Adjusting to family life with diabetes

~ 18 November 2009 ~

Last Thursday night we stopped in Albuquerque, New Mexico on our cross-country move to Florida. What was supposed to be an overnight stop has turned into a lengthy stay and a permanent change in our family’s lifestyle.

One of our sons fell ill with the flu* soon after leaving Utah on Wednesday. By Thursday the flu had escalated and we found ourselves in the hospital by nightfall. On Friday the diagnosis was clear: Type 1 diabetes.

Our family knows very little about diabetes, but we’re quickly becoming familiar with it. Type 1 is different from Type 2 diabetes in that it’s not acquired through genetics or poor health. In fact, it’s not really known where it comes from and why or how it comes about. Sometimes a virus can help manifest it, and in our case the flu may have been the catalyst.

From what I’m learning, Type 1 diabetes comes about when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin to break down sugars in the blood and allow those sugars (glucose) to be captured and used by cells, leaving unsafe levels of glucose in the blood stream.

To balance these levels, finger pricks and insulin shots are required multiple times per day. Short of a cure or alternate method such as an insulin pump, this is a process our son will be going through daily for the rest of his life. In addition, we will need to make some changes to his (our) daily diet.

Whether it was TV personality Art Linkletter or basketball Hall of Famer John Wooden who said it — both have been attributed — it doesn’t matter. The spirit of what was said is what matters:

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

We’re confident our family can make the best of the way things have turned out for us. I’ve long believed that as parents and professionals, the most important work we’ll ever do will be outside the walls of work and inside the walls of our homes. If anything, this revised lifestyle has encouraged us to place ever greater focus on our children.

We hope to be back on the road in a few days once we’ve completed the requisite treatment and training. I’ve left comments on as those of you more familiar with diabetes than we may be able to provide corrections to what I’ve written or additional resources.

Update: Many of you have left helpful and encouraging comments. Thank you. Suzanne and I really appreciate it.

*For the record, he was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus. This the least of our concerns, as H1N1 appears to differ little from the average flu from what we’ve seen in him.

 

66  Comments

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1   Joshua Clanton ~ 18 November 2009

I’m sorry to hear that. My younger brother and sister were both diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes after bouts of the flu (separated by a few years).

The good news is that both of them are have quite normal lives. My sister decided to go with a pump, but my brother prefers to deal with a needle.

I hope your son is feeling well soon!


2   Matt Williams ~ 18 November 2009

I feel for you. I’m not saying this is the same, but 7 years ago my son was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome and it has affected every moment of our family’s life since - it is why we work from home. At some stage we had to decide between optimum career progression and being good parents, and I am happy with the decision we made. My wife often talks about this being an aspect of the way that God shapes our destiny, and it’s why she spends a lot of time praying.


3   Marty Romero ~ 18 November 2009

Cameron, sorry to hear about your little one. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and although it isn’t the same as type 1, the life style changes (diet, activity, medication etc…) are stressful for sure. I hope your little one gets better soon.


4   Hattie ~ 18 November 2009

No wisdom, just lots of prayers. Family is truly the foundation that everything else is based on. You have a beautiful family.


5   Emily ~ 18 November 2009

My step-daughter’s best friend has type 1. She’s 12 years old and has a pump. I am constantly amazed at how quickly she adjusted when she was diagnosed (age 7) and how gracefully she lives with diabetes. It’s been long enough that she knows the value of most foods offered to her and while she has to consider her food choices it really doesn’t slow her down or hold her back.
I’m sorry you and your family had to go through such a stressful and scary time, especially on the road. I hope your son is feeling like himself again very soon.


6   patrick foster ~ 18 November 2009

Good luck- safe travels. Best to your son and your family.


7   Keith ~ 18 November 2009

Sorry to hear about the little guy, but it’s clear he’s got good people watching out for him. Best of luck and safe travels once you get back on the road.


8   Drew Stauffer ~ 18 November 2009

Hang in there and take each day as it comes. We’ll be thinking of you.


