newly diagnosed

[Alley's mom]

:confused:

My daughter Allison(5 yrs old) was just diagnosed last week. Its really scary and overwelming. I'm on information overload. I feel like I'm prepping for a medical exam. I'm trying not to cry around her, I don't want her any more scared than she already is. (I'm suppose to be the strong one, right?)
Does it get easier? How do you sort through all the ifo. and put it together to help you child? I feel very unsure in myself right now in what I'm suppose to be doing. Any suggestion would be appreciated. How do you get your child to except the pricks and shots without being terrorized?

:confused:

[Kaylee's Mommy]

HI and welcome, I'm sorry you had to join us.. this is a terrific place to be though!! Loads of information..

yes, it will and it does get easier.. it will eventually become the new 'normal' for your house... the beginning is hard, very hard, it does feel like an information overload..

how old is your daughter?

[Heather(CA)]

HI and welcome to the forums, sorry you had to join our club, but you came to the right place:cwds: I PROMISE, it does get easier, at a year you will feel like a Pro;) Just take it one day at a time, know there will be highs and lows, that's part of it. They just don't stay in range all the time no matter how good you are. How old is Ally? What type of insulin is she on?:cwds:

[Christopher]

The first thing I will say is that it DOES get better! The begining is very tough and you are experiencing a ton of emotions. Fear, anger, denial, and a bunch more. One thing to remember is to take it one day, even one meal at a time. You will become more confident in your abilities to deal with this as time goes on. There are several books you should read:

#1 The "bible" of childhood diabetes, "Understanding Diabetes" (aka The Pink Panther book) by Dr. Peter Chase of the Barbara Davis Center at the University of Colorado. The entire text is available FREE online at
http://www.uchsc.edu/misc/diabetes/ud11.html
or you can order a copy of the book for $25 at that site.

#2 Sweet Kids: How to Balance Diabetes Control & Good Nutrition with Family Peace, Second Edition by Betty Page Brackenridge, MS, RD, CDE & Richard R. Rubin, PhD, CDE. Published by the American Diabetes Association, 2002. 250 pages. Softcover. US$16.95. ISBN 1580401244.Brackenridge and Rubin provide exceptionally good and detailed advice for managing what is perhaps the most important part of your child's diabetes care: diet. How many of you parents of kids with diabetes have struggled at meal time? Probably all of you. The authors' advice is simple: adjust your child's insulin to cover their dietary intake, not the other way around. This is exactly opposite from what many parents are taught, but makes considerable sense. There's so much outstanding advice and guidance in this book that a review can hardly do it justice. - review by CWD webmaster Jeff Hitchcock

#3 Type 1 Diabetes: A Guide for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults -- and Their Caregivers by Ragnar Hanas, M.D. Published by Marlowe & Company, New York, 2005. ISBN 1-56924-396-4. US$34.95.
In the third edition of his excellent diabetes text book, Dr. Ragnar Hanas offers the most comprehensive book about type 1 diabetes, and one of the best. This book is updated to include pump therapy, continuous sensing, extensive coverage of social issues, and the latest in research. Each topic is presented in an easy-to-read style, with excellent and helpful drawings and charts. Even if you own the first edition and second editions, Type 1 Diabetes: A Guide for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults -- and Their Caregivers will make an excellent addition to your diabetes management library. Highly recommended. – review by webmaster Jeff Hitchcock (who also wrote an intro to this edition)



I am sorry you have to be here but this site is a great place for information, support or just to vent your feelings. I don't know how old your daughter is but from my experience it was very tough with the shots in the begining and you just need to try and remain calm and matter of fact about it. You can use an ice cube to numb the area. Always give hugs and kisses after it is done. I could probably say a lot of other things but I am sure many others will chime in. Hang in there and know that we have all been where you are and are here to help you make it through this.

