbers or tell me not to eat this or that…but i try not to get too mad at them because i know it’s because they care. I’d agree with Linzie and just tell her you want to know because it helps you sleep at night and that you’re interested in her life 
I have the same issue with my 16 year old - not taking care of herself. How’s her A1C’s?
It’s a touchy subject. When her numbers are high she already feels moody (high BGLs do that), plus she feels like she has failed. So when Mom innocently and lovingly asks “did you test yet?” It’s really easy to snap.
Really easy.
Even though she’s only 17, she is pretty close to being an adult. And deserves a certain amount of privacy. You need to figure out a way to explain that you love her, and are interested in doing whatever she needs from you so that she can stay healthy. But you’ll have to wait for the invitation.
Her A1C was 8.2 at her last appt. Dr said not bad but needs improvement.
Hi, I see you are just getting familiar with Type 1 diabetes. You mention your daughter’s blood sugars often go over 300 and are 70. As the day-to-day caretaker of my niece, who has had Type 1 for three and a half years, this alone is not an uncommon occurrence. They can spike to 360 and drop to 50 or below, all in one day. We test 15 times a day. You can have all your basals tested, all the time periods down pat, and the day after the basal test (which proved basals are correct for a time period), she can spike 100 points without food in an hour. In our case, it is harder to control since she is 12 and dealing with tremendous growth hormones, pre-menarchal, etc., but at any time you can only (1) look for patterns, (2) prebolus for food, (3) test every three hours, two after meals, like we do, and correct, correct, correct. You might also change your insulin regime, trying one of the newer insulins that are faster acting, such as Apridra. We are already on a pump. You have to understand the true nature of the disease and acknowledge that you can manage it, but you cannot always control it. If your daugher is willing to wear one of the continuous blood sugar monitors, she will have much greater success at “managing” the blood sugar swings. Be aware you can be doing everything right and still have blood sugar swings such as you describe because this is Type 1 diabetes, not Type 2.
P.S. Just read A1c is in the 8’s. I agree that is too high. I would try to talk your daughter into an insulin pump, as she can get much better control with the pump (although Lantus/Novolog are very good insulins). I think a pump, the freedom it brings and the fact that it is so easy to do a correction with the pump, would greatly help with her control. Good luck, Mom!