9   mikeo ~ 18 November 2009

My best friend’s daughter was diagnosed with type 1 last March. They had no idea she had diabetes, they thought she was sick with the seasonal flu, they had to rush her to the hospital. Point is they are doing fine now a little over 6 months on. You will get there. Prayers to you all and drive safely!


10   Jonathan Christopher ~ 18 November 2009

So sorry to hear about your son, wishing your family the best in the coming time with both adjusting to the new lifestyle as well as completing such a drastic move.


11   Matt Everson ~ 18 November 2009

With sons of my own, I can’t imagine the huge and unexpected challenge diabetes presents to your family. For what it’s worth, a number of my close relatives have Type I diabetes and live entirely normal lives outside of their daily blood sugar controls. I wish you all the best in your journey.


12   Keith L ~ 18 November 2009

Sometimes the worst things happen to the people who can be trusted to create the right result. You will not only succeed, but be stronger in the end.

Godspeed.


13   Shane ~ 18 November 2009

Loved the quote, and your entire outlook.

Just curious what were the signs/symptoms that caused ya’ll to go to the hospital in the first place?


14   Lehi Sanchez ~ 18 November 2009

My wife’s little brother (now 18 - not so little anymore) has type 1 diabetes. He has down syndrome so he’s still a little young at hear but responsible enough to stay on a schedule with his dad where he calls in to report his “number”. You’ll become familiar with numbers and eating schedules and carbs and all sorts of stuff. You’ll be doing math in your head when it comes to how many french fries from McDonald’s he’s allowed to have or when he’s allowed to go to bed or if he needs to do some little activity to get his “number” just right. Like you said - it’s going to turn your focus towards your son a little more. I’ve noticed my little brother-in-law and his dad have very good communication skills now because each one is somewhat dependent on the other. The son reports the number and the father does the math and helps give the assessment as to what to do. I can’t imagine the work it will take when starting out but I’ve seen how easy it can be after you get into the swing of things. Oh, and in case you were wondering - there’s an app for that! Plenty of them, actually :-) http://itunes.apple.com/app/wavesense-diabetes-manager/id325292586?mt=8


15   Philip Renich ~ 18 November 2009

Thanks for sharing, Cameron. That’s rough, especially during the move. I think your family is one well equipped to handle such a change. All the best.


16   Goran Peuc ~ 18 November 2009

I wish your family and son all the best with the new life style. One of my best friends has T1 Diabetes and that never stopped him achieving great things in life. Stay safe, stay cool, keep on designing. Design will save the world, after all =)


17   Holly ~ 18 November 2009

I’m sorry to hear about your son Cameron. Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Diabetes isn’t a new word to me. My late uncle had type 1, my aunt (his sister) has type 1 and my cousin has also had type 1 since she was 3 or 4. My mother (older sister to my aunt and uncle) oddly enough does not have diabetes, although she has been tested many times. My father-in-law too has diabetes, but it’s type 2 and could possibly be eliminated with weight loss and healthier eating habits.

If you would like to talk to someone who has dealt with diabetes their whole life, I could try to put you in contact with my aunt and cousin (who is now 19 and in college). I’m sure they’d be happy to answer any questions you have (aside from what doctors can tell you). They’re both happy and living full lives with the help of insulin pumps.

I hope your son starts to feel better soon from the flu.


18   Mike Stickel ~ 18 November 2009

Children are amazing. When life obstacles are placed in their path and they are given proper information in a positive environment they adjust quickly and handle it extremely well.

It’s like the first time you put your child in front of a computer. They’re not comfortable or good at first. After you give them some information and let them practice they end up better than you in a week. ;)


19   Seth Lilly ~ 18 November 2009

Hang in there, Cameron. It means, as you’ve already said, changing your lifestyle as well. Your support will make all the difference to him. Sounds like you’ve got the right focus.


20   Manny Hernandez ~ 18 November 2009

Cameron,
You are not alone, man. If I may, I would like to invite you and your wife to join TuDiabetes.org. We are a nonprofit social network for people touched by diabetes with nearly 12,000 members from all over the world, including several thousands of people with type 1 diabetes (and at least a couple thousand parents of children with type 1).