[Alley's mom]

Sorry, forgot to mention Alley's age (new at this, never joined a online forum) She just turned 5 on 2/01. Her current treatment is Carb counting diet,(using carb/insulin ratio) check blood before meals, insulin (Novolog) after meals and Lantus at bedtime, follwed by a 2am blood check.
Thanks again for the support and suggestions.

Billie Jo

[Lee]

I am so sorry to hear about your daughters diagnosis...and I completely remember that overwhelmed feeling ~ but it does become a way of life, you and your family will adjust, your child will become used to the shots, and it will get to the point that you are checking her in her sleep without a peep from her!

Get a good bag and a notebook and keep a log in it of blood sugar, and carbs, and dosing.

In your bag, besides the meter and the insulin and supplies keep some other stuff:
alcohol swabs
emergency glucagon
spare pen
measuring cup (Wal Mart and Linens and Things sell collapsible ones)
gel frosting tube
glucose tabs
back up supplies
and the most important book of all : Calorie King!!! It is small and cheap and buy a spare if you can.

It is much easier having stuff in one spot.

Here is the stuff that I have in her notebook that is so helpful (Let me know if you would like them - they are in Word)
Time to wait between the shot and meals:
http://www.holdthatpic.com/photos/3167/33144.jpg (http://www.holdthatpic.com/)

Logs (I have these two per page and in a small, 1/2 size notebook)
http://www.holdthatpic.com/photos/3167/33146.jpg (http://www.holdthatpic.com/)

Dosage Info:
http://www.holdthatpic.com/photos/3167/33147.jpg (http://www.holdthatpic.com/)

Emergency Directions:
http://www.holdthatpic.com/photos/3167/33148.jpg (http://www.holdthatpic.com/)

PLEASE NOTE!!!! These are per our Endo's orders, so please follow your endo's advice in the care of your daughter! I am offering up here for a suggestion on what helps my family!

[Sari]

Hi Billie Jo

Yes, it does get easier. We all think that in the beginning it is teh hardest thing, and it is. But as Kaylee's mom said, it will become a new normal.

I cried for 2 weeks after my son Ross was diagnosed at 22 months. That will be 2 years on the 22nd! If you ever met him, he is the happiest kid in the world. Diabetes doesn't phase him.

Good luck to you. You will find a lot of info on this website, sometimes too much! :rolleyes:

[Burlew]

I'm glad you found this forum...and sorry you have to be here at the same time. It will get easier. Noah was dx last month. Everything is very overwhelming and scary...but in time you start to get the hang of it. I noticed with Noah that the shots and pokes became easier for him the second week in. He started feeling better and was thankful for that. This forum is great because there are a ton of helpful parents ready to try and answer your questions or just to let you know you are not alone at the drop of a hat. Never be afraid to ask question.

Hang in there!!!

(((Hugs to you and your family)))

[Momof4gr8kids]

Hi and welcome!
So sorry though that you have the need for a diabetes board.

Diabetes management is best done very matter of factly. It reduces fear and takes emotion out of that moment. It's always helpful to discuss the emotional side when you are not about to give an injection or check bg until you get past that "bump".

It's very common to go through a range of emotions that compare with the grieving stages after the death of a loved one. It's also common to feel overwhelmed by the massive amount of new info you need to know. Take it one thing at a time, and don't jump in too fast... You'll be ok. It does get easier as you find a new normal.

[Christopher]

Sorry, forgot to mention Alley's age (new at this, never joined a online forum) She just turned 5 on 2/01. Her current treatment is Carb counting diet,(using carb/insulin ratio) check blood before meals, insulin (Novolog) after meals and Lantus at bedtime, follwed by a 2am blood check.
Thanks again for the support and suggestions.

Billie Jo

How does she handle the shots so far? One trick is to take a stuffed animal and say "OK Alley, time for your medicine, but first Fluffy is going to get hers" and give Fluffy a pretend shot. And then OK, now time for Alley to get hers. Eventually you can even let Alley give "Fluffy" the medicine using a syringe with the needle taken off. Just a thought.

