# Hello all



## Bluebaldybob (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi everyone. 
Just joined so thought I'd say hello.
My name is Robert, and I'm dad to Alesha, a very lively 5 year old girl, taken to hospital 5 days ago, where I found out she has type 1 diabetes.
Still in shock to be honest, and her mum and I are finding it quite hard going.
I have to inject her 5 times a day just now and we had our first meeting with the hospital yesterday. Everything is just going over my head just now so sorry in advance for all the stupid questions I'm likely to be asking. 

Regards to all

Bob


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## Northerner (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi Bob, welcome to the forum  Very sorry to hear about your daughter's diagnosis. There are lots of lovely parents here who have been through what you are going through now, so please do ask if there is anything (everything!) that is worrying or confusing you. I would highly recommend getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas. It will explain everything you need to know about living with Type 1. Well, maybe not _everything_, but for those things it doesn't, you have us! 

You may also be interested in Children with Diabetes, and there are lots of outher good links in our 'Useful Links' thread.

I look forward to hearing more from you, and wish you well


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## novorapidboi26 (Sep 13, 2011)

Welcome Bob, sorry to hear about your daughters diagnosis...........it must be really difficult at the moment........

Fortunately you have found us...............try not to be overwhelmed by everything and take it at your own pace.............treatment of diabetes has come a long way over the years...........

Feel free to ask any questions you have as there is a wide spectrum of folk all with different stories and experiences.............you will find your fellow parents on here a valuable source of wisdom and support......

Welcome again............


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## lucy123 (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi Bob,

Sorry it must be all so terribly frightening at the moment.
There are lots of parents on here who are very friendly and don't bite at all - so ask away - no question is considered silly on here 

I hope things start to make sense soon for you - give it time.


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## Pumper_Sue (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi Bob, welcome to the forum.
Sorry you had a reason to join though.
Things will get better after a few weeks of a new routine and seem less daunting. Take one day at a time everything is more managable then


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## Mark T (Sep 13, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Bob


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## Blythespirit (Sep 13, 2011)

Hello Bob and welcome to the forums.

I'm sorry to hear of your daughter's diagnosis and it must be really scary at the moment. I don't have personal experience of having a child with diabetes but there are loads of wonderful parents on here who have been where you are now. I'm confident that they will be along soon and be able to answer most or all of your questions. The rest of us will support you and your wife as uch as we can too. Take care and keep in touch. XXXXX


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## Robster65 (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi Bob.

Realise it must seem like an impossible task for you but somehow, someway, parents manage to control it. 

Can only wish you the best of luck and any support we can offer.

Rob


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## Steff (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi Bob,
A warm welcome to the forum from me sorry you have to be here though, we have a lovely set of parents on this forum who are full of good advice and  are a great help. x


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## Hanmillmum (Sep 13, 2011)

Bluebaldybob said:


> Hi everyone.
> Just joined so thought I'd say hello.
> My name is Robert, and I'm dad to Alesha, a very lively 5 year old girl, taken to hospital 5 days ago, where I found out she has type 1 diabetes.
> Still in shock to be honest, and her mum and I are finding it quite hard going.
> ...



Hi there and a warm welcome from me  There is probably information overload going on at the moment combined with the stress and shock of it all. The book Northerner has mentioned is our bible and it is good to have something to just go to and look things up as they arise. It pads out the information the nurse/team give you. Ask away with anything on here, everyone is so helpful. I really can appreciate what you are going through right now and my thoughts are with you all, it is a big change for all the family and a grieving process but it does get easier and it all becomes routine (albeit a very organised one),take care - hope Alesha is feeling much better soon x


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## KateXXXXXX (Sep 13, 2011)

Hello and welcome.  Everyone here is very helpful and kind, and will do all they can to make this as easy as they can.  They haul us off the ceiling when we get panicky, lift us off the floor when we fall, and generally muck in as best they can remotely.

Remember: the only stupid question is the one you don't ask.  There is masses to take in and remember, and you can't be up and running with it all immediately.


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## Bluebaldybob (Sep 14, 2011)

Hi everyone
A big thank you for the warm welcome. It was only after I'd posted in the parents section that I noticed the "introduce yourself" section, so sorry if I posted in the wrong bit. Thanks to the advice on here I've ordered books to try and learn as much as I can (just treading water just now)
Alesha went back to school yesterday (my heart in my mouth, mobile phone in sweaty hand all day )
We are lucky that my wife works in the school my wee one goes too, so she will be giving the injections to Alesha. Her readings the last couple of days have been not too bad, most are in or near the "normal" range, but we've been told it will be all over the place until her insulin is worked out, they're still changing that nearly every day.
The only problem is Alesha complains of is a bad itch on her arms and knees, mainly at night, and not near her injection sites. 
Anyone know what might cause this?
I've spoke to the diabetes team at hospital, and they say they've only had a couple of people complain of this, and we are not to worry 
I'm using aqueous cream and antihistamine just now, and i'll speak to the hospital again on Friday.
I've to do overnight tests at about 2-3 am every night and we are getting messed about getting her precriptions. Never away from the hospital as we still don't have everything we need. In fact we didn't get fastclix lancets as the prescription was cancelled due to accu-chek recalling supplies. A bit of running about to get that looked into today.
Thanks again, and I've no doubt i'll be back with more questions and updates.