21   jason ~ 18 November 2009

my wife has type 1 and has had it for over 15 years now. she just recently went on the pump, and it’s been a good thing. I’m surprised that the dr didn’t put your son on it right away. seems like the pump is the way to go now-a-days. good luck to him and you. it’s an adjustment, sure, but not the end of the world.


22   Avalulubelle ~ 18 November 2009

I was diagnosed w/ Type 1 when I was 8 (25 years ago), so I feel quite confident in saying that you’re all going to be okay. I think diagnosis of Type 1 is probably more of a shock for the parents than for the kids. Don’t let the dire predictions from doctors stop him or scare you — he’ll be fine (and so will you :-) Email me if you have any questions along the way.


23   Dave Smith ~ 18 November 2009

Hey Cameron,

I have Diabetes and I was diagnosed as a young adult.

I know it’s seems like a terrible thing right now but seriously it’s not something that’s going to destroy your sons life.

I still do everything I want and do it to the full. Diabetes has never stopped me and I’ve travelled around the world!

My advice would be:

1) Test test test your blood sugar (it’s the key)

2) Don’t think of it as a hindrance - be normal!

3) Get support - get him on courses that help educate him on how he can achieve better control.

I wish you and your son all the best for the future and if you ever need any practical advice please don’t hesitate to get in touch (Twitter @get_dave)

All the best,

Dave


24   Bryan ~ 18 November 2009

You guys may enjoy The Diabetes Rap from the YouTube. It’s surprisingly informative and catchy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdF54FZu17I

Hope he feels better soon. :)


25   Evan Warner ~ 18 November 2009

I’m sorry to hear about your son, Cameron. I also know very little about diabetes, but I wanted to point you to a product made by one of my clients’ clients. It’s called OmniPod, and it’s an alternate form of pump therapy without tubing. I don’t know much about it, but it seems like a nicotine patch for people with diabetes. It’s gotten a very good reception, and won gold in the 2009 Edison Awards. I hope that didn’t sound like too much of an advertisement because I really don’t know much about it. It just seems legit, and I wanted to offer anything that might help you and your family out.

Hope you’re at least able to enjoy the scenery of my home state while you’re there! Take care.


26   Jake Spurlock ~ 18 November 2009

So sorry to hear about that! Hope all goes well!


27   prercie82 ~ 18 November 2009

A common misunderstanding is that by this method a hypothesis can be proven or tested. Generally a hypothesis is used to make predictions that can be tested by observing the outcome of an experiment. If the outcome is inconsistent with the hypothesis, then the hypothesis is rejected. However, if the outcome is consistent with the hypothesis, the experiment is said to support the hypothesis. This careful language is used because researchers recognize that alternative hypotheses may also be consistent with the observations. paper writers In this sense, a hypothesis can never be proven, but rather only supported by surviving rounds of scientific testing and, eventually, becoming widely thought of as true (or better, predictive), but this is not the same as it having been proven. A useful hypothesis allows prediction and within the accuracy of observation of the time, the prediction will be verified. As the accuracy of observation improves with time, the hypothesis may no longer provide an accurate prediction. In this case a new hypothesis will arise to challenge the old, and to the extent that the new hypothesis makes more accurate predictions than the old, the new will supplant it.


28   The Dingbat (Adrienne) ~ 18 November 2009

Cameron,

My prayers are with your family right now. My son was diagnosed with type 1 at age 4, last December. We are finally reaching the year mark, but there were certainly days I thought we’d never make it.

You are a very involved father, but remember your wife when things get challenging (as I’m sure you will)! She will deal with the more emotional aspects of Diabetes with your son as she is naturally a nurturer. She may not be able to express her anxieties and challenges with helping your son, but you’ll both rely on each other more now then ever to get through those first few months and help your little boy learn to be a “tough guy.”

As all the previous posters said, you’ll get through just fine, and your son will be a stronger and more aware person because of it.

Just find what works for your family, your son and Endocrinologist. You have a fabulous online network of friends, use them to help you. Diabetics and parents of Diabetics are so friendly and want to help. If you or your wife ever have questions we’d all love to help. Email or twitter anytime - really!

