My five year old was just diagnosed with Type 1 and I'm terrified
Hello,
So glad to have found this thread and wonder is it for type 1 or type 2 Diabetics?
Here is my story: I am a stay at home mom and last week noticed my five year old little girl having to pee a lot and drink constantly. She also lost some weight so I put two and two together and figured something was wrong. We took her to the doc where they did a urine test and her BS was so high they couldn't even detect it so they did a blood test. The moment the doc came in I knew and literally my world was crushed. I was terrified for her. We went to the ER and they got her into a unit about 7 hours later and then we stayed for about two days in the Hospital. Yesterday was our first day home.
I don't really want anyone to know, I don't want to talk about it. I have to be strong for her but I just feel like I want to sit down and cry for a week and get it all out. Not an option, I know she picks up on everything!
I know this is not a death sentence and it could be worse, but I am in a state of shock and despair. I have to re-learn how to cook, how to feed her and the worst part is the constant pricking and shots.
We are all big into snacks and now that has to end. I love to bake and for now I don't even think I ever want to bake again. All the calculating isn't worth it.
Although I would love to buy pre-packaged for cause all the work is done for you I know its not healthy. This will be hard.
I also have a 3 year old son and my heart brakes for him cause his world has turned upside down. He has been crying and acting out pretty much since we found out. I feel so torn.
The only good thing I can say is that I am educated enough in the nutrition part to understand the carb thing.
When she goes to school on Thursday I think the stress will kill me. I worry so much. I don't know what to do. I have no family here and no friends, but my mom is flying in from overseas to help me. My husband is taking it really badly, he cries constantly. God, this is hard.
I have so many questions, I feel lost.
You are just in shock. It will all work out, millions of children are diagnosed with type I everyday. She will learn very young about her diet and meds. This is called "LIFE" and when you get over the shock you will realize, so much worse could have happened. Look at 'Yankeefan" on another thread who lost his 5 yr. old. You have to just make her life as "normal" as possible and not make a big deal about it, so she is not self-conscious about it. And you should talk with others about it, she will be spending time at others houses over the years and to be "aware" is much better than a scare! Thoughts to you and your family.
You can survive this and your daughter will learn that she is not different but that she has a situation that must be taken care of and you can tell her "sometimes other boys and girls have diabetes, even famous athletes and movie stars can have diabetes ". In the meantime learn everything you can, it won't be that difficult to prepare her meals , you can do it, you must do it. And do not keep it a secret . Notify her school and teacher.
Usam, I am so sorry I have two children with type 1 and reading your post really broke my heart. I was on my treadmill and thought my throat was going to close up! If you would like to PM me, feel free, for advice, support or just to vent. Don't know if you have looked around on the web, but childrenwithdiabetes.com is a great site with lots of info and support. I hope she is feeling better and am praying for strength for you and your husband to get through these early days.
I am so sorry this had to happen to you and your daughter. As you say, type one is no longer a death sentence, but it is a chronic "forever" kind of thing. Of course you are in shock. Blessings to you. You will be a great mother for her, and you will learn together. One trick is to go with her to pick out a special teddy or other stuffed toy. (can be one she already has, but only if she prefers). This "teddy" will also have diabetes and get needles too, and has to go through everything she does. This helps lots of young kids.
Also, whatever you do, do not get cheap with supplies. Finger pricks and needles hurt more when dull, and while adults may be willing for trade offs to re-use supplies, we want to avoid that with our kids.
Good luck, and blessings
Thank you to all for responding. Today is day three at home and I have to admit it is getting easier. I am indeed in shock, I have my moments some are better than others. I do know it could be worse, I remember when my sister told me her little one had only hours to live. I know the pain all too well of loosing a dear child you love so much. But this is different and its my reality. I have to say she is dealing with it better than I am! Children are so resilient.
I am going to speak to her teacher today and the school nurse so they know what to do. Although our family knows about her diabetes I am not reary to talk about it. I'm sure in time I will.
We are learning about this one step at a time and we will get through it. I have so much to learn but we have wonderful educators and a great support system at the childrens hospital so I don't feel alone. This support thread is also a life saver so thanks again to all.
My daughter was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic when she was seven years old. She is now thirteen and doing great. I am also a Type 1, so that has helped too because she watched me for years check my blood sugar and give myself shots. One thing we found to be important is to let her be in control of checking her own blood sugar and giving herself shots. We would draw the shots up for her(she now uses kwik pens and can dial the amount of insulin she needs) but then she would be the one to inject it. Your daughter is a little younger than our daughter was when she was diagnosed, so you may have to ease her into it. The more knowledgeable your child is the better off they are. Also, don't feel like you have to hide her diabetes. When my daughter went into the hospital after being diagnosed her classmates made her cards and sent flowers. It really meant a lot to her to know they cared and were thinking of her.
Well, I hope this helps a little. I promise it does get easier.
superchick - I did go to school and spoke to the nurse and asked if she would be kind enough to explain it to her class. The kids are so supportive and sweet it is precious.
My best friend's almost four year old nephew was Dx with Type I about 6 months ago. It was incredibly hard on the family at first, but they're adjusting well.
His mom told me that when they went to a friend's house for a playdate, the other mom tried to explain to her daughter about "his medicine" when he had to take insulin.
He turned and said "it's NOT medicine, it's INSULIN" because his parents did a great job at expressing that he's not sick, just that his body processes things differently.
I saw him check his own blood sugar (though he doesn't know what the numbers mean yet) and he replied "it's good" because that's what his mom does every time, then adjusts his foods (typically he needs more since he runs around so much) to keep his levels up.
This is manageable You will figure out a way to keep normalcy for your child.
So my daughter who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes about a month ago may be celiac. We went to the doc today for her check up and they told us that when we were in the ER they ran some tests which go along with Diabetes testing and one of those is celiac. Apparently she tested positive for abnormal cells in her small intestine. Does that mean she has it? Our doc never said much about it, infact she only mentioned it the last five minutes of our app. and said she would refer us to a GI. I am so mad cause I have so many questions and she never really gave it much attention.
Anyway we have to wait till the 1st of December to have a consultation and then who knows when they do the actual biopsy. Part of me wants to know now and the other part wants to just forget about it and not deal with it.
I know there are tons of gluten free products out there but what I worry about is that they are high in carbs and I have finally mastered the art of having good blood glucose.
To anyone out there do you know much about Type one and celiac?
I seldom link to other forums, but I think you may want to find some online support specific to your needs. There are a LOT of folks out there who have been D1 since they were kids, or who are parents of D1 kids. Please find some support from those who have been there. I frequent both of these boards and find the experienced folks there very helpful and comforting.
My five year old was just diagnosed with Type 1 and I'm terrified
I have two children with type 1 and reading your post really broke my heart. I was on my treadmill and thought my throat was going to close up! If you would like to PM me, feel free, for advice, support or just to vent. Don't know if you have looked around on the web, but childrenwithdiabetes.com is a great site with lots of info and support. I hope she is feeling better and am praying for strength for you and your husband to get through these early days. 
