# 8 year old daughter just diagnosed with Type 1



## Ganeal (Aug 4, 2014)

Hi

We are on a family holiday in Spain and our daughter has been taken ill and in hospital she has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Although the staff are really attentive to her care they speak very little English and my wife and I sadly speak very little Spanish so we are very concerned when she is released from hospital whether we understand how to take care of her. We are also worried about what we do on the flight and when we get home to Warrington.

If anyone is able to give us some advice then we would really appreciate it. A family member suggested we may be able to get a nurse to fly back with us? 

Thanks

Gareth


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## Northerner (Aug 4, 2014)

Hi Gareth, I am so sorry to hear about your daughter's diagnosis. Have you spoken to your insurance company regarding getting a nurse to travel with you? Does the hospital have someone available who can translate for you?

As a Type 1 she will need insulin injections in order to keep her blood sugar levels under control. Do you know what insulin she is being given in hospital? Ideally, it will be a slow-acting insulin once a day, and fast-acting insulin to be taken when she eats any thing containing carbohydrate. If this is the case then she should be 'covered' by the slow-acting insulin until she gets home. You should get in touch with your GP immediately to arrange a prescription for her insulin, insulin pens, needle tips and blood glucose test strips for her blood glucose monitor. Hopefully, you will be given sufficient to cover your trip home. Keep everything in your hand luggage. She may need a carbohydrate snack if her levels fall low, so take something sweet and easily digestible (e.g. jelly babies of equivalent) Two or three should be sufficient to treat a low.

Please ask us any questions you have and try not to worry. It's a relatively short trip home so you will soon be back on more familiar territory.


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## Northerner (Aug 4, 2014)

The Diabetes UK Careline service may be able to help:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/How_we_help/Talk-to-someone/Careline/


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## Bloden (Aug 4, 2014)

So sorry tohear about your little girl's diagnosis, and on holiday too. 

Whereabouts are you in Spain?


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## HOBIE (Aug 4, 2014)

Good luck with everything, hope it sorts out


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## AlisonM (Aug 4, 2014)

Hello Gareth, I'm so very sorry to hear of your daughter's diagnosis. 

I think if you call the British Embassy, or your tour operator (assuming there is one), they will be able to find you an interpreter so you can be sure you understand everything your little one needs. Once you go home, you go straight to your GP and they can refer you to the nearest Diabetes Clinic.


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## Ganeal (Aug 4, 2014)

*Thanks everyone*

Wow so nice to know your not on your own. Thanks for all the advice. We are in touch with our insurance company so thanks for that we definitely think we will ask a nurse to come with us if at all possible and won't leave until she is 100%.

As for the prescription my wife  has been in touch with our GP so I think those arrangements are all in hand.

As for the translation our saviour arrived this morning in the form of a Maltese junior doctor who speaks English perfectly so we feel less desperate now. We always had confidence in the care she was getting it was just we couldn't understand what was going so she has explained more about what to expect. 

We will find more about the type of insulin in the next day or so.

Thanks everyone again


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## AlisonM (Aug 4, 2014)

We've a good many parents on here who can help when you have questions and, when littl'un is feeling better, you might introduce her to JDRF. It's a great resource for kids and parents.


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## Northerner (Aug 4, 2014)

Glad to hear you are getting the help you need Ganeal  When you get back I would highly recommend getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas - it's an invaluable guide to all things Type 1 

Hope she is feeling better soon and you are all able to get back home safe and sound


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## Miss_Melissa (Aug 4, 2014)

Hi Gareth, 
hope your wee lass is okay. It must be a scary and confusing time for her. But hopefully she'll be feeling much better with some insulin in her! 

I was diagnosed when I was 11 and remember having no clue what was happening.

Something that might be handy (which I'm sure will be taken care of if you have a nurse travelling back with you) is to have an official doctor's letter saying that your daughter is Type 1 diabetic. Security can sometimes be funny with needles and vials/pens of insulin. And you need it with you - so don't let them take it off you!

Welcome to the forum, and safe flight back for all your family.