Best,
Adrienne
Twitter @DingbatPress


29   Nate Kennedy ~ 18 November 2009

I’ve had type 1 diabetes since I was 10. That’s 15 years ago now, which seems crazy. A lot has changed since then.

The first question is usually whether to go with the pump or syringes. For people who are quite thin (me) or pretty muscular, syringes can be easier since they tend not to penetrate quite as deeply and not for as long. A quick prick and you’re done. You do have to take shots more often though.

Also, since shots are not a constant stream of quick-acting insulin, you may have to take different types of medication. I take Humalog (quick-acting) with meals, and Lantus (long-lasting, stabilizing) at night. It works out great and me and my doctor agree that the increased level of control with a pump wouldn’t be significant enough to justify it.

Secondly tends to come the diet. For a lot of people, it’s an excuse to make some healthier choices, which is never a bad thing. I had a hard time with that at first, but that’s changed too. No one will tell you to eat crappy food, but these days, moderation and adaptation is the key. Want a Snickers bar? Go ahead. Want 2 pieces of incredibly rich french silk pie? Dig in! You just have to adjust your medication (and probably your other meals) accordingly. It’s going to be hard, but I realized quite a while ago that you don’t have to hold back after you learn what works and what doesn’t.

YMMV, of course—everyone is a little different. @nkennedy on Twitter if you want to talk more about it.


30   Ray Dahl ~ 18 November 2009

I had the same experience 10 years ago when my son was diagnosed with Insulin Dependent Diabetes. A decade later here are a few thoughts on being the parent of a young diabetic. As much as it pains you and your wife, poke holes in your son often. Frequent testing will make for better control. If your son gets sick and is vomiting start the “Ketoacidosis Vigil.” If his blood glucose, ketones and vomiting are not under control within 24 hours take him back to the hospital. Just do it, even if you think things are under control. Finally get used to the ignorance of others. Those that think the condition is contagious, can be out grown, or cured with herbal supplements, caused by eating too much sugar and any number of other misnomers will be a constant annoyance.
Just smile. Know that it can be lived with. My Dad has for 40 years, I have for 15 years and my son has for the past ten. We’re pulling for you.


31   Soh Tanaka ~ 18 November 2009

I’m very sorry to hear that, I wish the best for your son and your fam. Hang in there, hes lucky to have a loving fam to support him :-)


32   Katrina Deas ~ 18 November 2009

You have the right mind-set, well done to you and your wife. Please don’t discard homeopathy as a way of treatment. It’s very widely spread in Germany, and if you find a good classic homeopath, I’m sure he’ll be able to do something, looking at the outer symptoms you describe. But you need to find a good healer. Homeopathy almost always heals, but you need a professional indulged in the ART of healing! If you want to read about it first I highly recommend “Homeopathy-medicine for the new millenium” by George Vithoulkas. http://www.vithoulkas.com/content/view/57/69/lang,en/ - good luck! I can even investigate here if there is the slightest chance of cure… let me know. Kind regards.


33   Rob Saenz ~ 18 November 2009

Cameron,

I am a type 1 myself and have been for 23 years. A few years ago, our then 10 month old caught a cold and was getting two teeth in. It shocked us to discover that he was diagnosed as Type 1 as well.

He’s 4 1/2 and we’re all doing better now. He’s on an Animas (www.animas.com) pump and I started using Insulet’s Wireless Omnipod system (www.omnipod.com) this past year (I’d only done injections before). I recommend the Omnipod if you think your son’s responsible enough to not lose the wireless controller/glucose monitor. Otherwise, the Animas is ok. As a side note, I think that the diabetes (for me at 8 and him at 1) has really helped us to be more responsible and grounded.

I’ll say a prayer for you and I would second Manny’s invitation to TuDiabetes. He’s a great guy, that Manny.

Also, I’d ask your boy’s doc to recommend some local families that you could vent/share best practices with. We have a family locally that we talk with.

Perhaps, one day, when life settles down a little, you will think of the ways you are uniquely gifted to make it easier to live daily for Type 1s. It’s a hard thing for me to stop thinking about…

Glad to share or listen if you want to contact me on email or twitter.


