Too mature for my age

[Nejeda]

I'm in highschool, yeah go figure, right? I'm sixteen, ooh, another shocker, right? Well, I'll be a junior, and I feel like getting diagnosed at six years old forced me to grow up and become mature faster then I should have. I feel like I am miles above and beyond my peers. I sit and I feel like I'm observing them, looking in from the outside. And I feel like I can't talk to any of them about me, my problems, even how I'm doing. I don't know any other people with diabetes, my age or otherwise, so I don't know if this is normal. Is it normal for me to feel emotional and mentally more mature because of what I've been through?

[lelggren]

I'm in highschool, yeah go figure, right? I'm sixteen, ooh, another shocker, right? Well, I'll be a junior, and I feel like getting diagnosed at six years old forced me to grow up and become mature faster then I should have. I feel like I am miles above and beyond my peers. I sit and I feel like I'm observing them, looking in from the outside. And I feel like I can't talk to any of them about me, my problems, even how I'm doing. I don't know any other people with diabetes, my age or otherwise, so I don't know if this is normal. Is it normal for me to feel emotional and mentally more mature because of what I've been through?
I definately think that we have to grow up a lot quicker after diagnosis. I know that I had the same problem when I was your age. I was always hanging out with people that were a lot older than me because I couldn't relate much to my peers at school. I did have a group of friends at school, but I can tell that I was then, and am now, much more mature than they are. You learn to see through different eyes, and your priorities change.

We as diabetics have to learn discipline in ourselves a lot quicker than others because our lives depend on it. Non-diabetics are allowed to be immature and abuse their bodies because they will be just fine, and live through it.

Really, you will do better for yourself in the long run because you are more mature. People will notice :)

[Nejeda]

People have noticed, especially my parents and doctors, and teachers. I'm the mature young adult, all put together, perfect, get good grade, etc.

While I am mature for my age, I feel like they put too much pressure on me to be even more mature, and then when I act more mature, they can't handle it. And my peers all look to me as the "smart" one, the one they turn to when they don't know the answer. And yet not one of them takes an interest in my diabetes. I kind of wish just one of them would. It would make me feel like they actually care instead of just using me...

[lelggren]

People have noticed, especially my parents and doctors, and teachers. I'm the mature young adult, all put together, perfect, get good grade, etc.

While I am mature for my age, I feel like they put too much pressure on me to be even more mature, and then when I act more mature, they can't handle it. And my peers all look to me as the "smart" one, the one they turn to when they don't know the answer. And yet not one of them takes an interest in my diabetes. I kind of wish just one of them would. It would make me feel like they actually care instead of just using me...
I was so very much in the same situation as you!!!!

Let me give you an example. One day, when I was in HS, I was in choir, and had to leave class early to check bg, and take a shot because lunch was next. Well, I thought it was wierd that there was nobody at all in the halls except for our vice principal and a teacher. And, as I walked by them, I expected to be stopped so that they could check my passbook, and all that stuff. Well, as I walked by, the vice principal said, " Oh, she is one of the good ones. She's ok." Well, that had never happened to me before. I thought it was wierd to be called a good one....But, when I got to the nurse's office, she asked if I had heard what happened. I was clueless. Well, as it turns out, nobody was in the hallways because someone had let off a pop bottle bomb on the other end of the school. Now, don't you think that they should have stopped me??? For all they knew, it could have been me. It wasn't, actually the kid was found and arrested that same day. But, I had the reputation of being a good, mature kid who would do no wrong.

Sadly, there will be a lot of people that can't handle the fact that you have more important stuff to worry about than just what kind of pizza toppings you would like. But, there comes a point when you just have to do what will make you happy in the long run. I would have never met my husband if it weren't for me being willing to take the maturity I had that others were not so loving me using for myself.

I hope that your friends will take an interest in your diabetes. It is a hard thing when it is such a huge part of you and of who you are, and they don't seem to really care because it would be something else to have to learn about.

[Nejeda]

Yeah, it seems that if there is anything to do with learning they will shy away from it... yet I thrive to learn more. I am one of those people who live to learn. I ask questions and I figure out ways to get them answered. My one friend has a disease I didn't know about, so I asked him questions about it to understand it better, and he asked me questions to understand diabetes. But most of my peers and teachers are ignorant of it. They say; "Oh, my [insert family member here] has diabetes... I'm an expert."