Melissa


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## Ganeal (Aug 4, 2014)

Thanks all she has perked up a lot and is now able to talk to us which is music to our ears. I will ask for a letter Miss_Meliisa good advice. I will also buy the book you suggested Northerner. If I have any questions it's great to know there's help around, got some reading to do!


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## Hanmillmum (Aug 4, 2014)

Gosh so sorry to hear about your daughter - must be an additionally scary time being away from home in a foreign speaking country!!. My little one bounced back incredibly quickly from being in ITU one day to sitting up eating her tea and bobbing about the ward the next. She was incredibly hungry after losing a lot of weight very quickly and it took a good week or two for the higher numbers to plateau a bit.

Lots to take in and adjust to for you all. I hope you are able to get the support you need now and back home in these early days 

I second getting the letter having just been on our hols, some security at airports will take your word for it and others have tighter restrictions. Make sure it lists all her supplies as well as saying she will be needing to carry snacks and provisions too. Keep all her bits and bobs in a cabin bag (most airlines allow an additional carry/cabin bag for medical supplies), don't let it go off in the suitcases.

Best wishes


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## Ganeal (Aug 4, 2014)

Thanks hanmillmum, it is scarier being here, as soon as we can we want to come home. I will make sure with the letter and woe betide them if they try to take her medicine away from us!


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## Hanmillmum (Aug 4, 2014)

Fingers crossed you will get home soon. TC


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## Riri (Aug 4, 2014)

I hear what others say, but just to reassure you a bit Gareth, airlines are very used to seeing diabetes stuff (all the stuff we have to carry like insulin, testing strips, glucose, spare sets, insulin pumps) so I'd be very surprised if you have any problems at all at the airport. I find that countries like Spain and Greece are especially helpful and just wave me through with my insulin pump. I hope your little girl feels better enough to be discharged soon and that you can bring her home where at least you'll be in your own surroundings to start taking things in properly. It must have been scary for you all. Do remember to have some fast acting glucose with you in case her sugars do start getting a bit low.


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## Amberzak (Aug 5, 2014)

I've heard good things about the Spanish health care for diabetes so she's in good hands. 

Sorry to hear she's diabetic, but just to reassure you, and her, type one diabetes does not mean she can never have sweets or puddings or things like that, it doesn't mean her legs will fall off or the other things portrade in the media. You can still live a full life, with all it's normal ups and downs. Actually, thinking about it, since diagnosis me and my family have actually become healthier because we think more about what we eat. 

If she feels hungry all the time in the week or so from diagnosis, that's normal. 

Her first sugar low may scare her (and you). I can still remember my first hypo. It's like an adrenaline rush. But it's easily felt with. Just keep some jelly babies on you, just in case. 

That book northerner suggested is amazing. It tells you everything you need to know, and may even surprise you in places. 

One thing I would just like to say. It's nothing you or your daughter has done that caused it. It's an autoimmune disease, so her body was just made this way. When I was diagnosed I thought it must have been that I had eaten too many sweets, or something like that. But that's simply not the case. So please don't fall into the trap of thinking 'if only...' Or something like that. 

Thinking of your daughter. And remember this may seem hard now. But it won't be long until you become a pro


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## KookyCat (Aug 6, 2014)

I'm glad to hear your daughter is starting to feel better, I'm relatively new to this diagnosed with type 1 at 40 so no advice from me just a smile that the little one is starting to feel better.  I hope you get to come home shortly and she continues to feel better. It's a very scary time but she's clearly in good hands with you and her medical team and this forum is brilliant for advice and support when you need it


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## Redkite (Aug 6, 2014)

Sorry to hear about your little girl's diagnosis, I know full well what a shock it is (my son was 4 at diagnosis), and even worse on holiday.  Hope you've got the assistance you need now.  . I'm sure your daughter will be feeling a million times better now she's on insulin.  Definitely get the Ragnar Hanas book, which is absolutely brilliant!

