Another newbie

[Bsbllmom]

Hi everyone, I stumbled across this sight trying to find info to help my son. He just turned 11 yesterday and was diagnosed with Type 1 last Thursday. It was the most devestating news I have ever received.:( I am hoping to find info and support and it looks like I found the right place.

[KickStart101]

Hi There: It's Nice to meet you. :) Yes, I can
certainly understand your devastation. How is
your Son taking it? Not good I suppose. Well,
you are in a Good place with lots of knowledgeable
and caring People. Just take your time. There is
a lot to learn and understand. I'm sure that you
and your Son will do just Fine in getting his disease
under control so he'll be the Master.
Welcome. :hello:


There are quite a few Parents as members here also.
Since your Son is 11 he and you may want to visit
the other wonderful forum:

children with DIABETES Online Community (http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com)

[HiImDan]

http://bestsmileys.com/waving/3.gif

[Type1Mum]

Hi - my son was 11 when he was diagnosed last May. I can still recall the exact moment and the first realisation of what lay ahead when the endo registrar at the hospital said "well, I can tell you what his regimen will be, he'll start on 4 injections of insulin a day" - I though &^%&^$#*^**.

The sadness crept in a few days after, I'd spontaneously cry at the thought that my once perfectly healthy and fit boy was now going to be subject to a life without spontaneity - I was so *&%ed-off.

10 months or so down the track I can say that life has gone on pretty well where it left off in May last year. Yes, it took me ages to actually let myself sleep through the night, and yeah - I still worry constantly about the future. But this dreaded disease has not stopped Jack from doing one thing. He has been on 2 five day camps with school, he plays about 6 different sports and plays in the school band. He is fit, active and healthy. He has grown 13cm (about 5inches) and put on about 10kilos (22pounds approx). Prior to diagnosis he had lost about 7 kilos.

Take your time, but you'll find that making sure the school is on-board with his requirements and it supportive will be the most important thing in getting him back to feeling "normal" again. Get an educator in there if you can to train the teachers up - we were able to do that here and found it really useful. It also made the teachers feel more comfortable about everything.

Jack also started on an insulin pump in August - he loves it because it means he doesn't need to go down to the sick bay at school in order to inject himself at lunch time. He can check his blood glucose and plug it into the pump while he hangs out with the other kids. That's been great for us as a family too, allowing us to be a little more flexible with when and what we eat.

Good luck with the next few weeks and feel free to contact me via private message. Take care and try and get some rest when you can. It is mentally and physically exhausting - but it does get better.

[right2fight]

Hi and welcome. I too am a parent of a now 13 year old son, dx'd at 7. Type I Mum has pretty much hit it on the head, good advice. This forum is great in that the majority are not parents but have actually lived with diabetes for a very long time. I didn't find any message boards for a long time, instead I read anything D related I could get my hands on and spent a lot of time with school issues. It's funny I was just thinking how it's just part of life these days. Feel free to ask ?, you will receive many ideas. Good luck, Margaret

[2high]

Hiya, and Welcome.

Your son will be fine. Honestly, he is probably coping better with his diagnosis than you are. I was diagnosed at 8, and I'm sure it was easier on me than it was on the mentals, especially when it came to the needles and finger pricks... probably cuz for every finger prick I had, mum had to have one too... it was my rule :T

This is the best possible place for support and information. There are some truly wonderful people on here, D's, parents, and S-Os... and all of them are friendly, helpful, caring people.

Feel free to rant, ask, discuss, joke, chat, whatever... Its what your new "family" is here for.

Kit.

[princesslinda]

Welcome. I'm so sorry you and your family are having to deal with all this. It's devestating news at any age, but i'm sure it's esp. hard as a child.

However, you'll find SO MUCH encouragement and good advice on this site. We have so many adults who've managed T1 since childhood and they can probably give you so many pointers for dealing with all the new things you'll need to know. Hang in there!
Linda

[kgm0612]

Welcome to the forum. Nice people and a ton of information to be found here.