As for the finger sticks, remember to use the sides of the fingers, not the pads. But be careful to stay clear of the nail beds. Also, rotate fingers as much as you can. Same with the injection sites, rotate those as well.

There are some welcome kits that you can get from the ADA and even this site that are helpful too. But I don't want to overwhelm you with too much stuff right now. There is no hurry, take one day at a time and it will be OK.

[Rick]

Becky,
Where did you get the “Time to wait between insulin and eating” guidelines?

[Heather(CA)]

Becky, please don't take this the wrong way, I just don't think it's a good idea for her to wait to eat for 2 reasons. First, she's probably honeymooning, Seth had a 37 while he was eating during the honeymoon phase:eek: Second, a five year old wont be happy with having to wait, and they aren't old enough to understand why. It will just make them hate D even more...JMO:cwds:

Also, anything under an 80 at that age is considered a low, and should be treated before eating, at least until their out of honeymoon and the parents get a better handle what their doing...

[Lee]

Rick - I got the time to wait from our Endo's office last year. It is more stringent then our original one, but helps tremendously for spikes! This is one of our Endo's big pushing points - the pre-bolusing.

Heather - you are right! I usually say fill it in with your info and I forgot. I am going to go edit that post now!:eek:

[hawkeyegirl]

Welcome. I'm sorry you had to be here, but glad that you found us. We were just diagnosed 3 months ago, but it seems like it's been a lifetime. One of the good things about D (good being a relative term) is that it's so intense and so constant that you'll feel like an expert very quickly. You might not think that right now, but literally a month into it, I knew how my son would react to dosage changes better than his doctor did.

As for the shots and finger pokes, at the beginning, I let my son choose where he wanted them. That ended quickly, however, as he always chose the same places! Now I have a system. For shots, he gets them as follows: breakfast - left thigh; lunch - right arm (odd dates) left arm (even dates); supper - right thigh; lantus - right butt cheek (odd dates) left butt cheek (even dates). That works well for us, because different places have different rates of absorbtion. By giving shots in the same places at the same time each day, we don't really have to take absorbtion rate into account.

For fingers, I do my best to rotate them best I can. He got used to the finger pokes pretty quickly, but shots can still be a struggle. My best advice to you is to be as matter of fact as you can and just get it done. You'll be surprised how quickly you'll learn to inject a squirming child!

It is so very hard at the beginning, but it does get better. It's never easy, but it quickly becomes a way of life. Good luck, and please post any questions you have. I've asked some pretty silly ones in my time here, and everyone has responded with incredible good humor and patience!

[Heather(CA)]

Rick - I got the time to wait from our Endo's office last year. It is more stringent then our original one, but helps tremendously for spikes! This is one of our Endo's big pushing points - the pre-bolusing.

Heather - you are right! I usually say fill it in with your info and I forgot. I am going to go edit that post now!:eek:

Whew, thanks for not being mad at me:D

[Lee]

Whew, thanks for not being mad at me:D

I'll never be mad at you - especially when you are right!

[shirley83006]

welcome to the forum here. when my daughter was 7 she was diagnosed and it has been alittle over a year now. and yes we were given so much information at the beginning and at that particular time you are just in a shock and you are not given time to except this. and it was very overwhelming for us. but have ajusted. it will get better. but you will at times have your moments and your child will. and there may be some obstacles down the road. i found this forum very helpfull. you will too. it has helped me in many ways. especially when things are tough it is good to just write them down. and people are there for you. you are not alone. hang in there.

[Abby-Dabby-Doo]

I'm sorry you had to join us, but so glad you found this forum so quickly. This place is a wealth of information, parents here really care, and it's a place where you can vent that others understand.
It's a lot of information to process, and I too remember being on information overload with tears welling up in my eyes. Know that it will get easier.
I suggest you get yourself a notebook, to write stuff in, we can't possibly remember it all in the beginning. It's nice to take back and forth with questions for the Endo, CDE, or dietitians, the next time you visit (I still do it).
REMEMBER: No question is EVER stupid on this forum! So ask away...