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## Tina63 (Sep 14, 2011)

Hi and welcome to the forum.  Sorry to hear about your daughter.  As soon as my son was discharged we were referred to our GP for all our prescription needs.  In fact he DSN faxed a list of his requirements direct to our GP whilst we were still at the hospital then we just needed to go and collect it on our way home.  You imply you are getting all your supplies from the hospital, or I have I read that incorrectly?

Your head will be all over the place at the moment.  There is so much to learn in the first few weeks, we got spoonfed it bit by bit, and just as we thought we knew all there was to know, they came and told us yet more stuff!  I bought a binder with plastic inserts as we were left with a huge pile of sheets, and I have found that a brilliant way of keeping everything together, and handy if we do have any sort of crisis (we haven't has yet - 9 months since diagnosis) to refer to.  After each consultant appointment we get sent a letter confirming all their findings, so I file those there as well.

It is tough going for everyone at the start, but things do calm down after a while, and life really does get back to some sort of normality, it just takes a bit more planning.  On the drive home from hospital I felt really overwhelmed, it was like bringing your first newborn home, not really sure what you were doing, and that feeling of panic that it was all down to you, and you alone.  It's not, you should have emergency 24 hour phone numbers, and don't be afraid to use them, I did, even at about 11.30pm on New Years Eve!  Got straight through to a consultant and had my mind put at rest.

Good luck.
Tina


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## Bluebaldybob (Sep 14, 2011)

Hi Tina.
Yes we get our supplies from the hospital just now.
Alesha was only released from hospital on saturday night, so they gave us enough supplies to do us till Monday. Our doctor's practice didn't open till 9am and we were down there first thing in the morning. Dispite waiting all day, the presciption wasn't signed off till 5.15pm that afternoon. Right away to the chemists, who told us can't get it till following day. Got most of it on Tuesday, but NO lancets. Chemist phoned us this morning and told us it will be 3 days before they are in (We are checking glucose levels about 8-9 times days and night as the hospital want us to for at least the next 4 or 5 days so they get an idea hows she's doing) Chemist has been told by accu-chek its a manufacturing problem and they've recalled them. In the meantime the chemist is giving us a different test meter and strips to tide us over and they've told us just to keep it.
Hospital again on Friday so if we are short we can get more.
I hate to think what other diabetics who need these things will do if they can't get them.
I had to laugh when you mentioned the new born baby bit, as that is exactly what it feels like. I'm in every 5 minutes checking on her, any noise or movement and I'm up. I can only hope it gets a bit easier. I know our whole world has now changed and the effect it now has on our family. (Alesha has two sisters as well) Time will tell.


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## Tina63 (Sep 14, 2011)

Bluebaldybob said:


> Hi Tina.
> I had to laugh when you mentioned the new born baby bit, as that is exactly what it feels like. I'm in every 5 minutes checking on her, any noise or movement and I'm up. )



My lad is 16 now, but still if I hear more than the occasional bump in the night I am in his room like a shot.  If he is awake I just get greeted with "Yes, I'm still alive, Goodnight!!!"  I was very on edge to start with, but I do sleep easier now, but if I think things are not quite 'right' with him I am more edgy.

The one thing I would strongly advise is that once you get your GP up and running with prescriptions, be mega vigilant on levels of EVERYTHING you use and order in good time, especially if a bank holiday looms.  Though you will find chemists open, the GP surgeries shut for all bank holidays.  Sometimes too, as you have unfortunately already found, there can be problems with the chemists getting certain supplies.  Fortunately for us, the only things we have struggled to get and have had to go back for so far is a sharps bin - something that isn't vital to my son's wellbeing.  I have a whiteboard in the kitchen and on it have Lantus and Novorapid written, and I write next to it how many pens/cartridges we have left.  I usually keep one more box than we actually need in, just in case we ever have a bad batch.  I also have a note on there of the date of expiry of the glucogon syringe kit and our ketone strips.  Just helps keep me ahead of things, especially as at 16 my son keeps all his stuff in his room.


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