# Mam to Type 1 son



## J7BLE (Mar 16, 2019)

Hi....my son was diagnosed with Type 1 in September and I’m still really struggling with the emotional side of it all. He’s coping so well and we are so proud of him but my heart is broken.....if I let myself I could cry all the time. I struggle every day not to think about it all the time. My husband is amazing and totally understands how I’m feeling, he is struggling too. I keep myself busy and work every day but I feel exhausted with the constant worry and stress.
I guess I’m just posting on here to ask if others feel this way too and hopefully hear that in time this might get better.....
Thank you for reading Julie


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## HOBIE (Mar 16, 2019)

On a positive note J. I have been T1 since England won the world cup aged 3. A lot of hard work but have never been unemployed in my life. Insulin pumps are way forward. "A couple of pushes of buttons".


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## J7BLE (Mar 16, 2019)

Thank you for your positivity, it’s good to hear. Matthew is currently looking into pump options. He is “happy” with injections at the moment but his options are more limited once he is 12.
It’s an emotional rollercoaster at the moment for us, as a parent you just want you kids to be fit and healthy. We will do our utmost to make sure this happens, just all very daunting at times


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## HOBIE (Mar 16, 2019)

I am pleased he has looked at Pumps. A big fella would NOT get mine off me


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## KARNAK (Mar 16, 2019)

Hi Julie, welcome to the forum. You are not alone and it appears young Mathew is coping very well. Parents tend to take it harder but remember it is not an illness but a condition which can be controlled, you will as Mathew will, learn to control this condition and it will become second nature for you and all your family and friends. Please remember it is Mathews Diabetes and not yours, stay in touch with his Diabetes team and especially his DSN (Diabetic Specialist Nurse) who should be able to answer any of your concerns. If you have any concerns which cannot be answered by his DSN, please post on the forum a wealth of information is available. Take care we are here for you and Mathew.


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## J7BLE (Mar 17, 2019)

KARNAK said:


> Hi Julie, welcome to the forum. You are not alone and it appears young Mathew is coping very well. Parents tend to take it harder but remember it is not an illness but a condition which can be controlled, you will as Mathew will, learn to control this condition and it will become second nature for you and all your family and friends. Please remember it is Mathews Diabetes and not yours, stay in touch with his Diabetes team and especially his DSN (Diabetic Specialist Nurse) who should be able to answer any of your concerns. If you have any concerns which cannot be answered by his DSN, please post on the forum a wealth of information is available. Take care we are here for you and Mathew.


Good Mornng! Thank you for your support. Our DSN is excellent and always at the end of the phone if needed. From the very beginning it has been drummed into us that it is Matthews diabetes and he is very much involved in his food choices, ratio changes and doses. He has injected himself from day 1 for which we are so proud of him.
Your HbA1c is amazing, Matthew was 130 plus back in Sept then down to 70 end of Oct and down to 40 in Dec, he was so happy with that, as were we.
It’s a constant worry to me and as his mam I doubt that will ever change.


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## KARNAK (Mar 17, 2019)

Hi again, Mathews figures are also amazing, shows great control in such a short time. I know as a parent you are bound to worry and always will but the anguish will decrease and hopefully disappear with time. Take care.


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## SB2015 (Mar 18, 2019)

J7BLE said:


> Good Mornng! Thank you for your support. Our DSN is excellent and always at the end of the phone if needed. From the very beginning it has been drummed into us that it is Matthews diabetes and he is very much involved in his food choices, ratio changes and doses. He has injected himself from day 1 for which we are so proud of him.
> Your HbA1c is amazing, Matthew was 130 plus back in Sept then down to 70 end of Oct and down to 40 in Dec, he was so happy with that, as were we.
> It’s a constant worry to me and as his mam I doubt that will ever change.


Well done to you both for getting the levels down.  It sounds like you are beginning to get more used to this new ‘normal’ life, and as you both find a way to manage this your anguish will decrease. Keep in touch.