Well, today at lunch, I had a low Blood Glucose and one of my "friends" asked if I needed a shot, I was flabbergasted. She was one of the ones who claimed to be an expert. I calmly explained the shot would lower my sugar even farther and sent me into a coma, which would NOT end well. She tried to argue that her grandmother takes insulin shots when her sugar drops.

At this point, I thought to myself that I needed to start seeking out more knowledgeble people on the topic of diabetes... people I could talk to. Or at the very least more mature individuals like I've been thinking about doing for some time now.

[gettingby]

I understand where you are coming from Nejeda. I had to grow up and become more mature way before I was diagnosed. I lost my daddy in an accident on a garden tractor when I was 6 years old. I felt, even at that age, that I had to be the strong one and help mom and my sisters take care of my brother (he was only 1 1/2 yrs). So, when I was diagnosed, I was pretty much ready and able to take on all of my responsibilites for my care at the age of 13. I'm 34 now (almost 35) and I wonder where all of the time has gone.
I had a problem with DKA a year after diagnosis and almost didn't survive it. :eek: When I returned to school, my guidance counselor introduced me to a guy the same age as me who had been a diabetic longer than I had. Maybe your counselor would know if there is another student with diabetes that you could talk with? It sure helped me alot.
Sorry to make this so long. Welcome to our dysfunctional family. LOL. :D

[lelggren]

I had a problem with DKA a year after diagnosis and almost didn't survive it. :eek: When I returned to school, my guidance counselor introduced me to a guy the same age as me who had been a diabetic longer than I had. Maybe your counselor would know if there is another student with diabetes that you could talk with? It sure helped me alot.


Great Idea!! :top: Or, if your dr. or CDE knows of a local program or support group for people your age. Those might be a good idea too! And, always know that you can turn to us at any time :)

[Nejeda]

Both wonderful ideas... which I've already tried... the closest group thingy is in Pitsburgh, in the evening, and I live in Butler... that's a fourty-five minute drive or more (pending traffic)... according to my parents it "isn't worth it". And according to the school nurse and my counselor there aren't any other type I diabetics at my school. Hense, me seeking a place like this...

And thanks... dysfunctional families are what I do best! :1eye:

[gettingby]

Both wonderful ideas... which I've already tried... the closest group thingy is in Pitsburgh, in the evening, and I live in Butler... that's a fourty-five minute drive or more (pending traffic)... according to my parents it "isn't worth it". And according to the school nurse and my counselor there aren't any other type I diabetics at my school. Hense, me seeking a place like this...

And thanks... dysfunctional families are what I do best! :1eye:
Well, it was worth a try. Sorry. Remember though, you do have us and I do believe there are some others in your age group on here. Hang in there. :D

[Dewey]

I'm in highschool, yeah go figure, right? I'm sixteen, ooh, another shocker, right? Well, I'll be a junior, and I feel like getting diagnosed at six years old forced me to grow up and become mature faster then I should have. I feel like I am miles above and beyond my peers. I sit and I feel like I'm observing them, looking in from the outside. And I feel like I can't talk to any of them about me, my problems, even how I'm doing. I don't know any other people with diabetes, my age or otherwise, so I don't know if this is normal. Is it normal for me to feel emotional and mentally more mature because of what I've been through?
This is totally normal, and I too, felt the same way. Though I didn't mind being a leader in school, it sometimes felt like I had to bear the weight of the world on my shoulders. I did well in school and like Laura said, got the "Oh, she's one of the good ones" treatment at times (lol).

All that aside, I think the hardest thing I endured during teen years was the loss of my dad (I was 16 at the time). It was difficult, cause each of us (in the family) was trying to cope in our own way. I let some things slide for about a year, but realized that I'd better get back on track, and fast.....so I did.

I think some of us are better equipped emotionally to deal with Diabetes, if you will....Are we more mature because of our Diabetes, or are we better able to handle Diabetes & life because we're more mature?

