# Parent of a 14 Year Old



## SueC (Mar 8, 2010)

Hi everyone

Apologies if you've already read this on the new members board - I thought I would post here too in case not everyone reads that board.

My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 in March 2005, so will shortly have her five year Diabetes 'birthday'.

I've just found this site while searching online for a new novelty to help her with her diabetes.  I just discovered at the weekend that she's failing to test her blood at lunchtimes at school and although she is injecting insulin (she uses NovaRapid) the amounts are clearly a pure guess and not a very accurate one as her HbA1C tests indicate.

This site looks great and very active.  I've previously read and posted a few times on Diabetes Daily (www.diabetesdaily.com) which is also great and I've had some really good advice from members there but what I was really hoping to find was a site for my daughter to start to talk to other teenagers.  The Diabetes Daily teen board is not so active and members are mostly American so I think would be less relevant for her in comparisons over school stuff etc.

She's in touch with a few friends she met last year on a Diabetes UK activity holiday but something like this would be good too.  Communicating regularly with people with diabetes may help keep it more at the front of her mind.  She's aware of the risks of not taking better care, but inevitably life takes over sometimes, and she doesn't give it the attention it unfortunately needs.

Can anyone recommend any sites?  Or could one be started here?

Any advice appreciated.

Best regards

Sue


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## Patricia (Mar 13, 2010)

Hi Sue

Welcome to the board... I have a newly-turned 14 year old with T1 too! A boy though, much more recently diagnosed...

I recently ran across a site, in the States mainly, but looked good, run by JDRF, called Juvenation. That might be worth a go.

We have often thought about trying to get a teen site going on this forum... I'm wondering if it's worth trying to set up a thread or location for this now Northerner or Admin, if you see this!

It's a well-moderated place...

Take care Sue.


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## sophieee (Mar 13, 2010)

SueC said:


> Hi everyone
> 
> Apologies if you've already read this on the new members board - I thought I would post here too in case not everyone reads that board.
> 
> ...



I did exactly the same, only I wasn't testing OR doing insulin with lunch. My mum understood me not wanting to do it in school, and so I'd do it straight away when I got in the car. I know my blood sugars aren't perfect, but when I was in school they were a LOT better, and so if she refuses to do them in school, and there's no way of talking her round I suppose that's the next best thing? 
I don't know if there's anybody else in her school with diabetes who injects, I know there wasn't at my school, and so when I was doing it it felt like everyone stared, and on one occasion someone 'accidentally' knocked into me. And so I stopped. Has she told you why she's not doing it? Could somebody giving her 'grief' for it? 
If the school has an 'understanding' on site nurse, you could ask her to chase her up to make sure she's doing it at lunch time ? 
Not been much help sorrys  x


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## Lauren (Mar 14, 2010)

sophieee said:


> I did exactly the same, only I wasn't testing OR doing insulin with lunch. My mum understood me not wanting to do it in school, and so I'd do it straight away when I got in the car. I know my blood sugars aren't perfect, but when I was in school they were a LOT better, and so if she refuses to do them in school, and there's no way of talking her round I suppose that's the next best thing?
> I don't know if there's anybody else in her school with diabetes who injects, I know there wasn't at my school, and so when I was doing it it felt like everyone stared, and on one occasion someone 'accidentally' knocked into me. And so I stopped. Has she told you why she's not doing it? Could somebody giving her 'grief' for it?
> If the school has an 'understanding' on site nurse, you could ask her to chase her up to make sure she's doing it at lunch time ?
> Not been much help sorrys  x



Hi I used to do the same thing too - I was put on MDIs and carb counting when I was 16 and I was so self-conscious of testing and doing insulin in school that I just didn't do it and I used to get home and my blood levels were always 16-22! I used to try to eat less at lunch (half a slice of bread) to counteract it but obviously that wasn't sensible either. I carried on like that for 2 years. That was a really stupid thing to do and nowadays I wouldn't have a problem with it but I can kind of understand it. Sorry not to be much help but maybe that gives you an idea of why she might be doing it?


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## Freddie99 (Mar 14, 2010)

Hi Sue,

I've lived with type one most of my life. Fourteen was only five years ago for me. I've only just learned to carb count and I would really reccomend that you and your daughter do it. It's an invaluable skill and has allowed me to get the ball rolling for a pump.

Tom


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