Here is a couple of links to help you out. To read at your leisure, when your ready.
http://forums.childrenwithdiabetes.com/showthread.php?t=8391

http://forums.childrenwithdiabetes.com/showthread.php?t=8399

[czardoust]

Hi. Yeh, it gets easier, with lots of encouragement and love and support from family and friends, and lots of re-evaluating life. This place is wonderful to find the love and encouragement and support, at all times even 3 am,lol. Plus theres a chatroom. And I have to say to Lee. THANK YOU for the post you made, I just copied the images. ;)

Katerina was 3 when she was dx'ed. Your daughter getting shots and fingers pricked, will soon accept them. When she figures out that when she gets the shots and finger sticks, she feels happy and spunky, healthy and vivrant. And when she doesnt get them, she feels like blah and sick and terrible. You can try to talk to her about it on this level. And be honest, tell her you dont like doing this, it hurts you too, but this is what we have to do now because you need this (and show her the novolog) because a part of your body called the pancreas no longer works, and make sure she knows its not her fault. she's 5, she may go there.... offer her some crayons and paper and see if she wants to make a picture of what its like to have diabetes. she can get her emotions out, if your crying in secret she is holding onto some major emotions too.

[MamaC]

Billie Jo,

Welcome, and sorry for the reason.

You have been given a world of great advice here, and I want to expand on one thing - keep track of all the "little victories" and feel free to record them here. You will get a great resounding virtual standing ovation from all of us who share the ride.

Becky

[Treysmom]

I just wanted to say WELCOME !! There is lots to learn. Take your time reading old post here. Remember to take care of yourself. !!!

[Hollyb]

Wanted to add my welcome. I remember that feeling so well, even though my son was a lot older when diagnosed. I held it together really well (usually) at the hospital, and whenever I was home (my husband and I traded shifts) I lost it.

But you can do this. You don't have to learn everything right away (though you do need to learn pretty fast). Your family will start to feel normal again, and your daughter will probably lead the way. Good luck to you all!

[hold48398]

Hi Billie Joe,
I just wanted to say that I am sorry you had to join us here. :( We are almost 3 1/2 yrs into dx. I remember being so scared coming home from the hospital, and those first few days were really overwhelming. And I am not a person who is overwhelmed quickly!! I tried to read some books and learn as much as I could through trial and error, mostly, but I wasn't as fortunate as you are: I didn't find this site until well over a year into dx! Now I can't imagine NOT coming here for information, knowledge, advice and support. The community of parents here truly understand all your emotions and feelings, and everyone is so supportive of eachother. And chances are someone has already gone through what you are going through and can be here for you to offer some of their knowledge that they have gained along the way!

As for us, we have learned to accept our new lives. We have to fit D into our daily schedule but we no longer schedule our day around D! You too will get there. Keep believing. Take one day at a time! Establish a good rapport with your endo. Ask lots of questions. Read a lot. By the way, you are on a good (modern) insulin therapy. We were on Lantus/Novolog with great results for over a year before moving the only next better thing (in my opinion of course): The insulin pump. The pump has probably been the ONE thing that brought the word "normal" back into our lives.

Anyways, hang in there. Hug your daughter a lot. And be hugged! You can do this, and you will do this. We are here for you.

[Mama Belle]

Hi there! Welcome to the board. Sorry you had a reason to join. :(

Does it get easier? Sort of. Honestly, I think diabetes is a challenge every single day. Each day looks different than the last and that is a challenge whether you are 5 days after diagnosis or 5 years after diagnosis. You won't ever see perfectly flat in range numbers, so don't expect that. A lot of people who have no experience with kids and type 1 will wonder why you deal with swings every day and have never reached what they would consider good control. Just remember that generally those people are completely clueless. Get used to hearing "why aren't her sugars stabilized yet?" Years down the road you'll still have yahoos trying to convince you that a raw diet can cure your daughter or asking you why she hasn't outgrown it yet. That stuff is always a pain in the rear. So in that respect, no, it doesn't really get easier.