34   Todd Little ~ 18 November 2009

Best wishes to your family. I have Diabetes as well, and can tell you it isn’t bad once you get used to it. Please make sure his doctor puts him on Lantus in addition to a basic Novolog or Humalog. It’ll help to balance his blood sugar between meals and while he sleeps. Without it, you can frequently wake up with wild blood sugars.


35   josh ~ 18 November 2009

Hey Cameron,
I’m trying my best to write this comment so it doesn’t read like an spam comment on a very personal blog post. In the last 6 months I have been working with http://www.parentingdiabetickids.com on their website. The family who started this website are truly passionate about helping families deal with Type 1 diabetes and are just fantastic people all around. I hope this can be a good resource for you and your family. Best wishes and good luck with everything!


36   josh ~ 18 November 2009

Hey Cameron,
I’m trying my best to write this comment so it doesn’t read like an spam comment on a very personal blog post. In the last 6 months I have been working with http://www.parentingdiabetickids.com on their website. The family who started this website are truly passionate about helping families deal with Type 1 diabetes and are just fantastic people all around. I hope this can be a good resource for you and your family. Best wishes and good luck with everything!


37   Marlene ~ 18 November 2009

I’ve had type 1 for 21 years (and my husband has type 1 also). We have two kids who are not type 1 so far, but I’m really holding my breathe (they have 10% chance of being diagnosed).

Here’s my advice:

You need to think about a half an hour ahead of diabetes. Whether your child is exercising or eating or stressed - think about the effect that will have in a half hour.

Be familiar with the insulin action time for the insulin your son takes: http://www.diabetesdigest.com/dd_insulin4.htm

Lastly, try to leave your emotions out of the daily grind of diabetes. Just deal with the numbers and make a better plan for next time. People with high blood sugars are grumpy, and low blood sugars make you loopy. These are not the times to discuss a problem. Wait until things settle out to talk about “the next time.”


38   Ajaya ~ 18 November 2009

I am so sorry to hear about your Son. As a person who is living with Type 2 diabetes, your quote about making the best out of life couldn’t be more perfect. My son has serious learning disability and no diagnosis and I can understand the emotions of parents when they go through time like this.

I would like to leave this comment as a token of my encouragement and just want to say that “when you push a human being to a corner it can do amazing things”. You are not alone in this fight. Your son would just be fine albeit with a different life style then others.


39   Jared Fitch ~ 18 November 2009

Hang in there. He’s got great parents, and you’ve got great ability you haven’t even uncovered yet…

When life gives you lemons, you’ll now have to make Sugar-free Lemonade. :)


40   Shea ~ 18 November 2009

Hey Cameron, as a Type 1 diabetic who was diagnosed when I was 9 (21 years ago), I can tell you from experience that this is harder on the parents than the children. I remember being told about the shots and giving myself my first one in the hospital. To me at the time, it was just sort of ‘okay, so I do this now’, and that was it. When my parents had to give me a shot, it was much more difficult for them.

Since then, it has become such a non-issue, such a default part of my life, that while a cure would be great, I never think about it. I give myself 5 shots a day, and check my sugar 5 times a day. Aside from that, I just try to do what we all do: live as healthy a lifestyle as I can, and the result of that has been test result after test result showing that being diabetic has had no adverse effects on my health.

You are about to (and already have in the comments above) receive a LOT of advice. Trust the doctors on the dosing and insulin types, and on pump versus syringe, go with whatever he is more comfortable with. I have always been a syringe man myself, playing football and basketball growing up drove that, and now I am more comfortable with them. The most important thing is that you help your son get back to (a slightly updated) routine and never make him feel fundamentally different. I know this is what you will do anyway, but like I said, you will get a lot of advice. :)

No doubt you have all the sources of advice and answers you need, but you now have my email if I can help in any way.

My absolute best wishes for your son and your family. He’s going to be fine (and you will too)!


41   Kevin Carobine ~ 18 November 2009

I hope your son is feeling better.

I imagine the Moll Family as a tough bunch of folks - and I’m certain that all of you will make it through this.


