Purpedy so sucks!!!! Both me & my daughter went through it with D! I pretty much go withthe 60/40 thingy but I can't say for sure I went through all that in the 70's and my daughter went though that in 99-02. things have changed greatlt since then
I was diagnosed at age 3, and I'm now 41. Any changes to my normal routine resulted in wild blood sugar swings. I started eating a lot more around Grade 8, so insulin requirements went up. Puberty, college, new job, any new stressor caused difficulties over the years. Switching from beef and pork insulin to synthetic insulin was also rough on me.
we never had the CGM but we did have the bm and could check my daughter's bs's back during my time we only done urine testing. I would think that the CGM would help u kinda know what's going on with her bs's but then again it's the worst time of anyone life quite frankly and the bs's will swing. HOLD ON MY LADY THIS TOO WILL PASS!!
Hi Natalie, I was diagnosed Type 1 at age 27 so didn't go through puberty with D but am at the other end of the life cycle now hormone-wise approaching menopause.
The hardest part of dealing with the hormonal changes has been that I can be in a good pattern for a week or so then all of a sudden almost overnight I'll be fighting constant highs. So I crank up my basals around the clock but then eventually I start going low around the clock so have to back pedal. Then it starts all over again.
The best advice I can give you would probably be to just be prepared to react to changes more than usual. Just consider that a given. That's what helps me with trying not to get frustrated. If you have the mindset, as Doris says, that this too shall pass and just try to deal the best you can with adjusting to changes, you'll make it through.
Wow. I did that in the sixties (I was 10) with no tech. It was difficult. I was growing, hungry, frustrated, I could go on forever. The worst? I would go out with my friends and there would not even be a diet drink on the menu. And all ice teas were sweet, so they ate and I hungerly watched. It truly sucked. The food world is very different and we now count carbs, so she can overcome that problem.
Also, there were no disposible syringes, insulin pens or pumps OR GLUCOSE MONITORS!!! If I wanted to go out for dinner, it was a major packing event with the glass syringe, steel needles, you get the point.. SO, please take heart. I took over 100 units of Lente per day, and still had a high testape readings a lot(Was testape a joke or what?) Kennedy has all kinds of tech tools that should appeal to her and actually be cool to those in her age bracket, if she uses them. Encourage her to share and discuss her tech. It impresses the tech generations and will keep her safer, as everyone will be aware. Best defence is an offense!
I really think a lot of how this goes depends on you.
Rely on the tech and trust her to do the right thing, and she probably will. Don't freak about high BGs or higher A1Cs--a lot of it is totally controlled by her body changing. If she falters, help her back to the right path. Stand up for her and don't let diabetes exclude her from anything she wants to do. Sometimes there is fear around having a diabetic in a sport, etc., but it is much better today. My folks had to fight so I could play baseball, and they did.
Give her confidence and she will be OK. I have had diabetes for 50 years. That is what my folks had the courage to do for me, and I will always understand that my strength with ths disease came from them.
Excellent post Spock! And you're right about the younger generation and the technology. Every time I pull out my pump pdm around people at work they are fascinated by the technology.
Give her confidence and she will be OK. I have had diabetes for 50 years. That is what my folks had the courage to do for me, and I will always understand that my strength with ths disease came from them. This gave me goosebumps. :)
Hormones (just about any of them) have an interaction with insulin. Most hormones cause an increase need for insulin. As you know: hormones fluctuate wildly during puberty making being a T1 more difficult.
Their are other big factors around this age:
weight and muscle mass increase. This results in increased need for insulin.
Wanting to fit in. This was the hardest for me at this age. It is tough to not do/eat what your friends are because you BG is out of whack. I hated feeling different at that age.
Wanting approval from parent and/or doc. Some T1s feel rebelious or a new sense of freedom and try to cheat (I did). I struggled to get the numbers I thought my parents wanted me to and would sometimes write down a beautiful ficticious number in my charts to avoid “the talk” from my mom. It was a difficult issue. I had a crazy appetitie and changing insulin needs. I thought her “expectations” were unrealistic, but she just wanted to keep me as healthy as possible.
I also think Walsh’s “pumping insulin” states the 60/40 ratio as a starting point and to adjust from there. I believe the most important factor is BG control. My current ratios are 70% basal/30% bolus, but I would not hesitate to make any changes that allowed for better control. My endo has also makes indications that BG control is the main target.
Above all else: its tough and do your best as a team. You are aiming at a swiftly moving target during puberty.
I agree with Capin on the most important factor being BG control. As I review my pump data with the hormonal fluctuations I've had over the last 6 weeks, I've had weeks where I ran 60/40 but I also had weeks where I ran 50/50 and 70/30. Right now, it's 70/30. My endo just reviewed all my data and was pleased.
Control often, adjust basal often: it changes a lot, a lot less insulin/carb ratios. Be prepared to take quick decision about the changes to do, lower or rise basal, how much and when.
Let your child "feel" his body and test to confirm and then correct.
Things change quickly, you both have to learn and be "brave" to cope with them.
My 12 year T1 old daughter is in the midst of puperty and her insulin needs have gone from 22 units a day a year ago to 45-50 units a day now. She's growing like a weed and always hungry of course. When she's very active she's on a 60/40 or 65/35 bolus/basal split (pumping) and right now - not as active at the moment - closer to 50/50. Surprisingly her A1C continues to improve - I'm a bit shocked but happy. I think this is due to stable overnight numbers. I was alarmed at increasing her insulin at first but have gotten over it and we carry on.
Puberty for me was filled with highs and mood swings. I hate to say that it is normal for this to occur but most other teens I have spoken with had the same issues as myself. Expect the highs and just be prepared with extra boluses. Puberty is a tough time especially for Diabetics. I also recall being higher before I went to sleep and lower in the mornings. Basically, just keep a watchful eye and dont be overly concerned with highs
I just saw this post after replying back to you! looks like we are in the same boat, jacobs totals have risen from 40's to 60-70 for totals the last week! mostly correcting highs. i think the best approach is to work on the night time basals to get a good morning number so you arent chasing it all day which we have been doing. the 60/40 is a good start if you are higher like us you know you are just chasing things and the basal needs to go up. i dont like to be too agressive with increasing his night time basals because he hates it when i test overnight but i really need to tonight to see when he is starting to spike and call his endo mon or tues for some advise. i knew this day would come so i am trying to think of it as a right of passage! ha, jacob has been a little bummed but i keep telling him at least he will grow a bit this summer and we knew this would happen. he just came back from his first good run training for x country cant wait to see if it helped his morning snack number! things arent as bad when you know you arent alone, not that i am happy you are having trouble but maybe we can help eachother out. it is so hard to tell a growing teen to hold off on all the carbs, wait to eat for his insulin to kick in, constantly be told what to do! i feel for him and try not to overreact to it all knowing this is a stage and we will get through it with help! hang in there, hope kennedy isnt being too cranky!! i just try to shrug it off! amy
