Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Diabetic teen?

116 replies

FuckingHateRats · 26/12/2022 20:35

Posting in chat for traffic, sorry.

I'm taking him to the doctor's tomorrow, but I'm just hoping someone might be able to share experiences of their own I can compare.

My son (15) is KNACKERED. Falling asleep multiple times a day, really tired and lethargic when up. He's so thirsty - gets up during the night to drink, and probably drinks 3-4lt of water a day. He also feels really ill after big meals - the last two times we've eaten out we've had to leave early because he's felt like his heart is racing, he feels really "overwhelmed" (his words), and he's really spacey.

I've got coeliac disease so I'm going to ask him to be tested for that too, but we also have diabetes in the family. We're so worried about him - I think my husband would drive him up to A&E if I'd let him.

Does anyone have any experience of diabetes in a teen, and did it manifest itself like this?

OP posts:
gogohmm · 26/12/2022 23:29

Go online to the juvenile diabetes charity website for lots of age appropriate information and message boards, I also strongly advise asking for a referral to a local support group or possibly online support group for his age, being with other newly diagnosed teens will help a lot. It's pretty daunting, do make sure you look after yourselves too. But it will be ok

MerryChristmasTree · 26/12/2022 23:37

He’s in the best place, my DC only got diagnosed a month ago so I really know how you’re feeling right now. It’s completely overwhelming. It’s a lot to take in. You’ll be seen really quickly by the diabetic team and they’ll start all the education and training. Firstly they’ll stabilise his sugars.

There is a diabetic part of the board on mn. It’s important that you all know that you can’t prevent type 1 diabetes, it’s just something happens. It’s a shock but you did the right thing by taking him.

Mistlewoeandwhine · 26/12/2022 23:41

I’m glad he’s been taken care of.

My sister is in her forties and has had type one since she was five. She’s in great health and has very controlled blood sugars. She hardly eats any carbs to lower her usage of insulin. She’s had a perfectly normal life so don’t worry about your son. He’ll be fine. Good luck xx.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Children's health Diabetes General health
Lindtnotlint · 26/12/2022 23:53

I was diagnosed at 15. Adult with great job, great family, pretty good health now! It IS ALL GOING TO BE OK. truly. It feels really tough in the early days just because there is a lot of stuff to get your hands round, but it is a totally manageable condition and while very irritating, I often think to myself there but for the grace of god it could all have been some much worse meteorite that could have struck me.

really glad he is in hospital. Try to stay calm and remind him it’s all ok. Don’t obsess too much on his behalf - he is old enough to get his head round it himself (with your support of course)

ProseccoOnIce · 26/12/2022 23:57

Hi OP - he'll probably be admitted to HDU on the DKA protocol- standard practice.

Have a look at Diabetes UK or JDRF websites.

MerryChristmasTree · 27/12/2022 10:07

How is he @FuckingHateRats ?

Bimblesalong · 27/12/2022 10:29

Sending a handhold. How’re you and he doing!

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 27/12/2022 10:43

How is he today?

I have a 15yo ds with Type 1 diabetes. He has a glucose sensor and an insulin pump and sugar tablets in every pocket and he lives his life like any other kid. Got his Bronze DofE this year, and hiked up Scafell Pike in October. Spent Christmas
laying in bed till lunchtime and eating his body-weight in chocolate.

Its a big adjustment and quite a lot of work but it’s not a disaster. Do accept every bit of technology they offer you!

Sunshineismyfriend · 27/12/2022 12:29

I’m so sorry to hear it is type 1. I know how you feel too as was in this position not too long ago. The diagnosis is the worst part and feels so overwhelming. It gets better from then on! There’s a fab Facebook page called parents of children with diabetes. So much info and lots of positive stories to make you feel better. I needed to read those when my little one was diagnosed as I felt so worried and sad. (Still do sometimes).

tiredfriday · 27/12/2022 12:32

One of my children was diagnosed this year and it’s been a steep learning curve but they’re doing fantastically.

All the best OP.

Original poster
FuckingHateRats · 27/12/2022 13:11

Thanks everyone. He's still in HDU. He's just getting his fluid and insulin drip disconnected and then we start the process of managing with insulin shots. Hopefully transferring to a ward tonight.

