i was wondering if there was any1 who i could talk 2 about diabetes as my 4 year old daughter was diagnosed in march with type 1 diabetes and it feels like we are on a rollercoaster with all the highs and lows.

I'm an "IDD" (insulin dependent diabetic).

There is an organisation you can contact who can offer good advice and support, diabetes uk (formerly the BDA- british diabetic assoc) My mate is the vice chair of the Sheffield "chapter".

Their website can give you help, too.

Yes, it takes a lot of adjusting to, at first, but, honestly, if your daughter's diabetes is contolled well, she should not have many problems, in regard to her health.


PT

plain talker, u mentioned they was a group in sheffield where can i contacted them and do they have a group what meets up occasionally many thanks louise

I dont, I just thought that might narrow it down a bit...

Louise,

The Sheffield branch of Diabetes uk, meets once a month, at Saint Maries Cathedral church hall, in the city centre (Next door to the GT News shop on Norfolk Row, off Fargate)

I don't have the details to hand for the local contacts, and the dates of the meetings (it's something like the third Thursday in the month, I think, but don't quote me on that!)

I can get the contacts for you, or, it might be easier if you could phone the diabetes centre, at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, and they could give you the information you need.

(Also there is an organisation called "contact a family" who can provide contacts with other parents who have children with conditions or disabilities of various kinds, who can offer support. it might be worth your while gettingin touch with them, too.)

As you have computer access, diabetes uk do a website, where you can get information about manging diabetes in kiddies.
hope this helps

PT

thanks pt u have been such great help least i feel im now getting sumwhere as the childrens hospital r no help great nurses but 2 b shown how to inject insulin once then sent home was no help 2 me at all as at the end of the day my daughters life is now in my hands as she is too young 2 tell me if she's feel ok so at the moment its trial and error 2 c if she having a hypo but now i feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel many thanks again louise:thumbsup:

I know it's not pleasant to have to give your child the insulin jabs, and do the finger-pricking tests , but they are essential. And yes it's a big responsibility. but unfortunately, (as hard as this sounds) it's something that you will have to "bite the bullet" over, until your daughter is old enough to take on the responsibility of giving herself her jabs.

(she may surprise you, yet:- because it will become such a routine, and natural thing, for her, given how young she is she may become deft at administering her jabs herself, even at the tender age of seven or eight yrs old)

I remember being terribly upset when I was diagnosed as diabetic, and I said to the doctor "But... I don't WANT to be diabetic!" (lol). I was scared to death, because I thought that the needles I would have to inject myself with were as big as the needles that you get your vaccinations with, or the ones they use to draw blood. My fear was unfounded. the needles are much shorter than the vaccination needles, and far, far finer, almost like a hair. they are so fine, you can hardly feel them going into your skin.

You may know if she's going to go "hypo", because she may start to go pale, and clammy, and seem a little bit drunk, or incoherent/ unresponsive. (or she may very like;ly get "ratty" and surly) if you do the checks on her "bm's" (blood sugar levels) two or three times a day you will have a clue in her levels whether she is going too low or too high in her sugars. that is, for the time being at least until she is old enough to articulate fully, how she is feeling, and be able to tell you that she's feeling "funny".

Have you got a "bm" testing machine? you can get some good ones, and you are now able to get the testing strips etc on prescription. Some of the finger pricking devices are better than thers, for taking the spot of blood more painlessly than others (Indeed you can even get a device like a watch , now which doesn't even have to draw blood to give a reading)

An important thing is to make the minimum of fuss about the jabs and blood tests. if you make a big issue out of it, then your daughter will feel it's something to raide a fuss about. if she is anxious, it will make her reluctant to comply with the treatment. it may also make her "anticipate" that the jab will be painful (when it isn't) and she will become scared.


did the nurse get you to practice giving yourself a jab, with a clean needle? my husband had to, so he could help me have my jabs, and know how to give it correctly. he was terrified, at first, but he got used to it.

PT

we got an advantage meter 4 testing bm and aeryn (my daughter) and i make a game out of it i do the pricking and she puts her blood on the strip and she tells me her reading which seems 2 take her mind of it and she got ruby the diabetic teddy and she pretends to adminster insulin to when she having her insulin the part about been unsteady on her feet is abit of a issue as she got cerebral palsy as well which affected her stability so she wobbling on her feet most of the time and the hospital didnt get me to adminster on my self only showed me once then watched me adminstered aeryn at teatime then sent us home with a follow up appointment for wednesday and we got sent home on easter sunday as all the diabetic was off for the easter break