Greetings all! My 2yo son was just diagnosed 2 weeks ago with T1 diabetes. Throw is the Alabama tornadoes that ravaged our city (Birmingham) on the same day he was diagnosed - April 27; It has been beyond crazy. We are just settling into our ‘new’ normal.
As I read over previous posts, I’m lost on some of the acronmys.
I think I have figured out DX - means diagnosed date. Is this correct?
Please add more to this post. Any and all that come to mind would be helpful. Much thanks!!!
You’ll run across a lot of words you don’t understand in the beginning, like bolus and basal (these are mostly for people using pumps) What are some of the specific ones you need to know? (And, yes, dx is diagnosed.) A great reference (in addition to TuDiabates) is a book called Type 1 Diabetes by Dr. Ragnar Hanas. He explains SOOO many things in great detail. Plan to be overwhelmed for awhile. It’s unfortunately just par for the course with type. And, know that it does get better. It takes awhile, but you will reach a new normal eventually. Your local Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) can also be a great help and Children with Diabetes (CWD) is another great resource. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere on CWD (www.childrenwithdiabetes.com) if there was a list of acronyms.
Hi Stacy,
I am glad you have found this site. We know the information overload that you are going through right now. You are right about dx. The one that threw me for a while was PWD - Person with diabetes.
Larry
Hm. I can’t even think of any at the moment.
dx - yes, is diagnosis
PWD - person/people with diabetes
CWD - children with diabetes
PoCWD - Parents of children with diabetes
t1d - type 1 diabetes
t2d - type 2 diabetes
Sometimes caregivers are referred to as T3, or type three. These people do not have diabetes. I’ve always seen it as an easy, somewhat affectionate way to refer to the caregivers (particularly on twitter where space is limited). Some people see it otherwise.
Ummm…
What else have you seen?
So sorry about all of that hitting you at one time. The first thing that will start to make sense is the acronyms – adjusting to the diagnosis may take some getting used to! My daughter was diagnosed in Nov, so I still see some abbreviations I don’t understand. Thanks for this.
DOC = Diabetes Online Community (just saw that one)
Another one for everyone to know is DM1 and DM2 (Often written as DMII) for Diabetes Mellitus, which is the medical record way of writing diabetes. TX means treatment or therapy. HX means history, as in no family hx. Blood sugar is written as BG (Because BS would be too funny).
IDDM = Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (another medical term)
A1C = average BG for past 2-3 months
site or site change = place on body where insulin pump users insert cannula to deliver insulin
These are great! I read several in posts I could not figure out, but failed to make a mental note. Thanks to mommy brain…I’ve since forgotten them.
If I find any more, I’ll be sure to ask too. Thanks all!
MDI = Multiple Daily Injections
Hi, I also am new to this experience and to this website, and I’m a bit anxious for my daughter, who was dx (thanks for this one, Serena) in February with Type 1. I just want to say that I really like your statement about reaching “a new normal” in time. I find that very reassuring, as it’s somewhat tough sledding right now.
I like “T3” – it’s a good label. I think it might be nice for my daughter (24) to feel in a little way that she’s not the only one in our family to “have it”. Although I do not have diabetes, saying that I have T3 is a little way to be included (in a sense) in what my daughter is going through. I feel helped by TuDiabetes already, and I just joined this group five minutes ago. Thank you!. 
BG…I wondered what that meant. This is great!
BTW, I really like your moniker, Ms. Green Mintz! I have a hankering now for spearmint gum…
Hmmm…I’m having a technical problem leaving my reply…it disappeared when I clicked “save” after editing it. Oops! I
was just saying that I liked the label “T3” as it makes everyone involved in the situation feel included, if you know what I
mean, in the whole diabetes experience. “I have Type 3 diabetes.” Labels have power, and I want my 24-year-old
daughter, diagnosed four months ago, to feel a little less alone. I gave myself a needle (empty, I just stuck it in),
much to her delight, for the same reason. That actually reassured me a little too, because I found out what it felt l
ike, and it wasn’t too bad. I didn’t want her to be so alone with this.
Welcome Ruby-Jane!
I did the same thing - gave myself a ‘shot’ just to know what my son was feeling. I will say it was not bad at all. I hope Caden James feels the same. =P
It’s soooo hard in the beginning. And, so overwhelming. One of the things that helped me a lot was connecting with local moms. I was lucky enough that one of them reached out to me. Just being able to vent to people who really understand what you’re going through is so helpful (which, of course, you can do here too!) How old is your daughter?
Ive been joking with my hubby, but I think all the parents of kids with diabetes are recluses in Birmingham! Of all the moms I know, none know anyone personally that have a child with diabetes. I do know a few T1 adults and some friends of a friend connections…but none to connect with locally. The outreach is Birmingham is obviously lacking and very frustrating. Because of this, I am beyond grateful for the DOC.
My future goal is to help strengthen the diabetic community here… But right now, my main focus is Caden James. He is the diabetic and just turned 2. My daughter is 5 1/2.
Community is always so helpful. I’m very glad my daughter found this site!! Thank you so much for writing in response to my remark. Right now my thoughts go back and forth, back and forth, between thinking that we’re coping well, and being up-side-down, unable to process the fact that she has developed T1. I just can’t believe it!! I just can’t. My daughter will be 24 next month. How old is your child?
He just turned 2. My mind wanders too. In just 2 years…what could he have been exposed to? Did one of the fever viruses he had cause this? Did some chemical in a plastic sippy cup seep into his liquid? Did I clean his hands too much that his body did not build up a normal immunity? Did I fail to wash his hand one time?
My list goes on and on. I know I will never know. So Instead, Im trying to focus on making diabetes work in our lifestyle.
Ruby-Jane, My daughter is 16, and was diagnosed at 12, She started using the OmniPod four months after she was diagnosed, and that helped a lot. The anger and disbelief last a long time. And, even when they’re not part of your daily life, they still come up again every now and then.