Type 1 diabetic

[Brie]

Hello i have a 18 year old son with diabetes he has had it for 17 years, over the last few years he has not been taking care of his self, he eats anything, he will not do his bloods, he is meant to be doing four injections a day but he only does one maybe two now and again, he looks awful. I have tryed talking to him and so has hos doctor, but he will not listen to anyone, he is a heavy smoker and i am worryed what damage he is doing to himself, i worry every morning when i walk into his room what i might find, i am at my wits end can you offer me any advise thankyou bridget.

[Lumpylizzie]

Hi there - my son is only 11 years old and has been diagnosed a year. I am lucky at the moment because it is all so new, he is learning how to look after himself and is starting to understand the consequences of not doing so. However, he doesn't know what the long term damage is if he doesn't do as he should with his injections. I can't offer you any advice I am afraid, only words of comfort in that I am sure every parent will worry and be anxious about their children, especially those of us with diabetic children. I worry everyday that my son will find all the injections and tests too much to bother with. I worry that when he starts High School in September that he will be too embarrassed to keep up with the good habits he has now. He is very self-conscious about his diabetes and gets very angry when people confuse Type1 and Type2. I hope that he will not resent his treatment and understand that it is vital to him becoming a healthy adult with a limitless future ahead of him. But I am also very worried that he will not look after himself and end up poorly and leaving me helpless, as I am sure you feel right now.

Sorry I can't offer anything more constructive, I really hope you - or someone - manages to get through to him. No one chooses to be diabetic, but you can make good choices about your life. Hopefully he will see that soon and get back on track. Good luck x

[Denise Kennedy]

This is so hard isn't it! I worked with kids with type 1 diabetes and it was always particularly hard during the teenage years when young people just wanted to blend into the crowd and not be different at all. Some kids adapt really well while others just seem to fight the whole thing. It just shows that the best doctors, best nurses and best dietitians can't always solve all the problems.

One thing that I have personally found very inspirational was a colleague/friend who has type 1 diabetes. He is very sporty and uses exercise to manage his diabetes very effectively - it has been a poor weekend if he hasn't cycled at least 70 miles and he plays all sorts of other sports. His attitude is very much one of I am not going to let my diabetes stop me doing anything that I want to do. This guy spoke to a group of our young people and their families and many of them also found him very inspirational. I wonder if there is anyone around your son who could act as a positive role model for him - your local doctors or nurses might know of someone who you could 'engineer' a meeting with. It may not be easy but it might help. Good luck.