But, and this is a huge but, you learn to cope and as others have said you learn to live with this new sense of normalcy. So in that respect things are easier. You get used to carb counting, it becomes second nature. Your child will probably get really good at adding large numbers in her head, because she will be required to do so every single time she has a meal. She'll probably eat healthier than most of her peers also. Testing will definitely get easier, as will shots. The best advice my doctor ever gave us was to not stall at testing or shot time. You can take all the time in the world after the shot or test to console your child, hug her, kiss her, thank her for testing. But allowing a long build up before testing or shots will only make her try that much harder to draw the process out even longer. You want these things to be quick, over and done with in seconds. So while the suggestions of giving the stuffed animal the shot may be a good idea, I would recommend letting her do it after her shot and not before.

Another good thing is to maybe let your daughter have a small treat after she tests. A sticker, temporary tattoo, a pencil, or even an M&M (the one carb is probably worth it).

One last thing. It is okay to let your daughter see you cry about this. Granted, you don't want to completely fall to pieces and you don't want to be upset all the time. But, I think a lot of times our kids think that maybe we don't feel the same kinds of emotions that they feel about this (sadness, anger, overwhelm, frustration) and that makes them feel like they are the only one affected by the diagnosis. As long as you explain to her why you are upset and make sure that she understands that she isn't the cause of your upset, it may not be such a bad idea for her to see that she isn't alone in feeling badly about diabetes.

Finally, this place is a great resource. Ask lots of questions, you'll definitely get lots of responses! Everyone here is very knowledgeable and supportive. Make sure and get some rest and make time for yourself in all of this chaos. :cwds: Best wishes to you & your family.

[Judy&Alli]

Hi,
I started to cry when I read that you cried. It brought it all back. That fresh pain of diagnosis. I'm so sorry for you and your family! Things will definitely get easier, I promise! You will still have moments of tears but they pass quicker. Once you watch how amazing your child is and how quickly they adjust your emotions will change to an enormous sense of pride! My dd is my hero every day. I am constantly amazed at her maturity. I can't wait to see how wonderfully she turns out!!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless!
Judy

[twodoor2]

Welcome to CWD, and I'm sorry you had to join, but there is a plethora of information here. I'm curious as to what type of insulin regimen they have your child on.

. . . and yes, it does get easier, and it does get routine. The insulins and technology have come a long way, and there are new technologies on the horizon.

[Jenna'sMom]

Welcome to the forum! I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but if you haven't received a Bag of Hope from JDRF, go to their website and look for your local/state rep to request one. Jenna was so excited to get hers in the mail!

Good luck! It does get easier, even if there are sure to be bumps in the road ahead.

[cam's mom]

Hi,
Tomorrow will be two weeks since Cameron received his diagnosis. It has been a very long two weeks. This forum has been very helpful as well as reading Ragnar Hanas book on Type 1 Diabetes. We are all struggling with this, and it breaks my heart. The first week he was just sad and clingy, this week he is angry and defiant. The BG are up and down, and then add hormones to the mix and we are on a constant roller coaster.
The best part about all this is knowing that we are not alone, that so many are willing to listen and support.
Best of luck.

[hawkeyegirl]

The best part about all this is knowing that we are not alone, that so many are willing to listen and support.
Best of luck.

Isn't that the truth? It was such a relief to come here after diagnosis and know that I didn't have to explain my feelings. And I didn't have to hear people say, "It could be worse." Duh! Of course it could be worse, but it could be a heck of a lot better!

Sometimes I feel like this is the only place where people really understand the way I feel.

[Alley's mom]

I just want to thank everyone for all the support and suggestions. I think this forum is going to help me out a lot. It's one thing to have the support of your spouse and family, but sometimes you need an "outsiders" point of view, exspecially if they have already been ther. THANKS AGAIN!!

Billie Jo:)