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## J7BLE (Mar 18, 2019)

SB2015 said:


> Well done to you both for getting the levels down.  It sounds like you are beginning to get more used to this new ‘normal’ life, and as you both find a way to manage this your anguish will decrease. Keep in touch.


Thank you afain....I really hope my anguish will get better with time. I know it’s still early days and I’m learning to accept that this is not something I can totally control and make better which as a mam is a hard pill to swallow x


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## HOBIE (Mar 18, 2019)

Did u mean AGAIN ?  made me laugh.


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## trophywench (Mar 18, 2019)

You madam - are acting perfectly normally for a lady in your position!  Impossible though you may find this right now - it DOES honestly get better.  But like most upsetting things - it simply takes Time.  So - give yourself time!

It compares to a bereavement, the effect it has - and had you actually had a bereavement then you'd entirely accept being upset and bursting into tears 'for no partic reason' - wouldn't you?

All the 101 different things we now need to do that we didn't even knew existed before diagnosis - just become habits - given time!  There again, it wasn't until after we came home from having a really good Sunday lunch with 10 mates we haven't seen much of for 2 years in some cases - that I said to OH - Oh blast - I forgot I was diabetic at lunchtime, I think I'd better test my blood and see what the damage is!  Do you?  LOL - secure in the knowledge that I wasn't about to drop dead or triple my HbA1c, cos it's only when you do that kind of thing multiple times, that you suffer long term really.  If you only do it twice a year you can get away with it a bit - but there again the carb count for the huge plateful was only about 35g - lovely veges - and it did take me till halfway through this morning to get it completely right again.  Most things can be solved if you use a bit of logic and don't panic!


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## J7BLE (Mar 18, 2019)

HOBIE said:


> Did u mean AGAIN ?  made me laugh.


Ha ha...yes AGAIN....my eyes aren’t what they used to be


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## J7BLE (Mar 18, 2019)

trophywench said:


> You madam - are acting perfectly normally for a lady in your position!  Impossible though you may find this right now - it DOES honestly get better.  But like most upsetting things - it simply takes Time.  So - give yourself time!
> 
> It compares to a bereavement, the effect it has - and had you actually had a bereavement then you'd entirely accept being upset and bursting into tears 'for no partic reason' - wouldn't you?
> 
> All the 101 different things we now need to do that we didn't even knew existed before diagnosis - just become habits - given time!  There again, it wasn't until after we came home from having a really good Sunday lunch with 10 mates we haven't seen much of for 2 years in some cases - that I said to OH - Oh blast - I forgot I was diabetic at lunchtime, I think I'd better test my blood and see what the damage is!  Do you?  LOL - secure in the knowledge that I wasn't about to drop dead or triple my HbA1c, cos it's only when you do that kind of thing multiple times, that you suffer long term really.  If you only do it twice a year you can get away with it a bit - but there again the carb count for the huge plateful was only about 35g - lovely veges - and it did take me till halfway through this morning to get it completely right again.  Most things can be solved if you use a bit of logic and don't panic!


That is a great story and one that made me smile....I was actually quite laid back at Christmas about things and Matthew even had a split dose for the first time for a carb loaded meal at our local Italian. I just seem to have gone backwards these last few weeks. He’s been running high over night and we are trying all different things to find out why. If he has a good even day then I’m happy but dread checking in the night to find him high!
We are going to try delaying supper for 15 mins after insulin tonight and see if that helps
Thank you so much for your kind words and advice x


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## trophywench (Mar 18, 2019)

LOL - don't delay supper - jab the meal insulin 15 minutes early!  LOL

He might be like me though - I use Novorapid and it gets going for me in 10 minutes - so if I hadn't already started eating it by then I'd be hypo.

That's the thing though - every single one of us is different - and every single one of us has to adapt to what their body needs.  It quite often can be at odds with what the textbooks say - we are humans, not medical hypotheses or assumptions or even intelligent guesstimates !