OP posts:
TheSnugglyDuckling · 27/12/2022 13:24

Mistlewoeandwhine · 26/12/2022 23:41

I’m glad he’s been taken care of.

My sister is in her forties and has had type one since she was five. She’s in great health and has very controlled blood sugars. She hardly eats any carbs to lower her usage of insulin. She’s had a perfectly normal life so don’t worry about your son. He’ll be fine. Good luck xx.

Please ignore these kinds of ignorant comments OP.

This pp has literally zero clue what life is like for her poor sister.

As a T1 myself I can tell you life is not fine. It’s awful. Staying alive every day is a Challenge. I won’t sugarcoat it. You need to prioritize therapy for your son and your family in learning how to deal asap. You should join a bunch of T1 Facebook groups and read through the posts (but don’t show him). You should let him cry and scream and break shit (within reason) and just be there and hug him and sit with him. Make sure you have a checklist of what he needs at all times. Get a CGM. Find a group for teens with T1.

Do not nag him it will only drive him away. Do not tell him it’ll all be fine. Never ever talk about cures. There is no cure and talking about a cure 5 years away is as helpful as talking about flying cars. Do not say you understand because you don’t. You will never know what it feels like when your sugar drops quickly and for no reason and you worry that you may die in the next 30 minutes. Always remember that.

people - even family - do not understand that living with T1 is walking a tightrope between life and death every fucking day. It is like having a baby - it wakes you up throughout the night, it doesn’t ever let you relax and if you do there’s hell to pay.

it’s a life sentence.

and then there’s teenage hormones. I truly wish you the best of luck.

ProseccoOnIce · 27/12/2022 13:35

@TheSnugglyDuckling - that's probably not what OP needs to hear just now.

Windy1234 · 27/12/2022 15:35

Hi Op, as a type 1 myself who was diagnosed at 16 please ignore the below snuggly duckling poster. I'm not going to say what she has posted isn't true at times, but every second of my day is not diabetes. Once your son comes to grips with learning to manage his condition I am sure he will be fine. Diabetes is a major pain in the ass, I'm not going to dispute that, but there are so many ways to keep on top of managing it these days.

There is also a lot of support available so you will get plenty of help to navigate your way through.

Butterfly44 · 27/12/2022 16:04

Bless you. Glad you took him in, you picked up something was wrong and did the right thing. It's so misdiagnosed that so many are quite ill by the time they are admitted. It's a lot to take in, but there are lots of support groups out there that I recommend you seek as knowing others going through the same really helps. As someone said technology and care has really moved forward. It's like a grieving process to start. I would lean on others as much as you can and remember that every day is a new one.

Butterfly44 · 27/12/2022 16:10

Ok just read that previous post. That's certainly a singular viewpoint! People are all different - different upbringing, life experiences, struggles and otherwise. My 16yo has had T1D for 10 years. Absolutely no different from her friends, incorporating care into her schedule. Healthy and has never missed out on any experiences whatsoever x

TheSnugglyDuckling · 27/12/2022 19:55

ProseccoOnIce · 27/12/2022 13:35

@TheSnugglyDuckling - that's probably not what OP needs to hear just now.

I presume you don’t have T1. It may be just what she needs to hear to ensure she preserves her relationship with her son. My relationship with my mother disintegrated partly because she never made the slightest bit of effort to support me.

TheSnugglyDuckling · 27/12/2022 20:11

T1 is one of the most misunderstood - if not the most misunderstood - illnesses on the planet. You tell people you’ve got cancer and at least they’re sympathetic. You tell people diabetes and you’ll get victim blaming (“did you eat too many sweets?”) or it’s the punchline of a joke on every other comedy show. And yet the daily toll mentally and physically is horrific and it’s for life. So why sugarcoat it? A mother should understand what her child will have to deal with for the rest of his or her life.