Allow yourselves time to adjust (it's a grieving process, almost) after the initial massive shock.  My son was diagnosed just after we got home from a holiday (the noticeable symptoms of weeing and drinking started while we were camping in France), and even now 9 years later I feel a deep sadness looking at the photos from that holiday.  But he is a healthy happy young man, and your daughter will be absolutely fine too


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## Ganeal (Aug 7, 2014)

*Thanks all*

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement and guidance. It's 5 days since diagnosis and my wife and I can actually say we have now come to terms with it. We have been inspired by our daughters resilience and our friends ( and I include all you contributors in that) who have come forward with support. Whilst we all go through emotional ups and downs over it, we now know what we face and the reality is less frightening than we previously thought.

Please keep blogging guys it really means a lot especially when you feel really isolated in a foreign country. She has been home to us for a few hours now on a couple of days and hopefully tomorrow she will be discharged from hospital into our full time care. Expect to see some questions therefore! 

You've been amazing and thanks!


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## Ganeal (Aug 7, 2014)

Thanks for your thread, we all initially looked for a root cause of why us? But soon realised that we did nothing wrong and instead why not us? We will no doubt have some tough times ahead but so far I am just delighted to see my little girl smile and laugh again ! Thanks


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## Northerner (Aug 8, 2014)

Great to hear that she so doing so well  Take care and have a safe journey home


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## Bloden (Aug 8, 2014)

Glad to hear your little girl is doing well, and that you'll soon be home. 

You sound really positive, and ready to start living with diabetes...it IS an emotional rollercoaster at first, but as everyone says it DOES get better, and just becomes another part of your life. Take care.


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## Amberzak (Aug 8, 2014)

Glad to hear she's feeling better. 

There will be ups and downs, and you may feel overwhelmed learning everything. But it will soon become second nature. 

As you become more confident with the insulin, you can start to experiment with food. The key is that nothing is off limits for a type one diabetic. I choose not to drink sugary drinks because it raises my blood sugar, so I go for diet drinks, but I still eat chocolate at Christmas and birthdays and as an occasional treat. I did have to cut it all out at diagnosis though, just to get control. 

One thing most people say is avoid the 'diabetic' chocolate. It had just the same affect on the blood sugars and so you may as well eat normal chocolate.


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## Northerner (Aug 8, 2014)

Amberzak said:


> One thing most people say is avoid the 'diabetic' chocolate. It had just the same affect on the blood sugars and so you may as well eat normal chocolate.



A very good point Amberzak - anything supposedly 'diabetic' contains polyols and sweeteners that can cause nasty gastric problems. The thing to remember is that a diet which is good for people with diabetes is a diet which is good for everyone, we just have to be aware of carbohydrate content in the things we eat and drink. People without diabetes would also benefit from doing that also, since they are putting extra strain on their bodies - they may be able to cope with it, but it's still not the kind of balance the body needs!


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## AlisonM (Aug 8, 2014)

Life with this disease doesn't have to be that restrictive once you get your treatment and/or dietary regime right. Judging by the folk on here, the average 'aware' diabetic eats a far healthier diet than the average 'Joe Q' anyway. But that doesn't mean no treats, ever. We just don't eat the 'treat' stuff all the time. Like yesterday when I went to lunch with a friend, my numbers were fairly low so I sinned a little and had some apple pie and ice cream for dessert. Oh, I did enjoy that! I just covered for it with extra insulin. I also have a bar of Green & Blacks Sour Cherry sitting here at the moment and I sneak a square of it or two here and there. I'd rather have a little of something good now and again than put up with the so-called diabetic friendly nonsense which, I reckon, tastes awful anyway.


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## Northerner (Aug 8, 2014)

I've got strawberries and cream on the menu for tonight, slurp!  Strawberries are relatively low GI and the fat in the cream will slow the digestion and prevent my levels from rising too steeply


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## robert@fm (Aug 8, 2014)

When I was on Eastbourne Pier recently, in the middle was an ice-cream seller offering about 40 different flavours, including "diabetic vanilla". I thought to myself "type 1 or type 2?". 

Still at least this ice cream was the same price as the other flavours, unlike the usual "diabetic" stuff which is usually sold at a premium (another good reason to avoid it)...


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