[gettingby]

Well, today at lunch, I had a low Blood Glucose and one of my "friends" asked if I needed a shot, I was flabbergasted. She was one of the ones who claimed to be an expert. I calmly explained the shot would lower my sugar even farther and sent me into a coma, which would NOT end well. She tried to argue that her grandmother takes insulin shots when her sugar drops.

Been there, done that too many times before !! Makes you feel like :banghead: , don't it?? Or at least bang their head against a wall to knock some sense into them. LOL.

[Nejeda]

I feel that forcing a seven year old to care for herself, to grow up and care for her disease, while effective as it was, may have been too harsh on my parents part. Yet, at the same time I sort of thank them, and loathe them for it all in the same moment. Because I am so much more mature then the rest of my peers I have set standards for myself unknowingly, which my parents enforce to the 'T'. I am sixteen and have yet to make mistakes and get grounded for dumb things that others are doing. I'm taking AP classes next year! (AP stands for Advanced Placement, which is the equivilent of a college freshmen level class) And my parents expect this from me. Now, don't get me wrong, I can do it, and I want to, in fact it's what I love to do--learn. But because I'm at that point in my maturity, where what I want to do is learn, my peers look to me to be 'answer gal'. I'm so tired of all the "highschool drama" going on with them, it's like I want to scream at them and make them realize that in two months all this won't matter, that in two years these "beautiful girls" won't be beautiful anymore, that there is more in the world to worry about. That they aren't bullet proof, and they aren't knife proof, and those drugs they are smoking and that alcohol they drank over the weekend will hurt them, that they aren't immune to it all.

And that is the point at which I feel like I am going crazy, and maybe I'm not more mature, that many I'm just different?

[lelggren]

You know, I think it is so funny that there are even people out there that claim that they are more of an expert than someone who has had diabetes for 20+ years, and it is just because of their {Insert friend, relative, or other such person here}. I think that people just have this yearning to look smart all the time, and it just doesn't always happen....lol I'm glad that she didn't get ahold of your needles and try to play nurse!

[Nejeda]

Been there, done that too many times before !! Makes you feel like :banghead: , don't it?? Or at least bang their head against a wall to knock some sense into them. LOL.


I wanted to ring her neck!!!!! :motz: :hmpf:

[lelggren]

I feel that forcing a seven year old to care for herself, to grow up and care for her disease, while effective as it was, may have been too harsh on my parents part. Yet, at the same time I sort of thank them, and loathe them for it all in the same moment. Because I am so much more mature then the rest of my peers I have set standards for myself unknowingly, which my parents enforce to the 'T'. I am sixteen and have yet to make mistakes and get grounded for dumb things that others are doing. I'm taking AP classes next year! (AP stands for Advanced Placement, which is the equivilent of a college freshmen level class) And my parents expect this from me. Now, don't get me wrong, I can do it, and I want to, in fact it's what I love to do--learn. But because I'm at that point in my maturity, where what I want to do is learn, my peers look to me to be 'answer gal'. I'm so tired of all the "highschool drama" going on with them, it's like I want to scream at them and make them realize that in two months all this won't matter, that in two years these "beautiful girls" won't be beautiful anymore, that there is more in the world to worry about. That they aren't bullet proof, and they aren't knife proof, and those drugs they are smoking and that alcohol they drank over the weekend will hurt them, that they aren't immune to it all.

And that is the point at which I feel like I am going crazy, and maybe I'm not more mature, that many I'm just different?
I hate to say it, but they will just have to learn the hard way. It is not like they haven't heard that all those things will hurt them. They will just have to make their own adjustments after HS, and they will have to get used to you not being there to give them all the answers.

And, I promise you, HS doesn't last forever. College is so much better. Nowhere near that much drama. And, if there is drama, it is easier to get away from it. Hang in there hun :) All will be well!

[Nejeda]

My new mantra....


"Only two more years... only two more years..."

[repeat] :bebored:

[lelggren]

My new mantra....


"Only two more years... only two more years..."