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## J7BLE (Mar 19, 2019)

trophywench said:


> LOL - don't delay supper - jab the meal insulin 15 minutes early!  LOL
> 
> He might be like me though - I use Novorapid and it gets going for me in 10 minutes - so if I hadn't already started eating it by then I'd be hypo.
> 
> That's the thing though - every single one of us is different - and every single one of us has to adapt to what their body needs.  It quite often can be at odds with what the textbooks say - we are humans, not medical hypotheses or assumptions or even intelligent guesstimates !


Ha ha....yes that’s what I meant....insulin 15 mins early and supper/Levemir at 9 as usual.
He was a bit high with supper (excited playing computer games I think) so added correction plus 15 mins before, he dropped to 4.2 after about 45 mins with a Libre saying falling fast so gave a jelly baby. Caught it in time and only had slight peak at about 1am which is quite normal for Matthew then back down nicely to 5.3 at breakfast. Hopefully tonight he won’t need correction and see how delay works.....but who knows eh ?!? X


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## SB2015 (Mar 19, 2019)

J7BLE said:


> Ha ha....yes that’s what I meant....insulin 15 mins early and supper/Levemir at 9 as usual.
> He was a bit high with supper (excited playing computer games I think) so added correction plus 15 mins before, he dropped to 4.2 after about 45 mins with a Libre saying falling fast so gave a jelly baby. Caught it in time and only had slight peak at about 1am which is quite normal for Matthew then back down nicely to 5.3 at breakfast. Hopefully tonight he won’t need correction and see how delay works.....but who knows eh ?!? X


That is sounding like a success.  As Jenny says we are just human and things will be different for each of us, and it can be different at different times if the day.  You are already working out things to change bit by bit.  Glad that you have the Libre which makes checking overnight easier.

You are already sounding like you have got the hang of things, and you are only a short time into this.
Well done. Just keep at it, keep asking and keep working with Matthew.

I have just seen that there are two Family Weekender events on the DUK website.  This includes events for you, for Matthew and any siblings.  It could give you the chance to talk to other parents, and Matthew a chance to do a variety of activities with others who also have T1.  Have a look if you think it might be of interest.


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## J7BLE (Mar 19, 2019)

SB2015 said:


> That is sounding like a success.  As Jenny says we are just human and things will be different for each of us, and it can be different at different times if the day.  You are already working out things to change bit by bit.  Glad that you have the Libre which makes checking overnight easier.
> 
> You are already sounding like you have got the hang of things, and you are only a short time into this.
> Well done. Just keep at it, keep asking and keep working with Matthew.
> ...


Yes I’m quickly learning that no two days are the same......Matthew had a post pasta hypo tonight so another correction with supper and hopefully no spike later. 
Ah thank you for that I’ll have a look on the website x


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## SB2015 (Mar 20, 2019)

J7BLE said:


> Yes I’m quickly learning that no two days are the same......Matthew had a post pasta hypo tonight so another correction with supper and hopefully no spike later.
> Ah thank you for that I’ll have a look on the website x



I find pasta is a pest.  
The only solution to eating pasta that I found was to split my Bolus injection.  The pasta took quite a while to change to glucose so the insulin injected with the meal got going before the pasta.  My solution was to split the Bolus, and take half with the meal and the other half up to two hours later.  However I All too often forgot to do the second half!

Solutions
Do what you did: extra carbs for the low that will haooen after the meal, and a correction later on for the carbs from the pasta (although for me this could be overnight which is why I gave up on it)
Or 
I found alternatives to pasta: I use black bean pasta made by Explore Cuisine.  
Much lower carbs and quicker action and looks like pasta
Or
I use rice where I would have used pasta
I manage rice better than pasta
Or 
Courgetti (threads of ‘pasta’ made by spiralising courgettes)
Excellent in the summer when friends have a glut of courgettes, but not to everyone’s taste.

