Looking for moms with teenagers that are Type I diabetics!

Hayley - posted on 02/05/2013

I have 13 year old with diabetes for almost 5 years it has been challenging with her blood sugars ups and downs.

Jennifer - posted on 10/06/2009

karen i have a son who has downs and has type 1! we found out feb 09.. he just turned 10 years old in sept.. we just take things day by day and try to make it as normal as we can. he dont have a pump we use pen needles! the hardest thing for us is when we go places to eat we have to take the inslin with us and all we get are people looking and talking about us.. and my son dont understand!! we are going to the doctor soon to check if my 2 year and my new born has it

Shellie - posted on 10/06/2009

Susan, That is definately a great selling point!!! I think Kiersten would love to be able to have a pump that she didn't have to bolus from. And I think that is one of the reasons why she is wanting the OmniPod. I'll take a look.
Thanks so much, and let me know how it goes for Ashley!

Susan - posted on 10/06/2009

Shellie, The company we have ordered it from is Animas and it is on their website www.animascorp.com Yes it is corded, as far as I know only the omnipod is cordless which is the big appeal. But its bulky. This she would have to take off to shower (there would be no place to hook it :) but it is waterproof it says for 24 hours at a depth of 12 feet. So she will take it off just to race in swimming but most of the time can leave it on. The other selling point for us was the meter that it comes with. You can bolus on the pump or on the meter so if they dont want to take out the pump or its under too many clothes, you can do it all on the meter which vibrates as it is bolusing so you know it went through. We are getting it on Thursday so I can let you know more after that. But definately look it up at that site.

Shellie - posted on 10/06/2009

Susan, Thanks so much! Kiersten is 11 as well. She has been on the Medtronic pump since she was 5 and has done fairly well with it. However when she goes swimming (which she does quite often) or taking a shower, she has to take it off. It's not waterproof... She is becoming more active and we are wanting to have a pump that works better for her. I haven't looked into the One Touch Ping, is this one that has tubing? I'll have to look into it today! Thanks!!!
At this point, she has tried the OmniPod in a few spots, arm and belly. Kiersten wears her pump in her arm quite a bit at this point right now, so she's pretty used to it. It's much harder if the arms are too skinny (no fat). I will have to do some research on the One Touch before Kiersten makes her final decision on the OmniPod. This was just the one that we had seen that had no tubing and that is what we were most interested in. I can totally understand the not wanting to have that switch in a few months!
I really hope that your daughter Ashley loves her Ping!!!
Thanks again Susan! By the way, is there a specific website for the Ping???
Shellie

Susan - posted on 10/06/2009

Shellie- how old is your daughter? As I mentioned above, I have an 11 yr old daughter and we are getting the pump this week-yea! But we have been researching them for a while now. My daughter actually had her heart set on the omnipod, but changed her mind. When she was at camp she got "freaked out" by the pump cords hanging from the other girls arms and saw one get ripped out. So she decided the omnipod was the only pump she would do. She tried wearing it also and being an 11 yr old girl, she likes to wear-not tight-but fitted clothes. There was just no way for her to hide the bulge of the omnipod and was questioned quite often about what the bump was. We are getting one called the One Touch Ping which is pretty new. The main selling point for us is that it is waterproof. We spend a lot of time swimming (Ashley is on a swim team) so this was a good fit for us. Our doctor also told her that she never approves of the pump being in the arm-the arms are too active, so that eased her fears.
If your daughter has her heart set on the omnipod, which it sounds like she may, then by all means fo for it, I am in no way trying to talk you out of it. I just wanted to tell you what we found and possibly save you from having to switch yet again in a few months if she fells the same way.
Good luck to you!

Susan - posted on 10/06/2009

We did a camp too for my daughter and she loved it, but now that its fall that may be hard. Find out, probably through your support group if there are any groups for diabetic teens. Through our support group we also are part of a chronic illness support group for kids, and they do monthly trips as well as some teen stuff that is just for them-no parents allowed. But the staff is there so its safe. They have gone roller skating and even to see a local band play as well as group time for the kids to talk. He may be more open to something like that. Part of why he may be not wanting to go to the group is if his age is off from most of the others.

Shellie - posted on 10/05/2009

Karen, I'm so sorry to hear that your son is having such a hard time! I know that it's a hard adjustment at no matter what age. However being a teen and then having to try and understand the "why did I have to get diabetes", school, friends, changes of habits... it can be so overwhelming.

Even though my daughter was diagnosed as a baby, going into school she was very nervous and very scared because she was the "only one" as she put it for several years. This is the first year (7 years later) that there is another diabetic in the school with her.

I think her turn of acceptance began when we didn't let her get away with keeping things quiet. We talked about everything!!! Her feelings, If she was mad, angry, upset, sad, happy, whatever, we talked! As a family we got involved in our local diabetes community, which helped her meet other kids her age that were going thru the same issues she was. Maybe see if there is a camp thru the JDRF in the area. We have Camp Hodia here... super wonderful for the kids!

I know that you had written that he was not mentally ready for a pump... We've been with Medtronic for awhile now (6 years)... but we've started looking at a new pump. It's the OmniPod!!! There is no tubes, everything is internal... my daughter thinks it's fabulous so far (just a trial, no canula yet).

I feel like I just had a whold bunch of verbal vomit all posted here. I'm so sorry if this has caught you off guard. And I really do wish you and your son the best. Because even with being diagnosed early, it's still rough going into teen years... because she is rebelling against everything now. Especially since her brother still to this day has still not shown the gene for type 1 (he's tested each year).

Karen - posted on 10/05/2009

Thanks so much...you too!

Susan - posted on 10/05/2009

Thats too bad, we have been lucky and had good support at school. I do agree that older children do have a tougher time, my daughter is taking it much harder at 10/11 than my son did. She is getting more freedom getting older, starting middle school, and somedays really resents the restrictions of her diabetes. She remembers what she feels she is missing out on. I wish you the best.

Karen - posted on 10/05/2009

Yes we do, but getting him there is the problem. He has needed allot of space to sort things out himself. Aside from the regular teenage boy issues, it gets rough some days. It just seems that the emotional issues aren't the same for those that have been diagnosed at an earlier age plus he is very private. I have some local moms for support but thought I would also try this group. He is not ready for the pump, mentally, but he'll come around. Right now we are tackling first year of High School which seems to be working very well. Middle school was not very supportive which did not help him his first year. I hope yours do well through the teenage years, thanks for your comment.

Susan - posted on 10/05/2009

Hi Karen, I dont have a teenager-yet but do have a diabetic preteen. We had a horrible year also. In July 2008 my then 5 yr old son was diagnosed type 1, then in Feb 2009 my then 10 yr old daughter was also diagnosed type 1. They are now 7 and 11. We are actually getting pumps for both of them this week.
We joined a local diabetes support group and it has been wonderful. Do you have one near you?

Karen - posted on 10/05/2009

My son was diagnosed 1 year ago at the age of 13. It has been a hard year.

Shellie - posted on 10/05/2009

My daughter has type 1... and a pumper! Granted she is a pre-teen... but was diagnosed when she was 2.