[repeat] :bebored:
LOL I remember that the first day of school every year, instead of listening to rules in each class, I would make a yearly, monthly, and # of days left until a day off from school, countdown in the calendar that they would give us :)

You can make it dear! Stay strong :)

[Nejeda]

Making it isn't what I'm worried about... making it without pulling out all my hair, now that's what I'm worried about... LOL :)

Actually it's the stress that gets to me and my blood sugar, makes it go all rollercoaster-y on me.

[lelggren]

Making it isn't what I'm worried about... making it without pulling out all my hair, now that's what I'm worried about... LOL :)

Actually it's the stress that gets to me and my blood sugar, makes it go all rollercoaster-y on me.
You should do a search on here about stress. I am sure that people have posted some sort of de-stressing techniques. I know that deep breathing helped me, and saved my hair from having to be jerked out of my scalp....lol My control of bg's was terrible at the time, and so I am not sure if it was all just because of stress, but if you can see it effecting you, you need to take some steps to try and destress.

[Nejeda]

My doctor just switched my insulin types on me, and I'm finding ways to coup... journaling mostly, but I still have some bad BS days where it'll be okay in the morning say around 90 then it'll drop to 60ish then shot up to around 300ish then drop again... stuff like that. Really takes a toll on a person! :frown:

[gettingby]

My doctor just switched my insulin types on me, and I'm finding ways to coup... journaling mostly, but I still have some bad BS days where it'll be okay in the morning say around 90 then it'll drop to 60ish then shot up to around 300ish then drop again... stuff like that. Really takes a toll on a person! :frown:
What did he change you from and to what?? I'm curious. Sorry if it's nosy.

[someone]

I wanted to ring her neck!!!!! :motz: :hmpf:

They actually argue their point, even though it is completely wrong. It's always the grandma story too, no matter who you ask. It's kind of funny :D. Rather than explain it to them, I usually just agree with them. I find it a waste of time to argue over something that makes no difference to them.

[archimeech]

Nejeda,
You're going to find out more and more that you have to rely on yourself first. Everyone has their own poo to step in day in and day out. You sound like I did when I was 16. I was thought of as so mature and trustworthy that most people didn't give me a second thought. that was the worst. Everyone seems to like you and get along with you, but no one remembers to invite you to the parties on the weekends, or call you when all the friends get together to go do something. You've got years on them now that you had to grow up so fast. I'd just appreciated the simple fact that you're ahead of the game and can worry aobut the next hurdles in life. when the simple issues of being a teenager are past you, life can be good (even while you're still a teenager :) )

[Lynne1]

Perhaps pump companies would know of other type I's in your area. They could give the other folks your contact info if they were willing.

[lelggren]

Perhaps pump companies would know of other type I's in your area. They could give the other folks your contact info if they were willing.
I'm not sure if pump companies can do that just because of all the HIPPA stuff, and many sue happy people out there. But, it would be worth a try. Maybe they have some sort of list of people willing to be mentors or something. Good suggestion!

[Nejeda]

Nejeda,
You're going to find out more and more that you have to rely on yourself first. Everyone has their own poo to step in day in and day out. You sound like I did when I was 16. I was thought of as so mature and trustworthy that most people didn't give me a second thought. that was the worst. Everyone seems to like you and get along with you, but no one remembers to invite you to the parties on the weekends, or call you when all the friends get together to go do something. You've got years on them now that you had to grow up so fast. I'd just appreciated the simple fact that you're ahead of the game and can worry aobut the next hurdles in life. when the simple issues of being a teenager are past you, life can be good (even while you're still a teenager :) )

You've hit the nail on the head, exactly... And slowly I guess I'm learning that, that whole teenage life isn't appealing to me. And I'm not sure that's a good thing or not. I just so past it, like I'm ready to move on to the next thing in my life... and by that I do not mean the next stage in life, I simply mean the next thing, as in college, I feel ready to experience that, whether I am or not... I am not sure.

[Nejeda]

What did he change you from and to what?? I'm curious. Sorry if it's nosy.


From Lantus to Levemir

[Funnygrl]

Nejeda- I feel the same way. I always related to people older than I better than my peers and I felt more mature and intelligent than most of my peers in high school. I was always the responsible one. I was hoping college would be better, and it is in a lot of ways, but some of the same old issues are still there.

But being mature isn't a bad thing.