Karen

[MJM]

Hi Bsbllmom,
Welcome to the Forums. I was 13 when diagnosed. That was 48 years ago. I played lots and lots of sport, as I had before diagnosis. The one thing I did stick to was my diet. Ok. I let go a few times, but generally I was very strict with myself in that regard. I've had some problems also but I'm still involved in lots of activities and enjoy them all.
There is nothing really to be upset over as your son can carry on life without too much of a change. Ok there are possible complications that may arise in the future, but the better he can maintain good control the fewer the problems that will arise.
As someone else mentioned, it probably affects you more than it does him. There will be a change in his lifestyle as he will have to do all the healthy things that everyone should be doing anyway whether diabetic or not.
If he sticks to his good lifestyle he will enjoy life pretty well. Good food, pleanty of exercise, few problems.
In Diabetes Forums you will get nearly all the information you require to help you help your son. Get him to view the site as well.
There is a section for young people with diabetes. I wish you well.

[ProudMOM]

Welcome to this forum. I am also a parent. My son was diagnosed almost 3 years ago at age 13. He is now pumping and doing well. I remembered how overwhelmed we were when diagnosed. But it will get easier with time. This is a wonderful place to ask questions and gain knowledge from people with lots of experience. I have learned so much here.
Again welcome to this community!

[HollyB]

Hi, just wanted to add my welcome. My son Aaron was diagnosed a year and a half ago at age 13.

Like everyone said, it's a devastating thing to hear and it's only natural that you will feel completely sidewalloped for a while. But it's amazing how quickly the kids manage to pick up with their life where they left off and get on with it. We all spend a lot of time managing Aaron's diabetes -- especially him -- but he really "gets" that the key to being able to do what he wants to do with his life lies in keeping on top of his blood sugar. I can honestly say he is a happy, busy, normal teenager and that most of the time he seems to see the diabetes as a constant, and sometimes irritating, chore, rather than a great depressing burden. (Of course there are other days when we all hate it, when his numbers are screwy and he's frustrated and I'm worried, or I wake up in the night and get this bolt of motherly terror, but mostly life is good.)

The children with diabetes website is great for connecting with other parents -- but as a parent I get something different from this forum. It's like a little window into my kid's future, and when I read the posts from these smart, active, interesting people who are living with diabetes, I feel like he'll be just fine. (so thanks to you all!)

Anyhow, just wanted to send my encouragement. Hang in there -- it's a rough ride the first few weeks but it does get a little easier.

[right2fight]

Holly, I get that same feeling here. Somehow I feel safe because many of the members here were diagnosed as children and are now middle aged with not many complaints. They are an inspiration and my reason to believe while we climb hurdles to manage our childrens #'s to achieve good control, they prove it works!
Thanks, Margaret

[am1977]

I'm sure that was rough news to take... it's incredibly hard to watch anyone have to deal with an illness like this one. but as you can see, he is FAR from alone... and you aren't alone either. There are plenty who can relate to you and your son's situation.

I can't lie, it's not an easy disease to live with, but your son can still have a long, healthy, and happy life... :)

Please do drop in anytime- we're here or you

[ladytaz]

Hi Bsbllmom :wavey: Welcome to DF!

[ClaireZk]

Hi Bsbllmom.
I was 9 when I was diagnosed (I'm 25 now). My mom was devastated too, more so than me. It's always been really hard for us to talk about diabetes. She blames herself that I have it and I've blamed myself for making her sad, so the whole thing is kind of funny, because it's nobody's fault.

Hopefully things will be different for you, because you have a boy. But just don't be hard on yourself. I wish someone would have told my mother this... it would have saved her so much grief. Just try to stay strong for his sake. If he sees that you're okay with it, he will be too. I think the fact that your here is wonderful and it shows how much you care for your son!

Good luck and keep us posted on his progress! :)