Help for the newly diagnosed:

Sorry I didn’t update this page! I’ve been trying to import all the data from the old blog.

If you just had a child diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, you’re not alone; I know what you’re going though. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and know you have what it takes to do this. There will be high blood sugars and low blood sugar, don’t freak out, just correct them. What you do and how you react, will have a strong influence on your child. I have failed many times at this.

If they are low, glucose jell, juice or glucose tab them! If they are hi, softly tell them it’s okay, we’ll fix that, it’s not your fault, unless they snuck some food, and don’t yell over that. Just work with that as a behavior issue, not a diabetes issue. Diabetes is never your child’s fault, or your fault, it their immune systems fault.

If you need further information and ideas on the day to day dealing with diabetes, a great book is Kids First, Diabetes Second by Leighann Caletine, a good friend of mine. This book covers the stuff your diabetes care team doesn’t. Your diabetes care team will tell you how to dose insulin, treat lows and all the medical stuff. The day by day tips of dealing with supplies, planning for play dates, and school is in there and much more. This book was medically reviewed by a medical professional. Spry Publishing is the publisher and has done a number of diabetes books. If you have a teen with diabetes, the book Raising a Teen with Diabetes is a must. Moira McCarthy, another good friend wrote this wonderful book.

A great website to visit is http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/. There is a ton of support and forums on there. The site was started by a loving dad whose daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes many years back. I’m happy to tell you that his daughter just gave birth to a healthy baby boy a year or so back. Her and her husband live a full live despite diabetes. They also hold yearly conferences call Friends for Life; look those over on the website, I would encourage you to go.

Reach out to your local JDRF and ADA offices to meet other Type 1 families. You can leave a comment here and I can try to point you where to look for help. If you have further questions about anything diabetes related, leave a comment below.

 

Remember, diabetes is not your fault, you did nothing to cause this, I don’t care what someone told you. Your child will grow strong, you will learn and become a help to others who have gone through what you experienced.

Godspeed

Tim