42   Clifton ~ 18 November 2009

Wow, I thought you stayed in NM because you found cheap tickets to last Saturday’s BYU-UNM game. :) I was way off.

Best of luck!


43   Tony Antunovich ~ 18 November 2009

I’m very sorry to hear about your son, Cameron. At the same time I’m glad that he has such great parents, and that you are there for him. God bless you for that.

I do not have diabetes nor does anyone in my family, but I do know that it can be controlled.

Life deals us heavy blows sometimes, ones that seem to come out of nowhere, and it’s how we deal with them that makes us become champions. I’m confident your strength will shine through and things will be just fine.

Best of luck.


44   Marcelo Wolfgang ~ 18 November 2009

I`m a type 1 diabetes for 20 years now, and I’m sorry to hear about your son.

There are some new treatments in test right now, one here in Brazil, at USP (university of São Paulo ) there a experimental treatment for people with recent acquired diabetes with steam cells that is showing some goods results, I think that there`s is like 30 people who have been treated this way, so you may try to see if it’s worth for your case ( I don’t follow much of this because my case is 20 years old, and cannot be helped by this treatment, but fell free to send me an e-mail and I will try to get more info for you ).

And there is a treatment beeing tested in south corea also usign steam cells, that has only one patient using the treatment for about ten years now, and they are going to start using it in another 10 cases now.

Hope for a good future for your son, it’s a tough disease.


45   Noah Read ~ 18 November 2009

I have a friend who was diagnosed with type 1 as a teenager and aside from the initial scare of his diagnosis is doing great. Aside from the additional regiment of blood testing and insulin shots he has been able to do anything he wanted to. Including leaving for a 2 year religious mission to the Czech Republic in February.


46   Rian ~ 18 November 2009

Its hard enough to confront a diagnosis that changes every last bit of food that passes before your eyes into a nutritional calculation. It is even harder to go through this during a major life change like your move to Florida.

About 8-years ago, I was diagnosed as Type 1 about 4-weeks before finals my senior year of college. Away from home, under massive stress it was incredibly difficult to come to terms with blood testing, self-administered injections and the requirement that I understand my health/prescription coverage at a whole new level of detail.

I cannot imagine this diagnosis is made any easier by his age. But there is hope and help in that you sound like a tight knit family. Family and friends are what helped me find enough balance to keep moving forward.

As for advice on resources, I would recommend you focus on getting the basics down and find good doctors. Whether it be an Endocrinologist (endo) or Diabetes Nurse Practitioner, the better specialist are the one’s that have had personal experience with Type 1. There are plenty of doctors that deal with Type 2 adults all day long, but you will benefit enormously from a health provider that knows Type 1 from the patient side.

My first endo was very involved with the diabetes research community and I later learned was significantly more informed than the other endo’s I have come across. This was helpful and I greatly appreciate the knowledge he imparted to me, but he wasn’t always sympathetic to the emotional struggles that accompanied my new relationship to food.

My current specialist is the mother of a Type 1. Her child was diagnosed very early in elementary school and he is now in his teens. This dramatically impacts her understanding of products/drugs on the market (and the historical evolution) but it also shapes her understanding of the struggles that go beyond insulin ratios and A1Cs.

I’m on year eight of this totally different life. And yes it has been tough at times, but I have always had friends or family to help me through. There are lots of us out there who have managed to get by with Type 1. It can be done.

On the design front, you will quickly realize that the medical device industry is a train wreck of bad user interfaces and experiences. Heck they rarely can even write a good set of instructions much less design a glucose monitor that doesn’t make you want to scream. There is no holy grail device like the iPhone that rolls everything into one device. At least not yet. That said the kids over at Adaptive Path took a swing at just what that user experience would look like and proposed the Charmr. There are pumps and combo devices out there (omnipod etc.) and the industry is definitely working to improve matters. I personally still treat my condition with injections like #28 Nate Kennedy. You don’t necessarily have to go high-tech if you find that a more manual system fits your son’s routine.