It is amazing what you get to know about the digestive process!!  
I knew nothing about this before D and now I have a head full of ‘useful’ info about carbs
Garibaldi 7g, digestive 11g, ginger nut 7g, greeen beans 7g/100g, ....


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## J7BLE (Mar 20, 2019)

SB2015 said:


> I find pasta is a pest.
> The only solution to eating pasta that I found was to split my Bolus injection.  The pasta took quite a while to change to glucose so the insulin injected with the meal got going before the pasta.  My solution was to split the Bolus, and take half with the meal and the other half up to two hours later.  However I All too often forgot to do the second half!
> 
> Solutions
> ...


Yes I’ve read that loads of people have a problem with pasta. I’ve tried using 50/50 white/whole meal to see if that helps. He doesn’t always drop low after but now you’ve said that he did run high over night which was probably the pasta!!
It’s one of Matthews favourite foods and I’m really trying not stop things he likes and just trying to find solutions. I wish he would eat the veg alternatives but being 11 anything veg like is not entertained.

He had paste with his tea at 5pm then had supper at 9pm where we corrected the high due to pasta low. Do you think the pasta could still have caused the night high bearing in mind that we corrected at 9pm ??? 
He was a bit low at 10.30pm due to teatime correction so he did have 1 jelly baby to bring him up a bit....I’m assuming that wouldn’t cause the nighttime high as it’s short acting ??
He creeped up from about 1am and stayed high most of the night coming down slowly to 6 with breakfast.
Thank for your advice x


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## trophywench (Mar 20, 2019)

Pasta spikes me 4 or 5 or 6 hours after I eat it.  I really shouldn't consume more than approx. 40g carb of it at a time and I know that - so that's precisely why I don't very often have it.  OK having a pump does make some things easier to set split or extended boluses for - but not this one because there needs to be a gap of a few hours between the 2 or 3 parts of the meal bolus - and pumps can't do that.

(Well maybe they will once they're completely closed loop but unlikely free on the NHS for this diabetic)


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## HOBIE (Mar 20, 2019)

J7BLE said:


> Ha ha....yes that’s what I meant....insulin 15 mins early and supper/Levemir at 9 as usual.
> He was a bit high with supper (excited playing computer games I think) so added correction plus 15 mins before, he dropped to 4.2 after about 45 mins with a Libre saying falling fast so gave a jelly baby. Caught it in time and only had slight peak at about 1am which is quite normal for Matthew then back down nicely to 5.3 at breakfast. Hopefully tonight he won’t need correction and see how delay works.....but who knows eh ?!? X


I play Chess a lot on the computer & have an 80% winning record. I have tested bg while playing & my bg goes down (I don't like to loose) Matt might be the same


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## Oslo1 (May 11, 2019)

J7BLE said:


> Hi....my son was diagnosed with Type 1 in September and I’m still really struggling with the emotional side of it all. He’s coping so well and we are so proud of him but my heart is broken.....if I let myself I could cry all the time. I struggle every day not to think about it all the time. My husband is amazing and totally understands how I’m feeling, he is struggling too. I keep myself busy and work every day but I feel exhausted with the constant worry and stress.
> I guess I’m just posting on here to ask if others feel this way too and hopefully hear that in time this might get better.....
> Thank you for reading Julie


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## Oslo1 (May 11, 2019)

Hi my 9 year old son has just been diagnosed with type 1  he has been amazing and so brave.  I feel exactly like you have said every time I think about it I burst into tears and feel anxious all the time.    Im glad you have posted and im not the only one feeling like this.I wanted to ask how you feel now and is it getting better


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## HOBIE (May 11, 2019)

Hi Oslo1 & welcome . As a 3yr old in 1966 its got miles better. The future is looking much better with pumps & CGM. Good luck


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## J7BLE (May 12, 2019)

Oslo1 said:


> Hi my 9 year old son has just been diagnosed with type 1  he has been amazing and so brave.  I feel exactly like you have said every time I think about it I burst into tears and feel anxious all the time.    Im glad you have posted and im not the only one feeling like this.I wanted to ask how you feel now and is it getting better


Hello! 
I hope you are doing ok today. Having posted on here and a few Facebook forums I discovered that how I was feeling is a “normal” reaction and that did make me feel better. It really is like a grieving process. 
At first you are in shock and just cry all the time. After a few weeks you will start to feel overwhelmed by it all and feel that you can’t cope.....but you WILL cope and in the coming months you will start to feel that this condition will not rule your life.
 I hit the 6 month mark and started to feel that maybe I shouldn’t be sad anymore and that I needed to pull myself together. But having spoke to people on here and other Facebook forums I realised that it does take time and it’s still early days for us.
In all honesty I still have bad days where I feel down and overwhelmed by it all BUT then it passes and I think all I can do is my best to keep Matthew safe and healthy. I’m still very emotional about it all but at the end of the day they are our babies and it’s not the life we ever wanted for them. But this is our life now and we have to make the best of it and not let diabetes control us. 
We have recently returned from our first holiday since diagnosis. Just went to a lodge in this country not too far from home.....we had a fantastic time and didn’t let diabetes stop us from doing what we normally would do. Yes it took a bit more planning and it’s always there in the back of your mind but we had fun. I feel that I’ve got a small amount of control back and know we can still enjoy our holidays.
So...in answer to your question....yes I do feel better than when I reached out on here for support. What you are feeling now is totally normal and to be expected. With time you will gradually feel a bit better and the tears will get less. Like I said it’s still early days for me and yes I’m still sad about it all but I don’t cry every day and my anxiety is better so I’m taking that as progress.
It’s a constant learning process and you will have good and bad days. 
On a more positive note Matthew is still handling this all so fantastically. He never complains or moans about things and just gets on with everything he has to do. I hope your son is still coping well too. Kids really are so resilient and I’m totally in awe of Matthew and how well he copes with everything. 
So long as he’s happy and healthy then I’m doing my job ok
Hang in there and just do your best.....things will get easier xx


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## Thebearcametoo (May 12, 2019)

Another one with a 9 year old with a March diagnosis. We’re mostly feeling overwhelmed and a bit like we’re running a marathon but the day to day management is getting easier.


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## Oslo1 (May 12, 2019)

You have made me feel so much better knowing I'm not alone  thank you  Owen isn't at school yet as teachers need to be trained first.  So that will he the next big step.  He takes a packed lunch so I'm guessing I just carb count everything and make a note of it I mostly worried about hypo s as he has had a few and we can't tell signs.  Also Owen can eat carb free snacks without having insulin so far I've only found carrots and cucumbers any ideas?


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## HOBIE (May 12, 2019)

J7BLE said:


> Hello!
> I hope you are doing ok today. Having posted on here and a few Facebook forums I discovered that how I was feeling is a “normal” reaction and that did make me feel better. It really is like a grieving process.
> At first you are in shock and just cry all the time. After a few weeks you will start to feel overwhelmed by it all and feel that you can’t cope.....but you WILL cope and in the coming months you will start to feel that this condition will not rule your life.
> I hit the 6 month mark and started to feel that maybe I shouldn’t be sad anymore and that I needed to pull myself together. But having spoke to people on here and other Facebook forums I realised that it does take time and it’s still early days for us.
> ...


As I have said before "I would employ any T1" with the right attude. because I know they can do it.


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## Bronco Billy (May 12, 2019)

@Oslo1, cheese and meat (except sausages) are carb free. My daughter loves raiding the packet of ham.


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## J7BLE (May 13, 2019)

Oslo1 said:


> You have made me feel so much better knowing I'm not alone  thank you  Owen isn't at school yet as teachers need to be trained first.  So that will he the next big step.  He takes a packed lunch so I'm guessing I just carb count everything and make a note of it I mostly worried about hypo s as he has had a few and we can't tell signs.  Also Owen can eat carb free snacks without having insulin so far I've only found carrots and cucumbers any ideas?