When I talk to people online they never believe my age at first.

[Horsman]

I was always the grown-up answers kid, but I managed to find a good way to stay sane and not kill my adolescence.

I would take the hardest classes, and get on average 85-95 grades. On tests I would get 95 or more because I could. When homework came around, I didnt do that ****. I hardly participated in class and used that time to either help other kids with their work or go learn something new by myself.

The thing was that the teachers respected me because I could do the curriculum and excel at it, but that I chose to do what I thought actually meant something to my future (and beleive me that doesnt include 25 integrals or 50 factorisation questions). If I didn't feel like it, I didn't go to class. If I felt like going outside and taking a walk I did. Luckily I had a stellar group of friends around to relax with.

It became more apparant when I got to University. I've managed to get B+ to A+ since I started with very little stress and hardly any feeling of being crushed with responsability. I skip the stuff that doesn't matter and ace the big things like midterms and exams. Maybe this sort of thing will work for you.

Never be afraid to branch out and meet new people. When I was in grade 10 I was friends with all the popular kids. Naturally I was a bit of a ****. Around that time I started also hanging out with people that everyone else probabally considered weird. They were so much more natural and easy going. I highly recommend ditching the "cool" kids.

I picked up guitar 2 years ago and that has been my relaxation mechanism since then. I'm 19 now, and already am having success as a Web-Programmer and IT Support. I'll be in my third year of computer science at Dalhousie University with a 3.75 GPA and still completely sane :)

Just remember, loosen up a little, stay honest, and do what matters.

[mg_2204]

I feel like I am miles above and beyond my peers. I don't know any other people with diabetes, my age or otherwise, so I don't know if this is normal. Is it normal for me to feel emotional and mentally more mature because of what I've been through?

My daughter could have written that post. And she doesn't have diabetes. She is 15.

Did you always feel that way, from a very young age? My older son (he's 23) never hung out much with kids his own age. He was always more comfortable with adults. Even now he gets along better with people well into their 30s. He says it was all down to being the only child for a long time (there is a 9 year gap between him and his sister) and because he's been to Iraq.

My youngest (13 y/o) isn't very mature for his age. He is really just a kid. A little boy at times even. And it's the same family! Go figure.

Must be a mix of how you are as an individual and what you've been through so far in life. I know my daughter finds it quite frustrating. Older people don't really want to hang out with her, she's (only) 15. It gets better probably as you get older. All my older son's friends are much older than him but when you get to 19-20 the gap doesn't show so much.

The very best to you,

[Mick]

Nejeda--

At one point in my early teens, my mother commented to me (on my 14th birthday, no less) that I had somehow skipped my adolescence and jumped right to middle age--she said I acted more like 41 than 14, and questioned that maybe I had reversed the numbers in my age by mistake!! (lol--yeah--very funny, mom!) That's what growing up diabetic does to us, and I never saw it as something "wrong" with me. Yeah--I DID grow up fast. Yeah--I was way more mature than my peers, more serious and more responsible. I had life-and-death decisions to make several times every day while other kids my age were deciding which socks to wear... That's our fate, and I believe all of that helped me to become the person I am today--growing up diabetic certainly shaped my personality. I did manage to get my adolesence back--I became a High School teacher and have stayed with teens for the past 30 years! I also have my own kids--my youngest is just your age--and he's also counting! (haha--so am I!) But the demands of our disease at a young age makes us strong, self-disciplined, self-reliant and empathetic--and maybe somewhat stubborn too. Sound familiar? LOL! How about obsessively organized and compulsively neat...? Optional traits for our peers, survival tactics for us.

AND--at some point you will find it all coming together into a "self" which is smarter, more grateful, more confident and happier than your peers--and then you'll no longer feel apart from them, but only pity their lack of direction and motivation. You have been given a gift, and now it's up to you to open it with the care and thankfulness it deserves. You have all the tools you need, and you are becoming the best "YOU" that you can--it'll just take a while for the rest of them to catch up with you. Look at it this way--you got a head start!