You might find Log for Life helpful. And while its horrifying to look at, the blog Diabetes Mine has an acceptable signal to noise ratio when it comes to diabetes news. If noting else Amy links to a lot of new tools and keeps an eye on new technological progress.


47   Finn ~ 19 November 2009

People with diabetes have two options:
Let the diabetes control you or control your diabetes. I opted for the latter eight years ago.

With todays medical options diabetes is not a big deal anymore. Two things are important: Keep yourself up-to-date and check, check, check your sugar! That’s all, be fine :)


48   kral oyun ~ 19 November 2009

sorry to hear about that!.. i hope all goes well..


49   Robert Lewis ~ 19 November 2009

Best wishes to you and family.


50   Craig Bradley MD ~ 19 November 2009

That quote is different from but reminiscent of the verse at Romans 8:28. I wish all the best to your son and your family in this time of learning and transition.


51   Marie Poulin ~ 19 November 2009

My sister had something quite similar, a flu combined with chicken pox which did something crazy to her immune system, resulting in her pancreas not working anymore by age 7.

My sister is now nearly 30 and has 3 children, and leads a relatively normal (albeit very scheduled) life. You just become accustomed to the routine overtime.

If your son takes good care of his health with his diet, he’ll have a long long life ahead of him. He’ll probably have to be more careful than the average person with his diet, but you will all get through it!

Good luck in the transition- you will all grow from it!


52   Ray Stone ~ 19 November 2009

Really sorry to hear about this.

My brother was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 18. 13 years later he seems to have it quite well managed - with a fairly healthy lifestyle and being well aware of his levels. He seems to live a relatively normal life despite it. Probably the thing he struggles with the most is more psychological - wondering what people will think about it. But of course everyone is really supportive.

Best wishes to you and your son.


53   Jenn ~ 20 November 2009

Sorry to hear about this, but I love your attitude to make the best of it.

After a few years of injections, my best friend opted for the pump option. To help new friends feel comfortable with her condition, she’d figure out how much insulin she needed and then would let her friends push the buttons on the pump—turning it into a fun/cool thing instead of something weird/isolating.

More than anything, I think this mindset helped Dana feel in control and comfortable with her diabetes. I have no doubt you’ll be able to take a similar approach with your son.


54   leroy ~ 21 November 2009

Man, sorry to hear about that. Good luck with the treatment. The champ will be just fine.


55   Anton ~ 22 November 2009

My friend’s daughter (9 years old) was diagnosed with the same two months ago. Quite a heavy blow on them initially, yet they are a very good family, and do their best to cope - to support each other and their daughter, and she is supporting them too.

It is encouraging to see that you decide to take a similar route. Thank you for sharing your experience, and my best wishes and prayers for your family.


56   Geoffroy ~ 23 November 2009

I hope your son gets wel soon.
One of my friends also suffers from diabetes (I don’t know the type) but it didn’t impeach him to have a successful career in the Belgian Para troopers. He also have to inject insuline on a regular basis.
This to say that people with diabete surely can have a normal life.

This said, as a parent, I feel the strength needed to deal with such a situation.

I hope things settle down for you and your family.
Best wishes


57   Adam ~ 23 November 2009

I got diagnosed about a year ago (very late for type 1 at 30) and another person who suffers from it gave me this to ponder.

“What other illness helps you to understand and improve your diet and exercise regime?”

I ran my first triathlon 9 months after diagnosis and am a much healthy person because of the diabetes. I’m sure when you get the hang of it you’ll find your whole family come out of this stronger and healthier.

Good Luck


58   Cameron Moll ~ 23 November 2009

Thank you, all, for your encouraging remarks and personal stories/advice. Suzanne and I really appreciate it.


59   Major Bedhead ~ 23 November 2009

I found a link to your blog on Twitter, when you were talking about American Apparel. I scanned thru your last posts list and the word diabetes jumped out at me.

My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 just before her 3rd birthday. The initial weeks and months after diagnosis were a roller coaster, emotionally and the way it affected our day to day schedule was initially a real wrench. But we soon learned to work around her needs and requirements and now, 12 plus years on, it has become such a part of our lives that we rarely think about it any more. It’s not auto pilot but it’s pretty close.