And the last thing anyone needs is people who don’t even have T1 coming over here and weighing in. No one in my family has the tiniest clue what I deal with so just being able to say “my sister has it, I'm an expert” is massively offensive.

mondaytosunday · 27/12/2022 20:39

@TheSnugglyDuckling you have painted a very negative picture for Type 1. I have it and it by no means as awful and dire as you say for the vast majority of people who have it. If well controlled diabetics can be Olympians (medal winning swimmer Gary Hall, rower Steve Redgrave) and even a Prime Ministers (Teresa May), but mainly they lead normal lives, have kids etc. I certainly don't go around with a cloud over my head - most people have no idea I have it unless they see me take a shot.
A teenager may well struggle to come to terms with the restrictions and monitoring. But a slip here and there is inevitable and even the most vigilant will get things wrong. But there are really good tools - the Libre system for one - and he may find a pump a good method of administrating insulin.
It's a fact of life for him now - he will have to accept it. And you will have to learn to recognise signs of irritability, fatigue, slurred words, vagueness and so on as indications that his levels are off. Always carry sweets or glucose gel with you and in the car. Get him a medic alert bracelet.
Hopefully his school will be experienced with it and can help.
A bumpy few months ahead, but with knowledge, and knowledge about how his body reacts (which will only come with time), and he can enjoy life as much as anyone.

Original poster
FuckingHateRats · 27/12/2022 20:52

Thanks everyone.

He's been moved to a normal ward now. Starting to get his head around what will be needed day to day - the nurses were amazed when he'd calculated his meal carb intake and correction dose before they had ❤️

He has more colour in his face and a little more perk about himself (think the fluids have played a big part in that) but he's still very sleepy.

Finding it hard to find injection sites because he's so thin and has no fat anywhere - it's been a shock to realise how gaunt he is underneath his layers of hoodies.

We know it's a long road ahead but he's feeling positive. He was feeling so terrible I think he's just glad he has some answers and a way of managing it.

OP posts:
Nimbostratus100 · 27/12/2022 20:54

Good news OP. Lots of love to him a nd you xx

Bimblesalong · 27/12/2022 21:04

Sounds like things are moving the right way, OP. Expect him to be hungry for the next few weeks if my son’s and other t1 children in our support circle have had a typical experience.
Super job on his part calculating his bolus. He will soon have his favourites worked out and will gradually learn how demands can change over the day.
As others have said, there is so much brilliant tech out there. My lad moves on to his next pump and sensors in Feb. This will do a lot for him, working out his patterns, dealing with a lot of drops and highs and alerting if he is in a challenging range. You’ve all that to come in considerations and there are some great options out there for you as well as an injection based way of managing it.

Someone else has mentioned children with diabetes on Facebook. I have a friendship group from the early days of my son’s diabetes and we’ve all supported one another and helped out with a few of the head scratching moments. We’ve all celebrated the achievements of our children - exams, driving tests, university and now engagements and jobs!

Hopefully the school will have experience. There are also arrangements that can be put in place for exams (rest breaks to deal with highs, toilet, etc) so he mustn’t worry about those - random things can pop into heads.

Keep going and be kind to yourselves x

notacissy · 27/12/2022 21:07

My dd was diagnosed at 12 and it was a huge shock for her and me. Take care of yourself so you can help him. Its ok to cry, your life will undergo a big change but it will become normal, just a new normal. Push for a CGM, they're a game changer. Join a Facebook group as they're full of fantastic support and advice. Be ready for him to be massively hungry as well now as his body recovers. Best of luck

MerryChristmasTree · 27/12/2022 21:40

You’ll probably find he’ll put weight on as the insulin starts to work and his body corrects itself. He sounds like he’s doing brilliantly.

A mother should understand what her child will have to deal with for the rest of his or her life.

Your parents should have supported you but it’s unfair to bring your agenda on to a thread where the OP has literally just received this news and will be in shock. At no point has she said she isn’t supporting her son. And as a new parent to this myself it’s really unhelpful. We’re just trying to do our best and understand and help our children.

Allsizes8to14 · 27/12/2022 21:45

Just to add another positive story, my husband is T1, diagnosed age 14 now 44. Yes it is a daily task thinking about carbs, calculating insulin, dealing with hypos etc but it just becomes part of everyday life. I calculate the carbs for everything I cook and he doses his insulin accordingly.
He has no complications so far, eyes are fine, he drives a van, plays football, has a physical job, has a wife and child. Would he prefer not to to be diabetic? Absolutely! But with good control, it’s totally manageable. Sending best wishes to your family and your DS

Swipe left for the next trending thread