I also JUST (3 days ago!) switched from Lantus to Levimir, and it's taking me a while to get my feet back on the ground and my sugars at all stable. Stick with it, be smart about it, keep writing everything down and we'll both get it figured out soon--you prolly before me...! Next--the stress factor... yeah, that's a killer. I've handled that in one major way, and that is by Meditation. I learned to do Meditation right after I finished high school, and as soon as I did, I wished I'd had it all during High School, cuz that's what got me thru college--and grad school, and... well, and life in general. Whether Yoga, or Zen, or whatever you figure out--there is some good meditation practice for you to learn and to benefit from. I urge you to research and explore that possibility.

Keep me posted on the Levemir switch, and we'll check in soon,
Michael
T1 since 1966

[SugaryOne]

I'm fifteen myself, entering sophomore year. Having been with diabetes at age four, and having my sister diagnosed with severe autism shortly after that, I definitely feel like I'm ahead of my peers.

Other kids that I have talked to at diabetes camp generally have the same thing to say about it.

It's a rough path to finding yourself, but just hang on. You'll discover that soon enough your peers will mature.

[Nejeda]

Nejeda--

At one point in my early teens, my mother commented to me (on my 14th birthday, no less) that I had somehow skipped my adolescence and jumped right to middle age--she said I acted more like 41 than 14, and questioned that maybe I had reversed the numbers in my age by mistake!! (lol--yeah--very funny, mom!) That's what growing up diabetic does to us, and I never saw it as something "wrong" with me. Yeah--I DID grow up fast. Yeah--I was way more mature than my peers, more serious and more responsible. I had life-and-death decisions to make several times every day while other kids my age were deciding which socks to wear... That's our fate, and I believe all of that helped me to become the person I am today--growing up diabetic certainly shaped my personality. I did manage to get my adolesence back--I became a High School teacher and have stayed with teens for the past 30 years! I also have my own kids--my youngest is just your age--and he's also counting! (haha--so am I!) But the demands of our disease at a young age makes us strong, self-disciplined, self-reliant and empathetic--and maybe somewhat stubborn too. Sound familiar? LOL! How about obsessively organized and compulsively neat...? Optional traits for our peers, survival tactics for us.

AND--at some point you will find it all coming together into a "self" which is smarter, more grateful, more confident and happier than your peers--and then you'll no longer feel apart from them, but only pity their lack of direction and motivation. You have been given a gift, and now it's up to you to open it with the care and thankfulness it deserves. You have all the tools you need, and you are becoming the best "YOU" that you can--it'll just take a while for the rest of them to catch up with you. Look at it this way--you got a head start!

I also JUST (3 days ago!) switched from Lantus to Levimir, and it's taking me a while to get my feet back on the ground and my sugars at all stable. Stick with it, be smart about it, keep writing everything down and we'll both get it figured out soon--you prolly before me...! Next--the stress factor... yeah, that's a killer. I've handled that in one major way, and that is by Meditation. I learned to do Meditation right after I finished high school, and as soon as I did, I wished I'd had it all during High School, cuz that's what got me thru college--and grad school, and... well, and life in general. Whether Yoga, or Zen, or whatever you figure out--there is some good meditation practice for you to learn and to benefit from. I urge you to research and explore that possibility.

Keep me posted on the Levemir switch, and we'll check in soon,
Michael
T1 since 1966


You know those really corny parts of bad movies where the main characters finally realize something they should have a while back in the movie, and the heavens open up and there is a chorus of angels singing? Yeah... that kind of happened here. :hmmmm:

I know people understand what I'm talking about, but you hit it on the head! And your advice helped.

I found with the levemir that my sugars kept dropping, and they would stay low, so I had to back off on the amount. My doctor had me on 100 units of Lantus, and now I'm on 70 units of Levemir... is that odd?

[Nejeda]

I'm fifteen myself, entering sophomore year. Having been with diabetes at age four, and having my sister diagnosed with severe autism shortly after that, I definitely feel like I'm ahead of my peers.

Other kids that I have talked to at diabetes camp generally have the same thing to say about it.

It's a rough path to finding yourself, but just hang on. You'll discover that soon enough your peers will mature.


What's diabetes camp like? I was never given the chance to go...