Afternoon!
Yes going back to school is a big challenge for parents....I didn’t cope very well....Matthew on the other hand was fine and just got on with it. He actually missed his first 2 weeks starting comp as he was diagnosed the day before. He was amazing and jumped straight in....we are so proud of him. I’m sure Owen will adjust just as well as Matthew, kids really are tougher than we think.
Matthew eats cheese / baby bells / ham / chicken / sugar(carb free) jelly if he’s hungry between meals or if he has a bad hypo which leaves him starving!! Egg is also a good choice....scrambled / fried if he’s really hungry.
Owen (and you) will soon learn the signs of a hypo...Matthew goes very pale and feels “shaky and a bit sick”
In the coming months as you learn more about it I can really recommend the Libre sensor. Have a read about it....it’s an option for the future. 
I would also recommend joining the “UK CWD AG” Facebook group. At first I didn’t want to do that but after a few month when I was still struggling I joined and it did help me. Everyone understands how you are feeling and are always there to offer advice and support.
Take care Julie x


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## Lucy Honeychurch (May 13, 2019)

Oslo1 said:


> You have made me feel so much better knowing I'm not alone  thank you  Owen isn't at school yet as teachers need to be trained first.  So that will he the next big step.  He takes a packed lunch so I'm guessing I just carb count everything and make a note of it I mostly worried about hypo s as he has had a few and we can't tell signs.  Also Owen can eat carb free snacks without having insulin so far I've only found carrots and cucumbers any ideas?



Hi and welcome 
Sorry to hear about Owen's diagnosis . On the parent forum you can apply for a parents type 1 information bag to help you. Also the Ragnar Hanas book Type 1 diabetes in Children and Adolescents comes highly recommended. Keep posting and asking any questions


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## Oslo1 (May 13, 2019)

J7BLE said:


> Afternoon!
> Yes going back to school is a big challenge for parents....I didn’t cope very well....Matthew on the other hand was fine and just got on with it. He actually missed his first 2 weeks starting comp as he was diagnosed the day before. He was amazing and jumped straight in....we are so proud of him. I’m sure Owen will adjust just as well as Matthew, kids really are tougher than we think.
> Matthew eats cheese / baby bells / ham / chicken / sugar(carb free) jelly if he’s hungry between meals or if he has a bad hypo which leaves him starving!! Egg is also a good choice....scrambled / fried if he’s really hungry.
> Owen (and you) will soon learn the signs of a hypo...Matthew goes very pale and feels “shaky and a bit sick”
> ...


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## Oslo1 (May 13, 2019)

J7BLE said:


> Afternoon!
> Yes going back to school is a big challenge for parents....I didn’t cope very well....Matthew on the other hand was fine and just got on with it. He actually missed his first 2 weeks starting comp as he was diagnosed the day before. He was amazing and jumped straight in....we are so proud of him. I’m sure Owen will adjust just as well as Matthew, kids really are tougher than we think.
> Matthew eats cheese / baby bells / ham / chicken / sugar(carb free) jelly if he’s hungry between meals or if he has a bad hypo which leaves him starving!! Egg is also a good choice....scrambled / fried if he’s really hungry.
> Owen (and you) will soon learn the signs of a hypo...Matthew goes very pale and feels “shaky and a bit sick”
> ...


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## Oslo1 (May 13, 2019)

Hi 
Thank you for the snack ideas SF jelly sounds like a winner.   If your son is having a snack Does he always takes bloods first  I feel I am confusing myself to day I thought I was getting more confident with this but today I did my first food shop i found it difficult looking at foods differently Owen loves asda fresh pizzas and have had many times without thinking but now I'm looking for carbs there wasn't any  nutrient advice on the pizza and assistant was very unhelpful getting upset over a pizza crazy I know.  Your son seems to be coping very well their amazing
Thanks again for advice  Kathryn x


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## Bronco Billy (May 13, 2019)

In an ideal world, bloods should be taken before any food. However, it’s not always practical or, frankly, fair to the child (in my humble opinion). We only test before a snack if the previous test was on the high side.

