Feb
Got a child diabetic with a major sugar problem outside of home. Been in ER 3 times in last week with blood over 600. From eatting to much junk.
Answer:
How old is your child? It's so hard to advise you without knowing. Kids around 10 years and up diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is so difficult. Mostly because they remember the good life. Your child needs a bang-over-the-head education, and fast! Don't sugar coat the consequences (so to speak) of mis-managed diabetes. Diabetic ketoacidosis will kill you if ignored. You need sit with him TODAY. If your child doesn't take this seriously now, he never will. As an irresponsible diabetic adult he will - BEST case scenario - become blind or need an organ transplant at a young age.
If your child is newly diagnosed, there are definite denial and grieving periods to work through. Be patient, and be on his side. But be the one who watches out for his health. Welcome to the world of gray hair.
If your child is a tot, and eating junk, the fault lies with you. While your child grows and you educate him, it's up to you to be on top of meals and snacks - all the time. You're the parent.
Don't make living with diabetes a bad thing or a death sentence. Work with your child to enter a healthy lifestyle. There are LOTS of times for scheduled treats. I suspect your child is still on shots. And sneaking food because he doesn't want an extra shot. Down the road, you'll have the opportunity to move to the pump. Your doctor will never let you go on the pump with irresponsible management of the disease. Tell your child. It will be a goal for him to work towards, all the while forming good eating habits.
In the meantime…
1.) Find out what "free" (ie., carb free) foods he likes and stock up. Growing children are hungry! Let him have the freedom of enjoying carb free foods between snacks/meals.
2.) Join a support group, find a Parents of Diabetics chat room, or at minimum, collect email addresses from other parents here. It's a very lonely feeling to defend another person's health by yourself. Seeking out other parents and sharing "best-practices" is a great way to deal with the bumps ahead. Learn from those who have fought the battle before you.
3.) MOST importantly, don't lead a different lifestyle than your child. Diabetes is a family disease, we ALL have to adjust our eating and exercise habits when one of us is diagnosed. Walk the walk, and educate. These are the most important things you can do at home.
Answer:
I am going to be very non-PC here. I am assuming it is your child.
This child needs serious discipline, and I assume has been told the risks of eating the wrong foods. Do not wrap this child in cotton wool: it may pay to scare them into good behaviour by telling them of the long-term risks.
You may need to find a way of monitoring the child until they are old enough to be responsible. If the child is old enough to misbehave this way then they are old enough for the cold hard and painful facts.
I am assuming also that there is no underlying issue with the child such as learning difficulties or compulsive behaviours.
Good luck with it.
Oh, and to those who will criticise my harshness: being soft will not help. Wise discipline will.
Answer:
How old is your child?? I was diagnosed when I was 11 and that can be difficult. I went through a very long phase of how it wasn't fair and I didn't think it was a big deal. Depending on how old he/she is I would explain what is going to happen to he/she if they do not take care of themselves. Print off some articles online explain the disease and the complications. This can be scary for a child, but that is how I learned, and I didn't learn it until I wrote a paper about it in College. Who knows how much damage I have done to my body over that large period of time. I would have 600 sugars also , in and out of the hospital. Diabetes is one of very few diseases that affects every organ in the body. My fiance's aunt lost her leg due to diabetes and I have met her. I also waited (when I use to be a waitress) on a woman who was 25, very pretty girl but was blind due to diabetes and I think those two people changed my opinion on diabetes. Yeah it sucks being diabetic, and it is not fair, there is no cure, but you have to deal with it if you want to live a normal life.
Here are some statistics I got retrieved off of the ADA web site and JDRF.org that I used for my research paper.
Sixty-five percent of diabetics die from heart disease and stroke
A diabetic is two to four times more likely to die from heart disease, then a person without diabetes
About 73 percent of adults with either type of diabetes have high blood pressure
Another common complication of type-one diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. In its most advance state, diabetic retinopathy will cause blindness. Almost every type-one diabetic shows signs of diabetic retinopathy, after living with diabetes for about 20 years. On average, about 25,000 adults with type-one diabetes go blind each year.
Diabetic kidney disease, also known as diabetic nephropathy, is one of the most common and awful complications of type-one diabetes. About 30 percent of type-one diabetics will suffer through this devastating complication. It causes slow deterioration of the kidneys and kidney function which can eventually result in kidney failure, or more commonly know as end-stage renal disease.
Another very common complication of diabetes is diabetic neuropathy. Around 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have either a mild or severe form of the disease. High blood sugar can cause reduced circulation, thus slowing healing times for injuries, damaging nerves and even lead to amputation. Sixty percent of all non-traumatic amputations are a result of diabetic neuropathy.
In 2002, around 82,000 non-traumatic lower extremity amputations where done on people with diabetes.
Periodontal disease, or gum disease is twice more likely in a person with diabetes.
Men with either type of diabetes are twice more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction and women with type-one diabetes are also twice as likely to experience a prevalence of sexual dysfunction.
People with type-one diabetes often require hospitalization and are more likely to die from pneumonia or the flu then someone who is not a diabetic.
Those are some of the statistics that I used in my research paper. Your child needs to understand what can happen to her if she does not take care of herself. She might also need to meet other people that are living with the disease, so she doesn't feel alone. One of my best friends is a type one diabetic and it is very nice to have someone to talk to about it. I also recommend the following book for him/her to read. It is an autobiography written by John Keller called, "Living Life with Diabetes." He was diagnosed with type one diabetes when he was four and it talks about the struggles and how he felt about the disease. I read the whole book in a matter of days because I found it so interesting. There are also summer camps for diabetic children, where they can meet other people with the same disease. I wish they had those when I was little, but they didn't. Most of them offer financial help if you can not afford it through grants and other things. You can look at Joslin.org, there summer camp is only offered for boys or you can look at http://www.bartoncenter.org/index.php,….. they offer camps for both boys and girls. They have weekend, day, family and summer camps. There might even be camps around were you live, you just need to research it and look around.
I also suggest eating dinners as a family, if it is possible. Cooking meals that are healthy whole grain, vegetables and well balanced meal. You are the parent and you need to teach your son/daughter how to eat. What you teach them now will carry on through life. I eat very healthy as an adult now. I have people ask me all the time, what diet am I on or etc. And I am not on a diet I was raised to eat healthy. You are the role model for your child. Eventually they will learn and start enjoying food. There are plenty of healthy foods out there that taste good and your child will like, you just need to find them. After Halloween my mom had a candy dish that would make noise if you took a piece of candy. She would always let me take one piece a day, but never anymore then that. You don't have to be a drill Sergeant but you have to moderate what goes in there mouth. Switch from white to wheat breads and pastas. You should have no high sugar juices and sodas in the house. The low sugar juices that are available taste exactly the same (a bit more expensive though). Eventually over time she will get use to it. I hope this helps you a little bit. I know it can be hard but it is your son/daughters life that is at stake.
Answer:
So what would cause a 600 blood glucose reading? Junk you say? How about 2 pieces of white bread, an 8 oz glass of milk, and a small bag of chips. If you just add one piece of small candy that can lead to a 600. Diabetes can be manged, but it takes effort, if you have a child all that effort must come from you. You don't have to eat sugar to get bad readings, but it does sound like you need some medical advice, more insulin perhaps.