[Mick]

Nejeda--

100U of lantus??!!?? 70U of Levemir??!!?? These are hugely disproportionate amounts of insulin. There is a very well-known formula, based on body weight, for figuring insulin dosage for type 1s, and when I plug in your 70U of Levemir (never mind the 100U Lantus), I get an answer that tells me either you weigh in at about 430 lbs OR you are extraordinarily insulin resistant (or both--many 430-pounders would become insulin resistant fairly quickly). OR--even worse--your doctor just has so totally messed up your dose, and has NO idea what he's doing... well, that possibility is too frightening to think about... Just for an example of this formula--I weigh 138 lbs (give or take). For kilograns, divide by 2.2 = 63 kg. Multiply that by .5 = 32, which SHOULD be approximately your TOTAL DAILY DOSE, basal PLUS boluses. Depending on what you eat, something between half and three-quarters of that total will be for basal, and the remainder in bolus. Half of 32 = 16, which is exactly my Levemir dose. My mealtime boluses run about 3U at breakfast, 2U at lunch and 11U at dinner = 16U total bolus. Although this formula is not perfect, it can be a fairly accurate predictor of proper insulin dosage IF you have normal insulin sensitivity. I am in grave doubt that your dosing could possibly be even in the ballpark of correct. I know extremely overweight, extremely insulin-resistant type 2s who do not need quite that much insulin. Your roller-coaster readings might be an indication that your dosage is incorrect. If your correction and bolus ratios are more in the 'normal' range (1U to lower your glucose by 50mg/dl, 1U to metabolize 15gr. carbohydrates), and they seem to work as expected, this would be a strong indication that you do, in fact, have a normal sensitivity to insulin--which leaves your massive basal dose unexplainable.

Look CAREFULLY at what I have told you and PLEASE get back to me on this.
Michael

[sugarfree76]

I try to live by the philosophy ''You don't know jack until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes''

I'll share a story:

When I was first diagnosed in 6th grade, I felt sorry for myself for the first few days. I lay in the hospital bed in the pediatric ward (my mom thought being around others my own age would help). Well, I had a room all by myself.
To pass time, I counted the owls on the wallpaper. There were 714 of them. I also watched Larry King Live because nothing else was on.
At night, I would hear cries from down the hallway. The nurse told me that there was a girl down the hall that was in pain. I wanted to see her, so the nurse wheeled her down to my room, to visit. This poor little girl was in an accident that took her arm and her eye. She was in SO MUCH pain. I NEVER complained from that day forward. I will NEVER forget her face...EVER!
Everyone has it bad. Some have it even worse.
I say STFU and play the game of life. We all have our own crosses to bear! :boxing:

-Michael

[Tim_Roy]

Yeah. When I was diagnosed, the kid in the bed next to mine had cancer. So while I sometimes fought with the nurses about the shot, I didn't get too down in the dumps about my problem. I was vaguely aware that my new friend Chucky might not have all that long to live...

Diabetic camp would have been a good thing. You could probably go to Clara Barton (in Mass near Camp Joslin) or find another camp much closer to you. Some of 'em are co-ed. ;) But seriously, it's a good idea to meet some diabetics your own age. I had loads of fun at Camp Joslin when I was a kid, and they actually got my sugar under better control than I had at home.

And if you enjoy it, you can check into their CIT programs and maybe end up with a nice summer job throughout college. Diabetic camps are LOOKING for mature diabetic young adults like yourself to take care of the next batch of brats, ya know?

Here's a list of diabetic camps in Pennsylvania. (http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/camps/d_07_1pa.htm) I don't have to tell you how to find camps in NY or OH if that's closer to you. Good luck!

[SugaryOne]

What's diabetes camp like? I was never given the chance to go...
It's fun, I've been going to the same one for about 9 years now. It's usually a week in the summer where you get to integrate with other kids your age with diabetes. At the camp, everyone is "normal" and "test and shots" don't get a second thought.

It's fun just to go and experience "being normal" for once.

[Nejeda]

Normalacy... that has such a different meaning now.

[Tim_Roy]

The lengths of sessions vary between and within camps.

I recall Joslin having two and three week sessions. For some odd reason my Mom wanted me there for as long as possible. A little vacation for her, perhaps.