We used to buy Asda fresh pizzas, but found it worth making the sacrifice of switching to the frozen version due to the certainty of the nutritional information. I do the big food shop as ‘er indoors doesn’t drive. I used to be a bit nervous in case I bought the wrong version of a product, but now I have developed the knowledge to be more aware of what I’m buying. You will reach this stage too. It even affects me when I’m buying food for me at lunchtime. It’s as if the dietician is looking over my shoulder nagging me about what I’m thinking of buying! “Don’t buy that, buy this.” and “Oooo, have you seen the amount of carbs/fat in that? Are you sure you want to eat that?” I can hear her saying. I guess I’m better for it.


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## J7BLE (May 14, 2019)

Oslo1 said:


> Hi
> Thank you for the snack ideas SF jelly sounds like a winner.   If your son is having a snack Does he always takes bloods first  I feel I am confusing myself to day I thought I was getting more confident with this but today I did my first food shop i found it difficult looking at foods differently Owen loves asda fresh pizzas and have had many times without thinking but now I'm looking for carbs there wasn't any  nutrient advice on the pizza and assistant was very unhelpful getting upset over a pizza crazy I know.  Your son seems to be coping very well their amazing
> Thanks again for advice  Kathryn x


Morning!
Yes I remember taking Matthew to ASDA for the first time after diagnosis....it was so upsetting!! I don’t think anyone can understand until you start actually looking at packets and seeing the amount of carbs in things you usually buy or like you say the lack of info on some things.

Have you got the Carbs and Cals book ? That is a good guide.....you can just weigh the food and it gives you a rough carb count. I’ve got the app on my phone too which is really helpful.
Yes pizza is a difficult one...like Bronco said frozen is a good idea as carbs are usually on there. Or failing that use carbs and cals book and just weigh it.

We don’t always test before snacks either....just put the bolus carbs in Matthews meter and get a insulin amount from there. To be honest Matthew rarely eats between meals....something which has surprised me as he used to be a terrible snacker (not such a bad change I suppose)

It has really surprised me the lack of understanding surrounding carb counting and diabetes. One restaurant we went to assumed I wanted to know the carbs as I was watching his weight with him being diabetic.....I didn’t even have the heart to correct him!!

You are doing amazing and things will get easier....it feels overwhelming and scary now but you are doing your best and asking questions is how you will learn.

Hope you have a good day today x


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## Thebearcametoo (May 14, 2019)

The carbs and Cals app and book are really helpful for judging portions and working out carbs. If you always get the same pizza then you can work out the carbs once and note it down and you won’t need it for next time. Our diabetes team say we’re aiming to estimate the carbs to within about 10g so it doesn’t have to be exact the the gram for everything. Mostly now I know out common foods to be able to look at them and know her toast is 15, porridge 25, how big a portion of berries is etc. Some foods seem to make her spike and then crash (hello sushi!) so we try to give them at lunch time and make sure she had a good sized pudding with a reasonable amount of fat in and some protein so that helps stabilise her. It’s all a bit trial and error to begin with but you do get used to it. 

We were very cautious about how many carbs we were giving to begin with but I’ve relaxed that a bit now. As long as we make sure there’s a good mix of fat and protein then we just give the insulin as appropriate and she’s generally fine. Although she is choosing to eat fewer carbs sometimes anyway. 

I do find it overwhelming to stand in shops and see all the carb laden foods - especially treats - but the hardest thing for me has been eating out and looking at drinks and unless there are zero sugar Fanta or sprite or whatever then that can get a bit dull as we try to limit sugars from drinks. It’s easier in somewhere like McDonalds than a lot of more upmarket family friendly places where they try to avoid sweeteners.


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