There are a lot of great diabetes resources online. The Children With Diabetes website is full of information and has an email list for parents of kids with diabetes. There’s also a huge amount of blogs written by people with type 1 or parents of kids with type 1. One I can highly recommend is called Six Until Me. Kerri is a great writer who has had diabetes for a long time and reading her blog has really calmed my fears about any limitations my daughter may have. Kerri proves, pretty definitively, that you can do what you want when you have type 1. You just have to do it smart.

One thing I will say is that the guilt can be a bit overwhelming. I tended to second guess every dose of insuling and every bite of food my daughter ate and I did that for years. It’s wearing and in the end, counterproductive.

Best of luck to you. It sounds like you and your wife both have your heads about you, which is half the battle in this disease.


60   Whey Protein side Effects ~ 24 November 2009

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61   Kirk Sudheimer ~ 28 November 2009

Two years ago our son, now 14, had a similar experience that led to a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. Today, having nearly doubled his bodyweight since that time, he does everything you would expect for someone of his age. He participates in his school’s sports, plays with the kids on the block, gets in trouble, etc. Please reach out to us if you are looking for a first hand account of our experience that we continue to live to this day. We would love to help. The whole experience has led my wife and I to the creation of a website, we are currently launching, called www.Kandlesforacure.com. I hope to hear from you, and if not, enjoy your holiday season. There is a strong Type 1 diabetes support community just waiting for you.
Kirk


62   Alexis Gallisa ~ 30 November 2009

I am sure right now you are using pen and paper to record all those blood sugar logs and carbohydrates for your son, but at some point you may want to start keeping track of these things on your computer. On the mac the options are much more limited but I have found some options and work arounds.

First of very few of the meters right now have USB connections and even then drivers for the USB connection. The one meter I have found that has both is the OneTouch family of meters. I use the UltraSmart Mini in my case.

Unfortunately the software that OneTouch makes (although very good) only works on Windows. So if you want to go mac only, there are a couple of options I know of.

http://www.sweetspot.dm
They have a nice OS X application which will take care of downloading the readings from your meter and I really like their site so far. One of the nice features which they have is that you can email new log entries such as carbohydrates by sending to a custom email with the subject line such as “carbohydrates 37”. Logs and graphs are really nice and they have multiple export options such as PDF and also have an API for creating your own hooks to the site. They have a 30 day free trial and after that is subscription based. If you could be so kind to use my referral code ref352ab to give me 30 more free days that would be awesome :)

http://healthengage.net/
This is a free site sponsored by ads and is totally Flash/Flex based, but that being said it does work pretty well. It also supports the OneTouch Meter on the Mac.

As far as the iphone, the best app I have found is http://www.wavesense.info/iphone

Its a complete manual process for adding meter readings and everything else and my limited experience with it looked worked well. That being said I am using Sweetspot.dm for all my needs right now on my iPhone (although I wish they had a better input method from the iPhone besides the email support).



63   Derek Balmer ~ 01 December 2009

I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes wen I was 17. It was a major change in lifestyle for myself and my family, as I’m sure you are all experiencing right now, but within a few months my new routines became second nature.

It’s been 12 years since I’ve been diagnosed. Even though it requires a bit more discipline, I promise you being diabetic won’t hinder your son in the slightest. Best of luck to you and your family.


64   Shelby ~ 02 December 2009

Oh my do I hear ya. My 12 year old son was diagnosed t1 6 months ago and we are in a small town with little to no support. I got my first grey hairs when this happened and it has been a constant roller coaster of emotion ever since.
I love this quote you gave by the way, it says it all.

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out”.


65   leon y castillo ~ 02 December 2009

have only one though in your head; your life has change try no to change you kids to. it´s hard but not impossible. keep up!


66   Mike Behnke ~ 05 December 2009

My wife was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes about 3 years ago. After about a year of struggling to come to terms and regular shots, she was able to get on the pump and it has been a godsend for her. She still has days where she struggles to control her sugars, but overall she has much better control with the pump. I would highly recommend asking your doctor about it.




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