# Alice update



## stephknits (Jun 3, 2020)

Alice had her first consultants appointment today on the phone.  Got results of all her blood checks done when admitted to hospital.  Glad to find out her kidneys are fine, thyroid good and she is not pregnant!
Type 1 confirmed GAD was 'impressively high' over 1000 apparently when would normally be in single figures (I think).  
Alice still not injecting, but doing all her own carb counting and dose calculating.  On the libre her current calculated Hba1c is 40.  
She had a big wobble emotionally the other day as she went to a 16 th birthday picnic.  Picnics not a great start as first thing to do on your own so she didnt eat anything.  Also she hadn't told any of her friends apart from one who was diagnosed type 1 last year.  She was worried everyone would treat her differently.  It turns out her type 1 friend was there and asked how she was doing, so now everyone knows and that is out of the way.  She seems to be getting worse with the needles,not better, but I'm sure we will get there on the end.  
Sorry for long waffle, thanks for being there all.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jun 4, 2020)

Thanks so much for the update on Alice @stephknits 

Hopefully, even though it perhaps wasn‘t her intention, now that her friends all know she can get some support from them, and not have to worry about them finding out. 

Sorry that the injections are challenging. Is it discomfort? Or more of a mental thing do you think?

Perhaps the needle length or guage could be changed so that they are as pain free as possible. Is she able to talk about the difficulty?


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## stephknits (Jun 4, 2020)

Thanks @everydayupsanddowns it is mostly a mental thing.  We have the smallest needles etc.  She has always been really scared of needles - fainting at school during inoculation.  She hates not being able to do something, which makes it worse as she puts added pressure on herself me gets herself wound up.  The boy I mentioned who has type 1 is very lovely, but told her that he was doing his own injections within half an hour of starting, so she feels even more of a failure. 
We have made an appointment to see the clinical pyschologist attached to the team.  We have had one phone conversation and one face to face introductory meeting which would normally be with the whole family, but was restricted to Alice and me.  Very good support so am hopeful.  We can make an appointment anytime we like, but face-to-face only in special circumstances, when phone not appropriate.  Fortunately, the psychologist agrees we don't do well with phone appointments, but it means they take longer to arrange as they have a only one patient in the centre at any one time policy.  Am just glad we can see them at all.


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## Sally71 (Jun 4, 2020)

It's very early days for her isn’t it, she's probably still processing what has happened to her.  Give her time, don’t make an issue of it and she'll decide to have a go when she's ready. (Easier said than done I know, don't know if I'd manage to be that patient!)


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## Sally71 (Jun 4, 2020)

Oh and please tell her from me she's doing brilliantly, it's a lot to deal with, especially with everything else that's going on at the moment. 
And give yourself a pat on the back too, for learning to be a good T1 parent as well as managing your own diabetes!


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## stephknits (Jun 4, 2020)

Sally71 said:


> Oh and please tell her from me she's doing brilliantly, it's a lot to deal with, especially with everything else that's going on at the moment.
> And give yourself a pat on the back too, for learning to be a good T1 parent as well as managing your own diabetes!


Thanks Sally, will do!  Being a parent is so much harder - total respect to all of you.  Everything is harder.  I second guess every decision (although she makes them, she looks to me to confirm they are correct), I feel guilty when it goes wrong, I hate injecting her - so much easier to inject yourself.  However on a positive note, she shows me a lot of diabetes memes and it's sometimes nice to have someone else around who gets it.


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## MrDaibetes (Jun 4, 2020)

Thanks for the update on Alice. Fingers crossed she can get over the barrier and fear of needles. She is doing an excellent job and hopefully won't be long before she can have less fear of the needles.


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## Pumper_Sue (Jun 4, 2020)

Hi @stephknits and Alice, it sounds as if you are both doing a fantastic job.
I've never used pens so don't know if there are any needle guards available  so Alice doesn't have to see the needle, or even if they can be fitted to the pens like you could the syringes. If an option would this help at all?

@Alice my favourite saying has always been Rome wasn't built in a day. So take your time and do things at your own pace and your own confidence will soon grow.


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## stephknits (Jun 4, 2020)

Pumper_Sue said:


> Hi @stephknits and Alice, it sounds as if you are both doing a fantastic job.
> I've never used pens so don't know if there are any needle guards available  so Alice doesn't have to see the needle, or even if they can be fitted to the pens like you could the syringes. If an option would this help at all?
> 
> @Alice my favourite saying has always been Rome wasn't built in a day. So take your time and do things at your own pace and your own confidence will soon grow.


Thanks so much - very encouraging


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## Thebearcametoo (Jun 11, 2020)

There are needles with guard on (often used in schools so there’s less need for hands on the child as you don’t have to pinch up in the same way) but we found they looked more brutal as the whole assemblage is bigger (they’re still not big).
When we were having difficulties we tried all sorts of different things and actually it was just time that sorted everything.

How are this week Steph and Alice?


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## stephknits (Jun 11, 2020)

Thebearcametoo said:


> There are needles with guard on (often used in schools so there’s less need for hands on the child as you don’t have to pinch up in the same way) but we found they looked more brutal as the whole assemblage is bigger (they’re still not big).
> When we were having difficulties we tried all sorts of different things and actually it was just time that sorted everything.
> 
> How are this week Steph and Alice?


Thanks, going well this week.  Now she is doing her own injections it means she can get up and get her breakfast like before, without having to come and find me first.  Ditto she can get her lunch together when she wants. This has hugely reduced the amount of time we have to spend talking about diabetes, which is great.


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## Thebearcametoo (Jun 11, 2020)

Excellent. You may find she goes through periods when it’s difficult again but it sounds like she’s adjusting well


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## Ljc (Jun 11, 2020)

That is good to hear,   She has taken a huge step forward.


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## KookyCat (Jun 11, 2020)

Hi Stephknits
sorry to hear about Alice, it must be tremendously difficult, especially with lockdown and the added stress of trying to navigate around reduced and remote services.  Such a tricky age too, with all the other pressures of being a young adult.  Glad to hear you’re moving forward and getting support though, and I hope it all gets a little bit easier each day for her.


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## stephknits (Jun 11, 2020)

KookyCat said:


> Hi Stephknits
> sorry to hear about Alice, it must be tremendously difficult, especially with lockdown and the added stress of trying to navigate around reduced and remote services.  Such a tricky age too, with all the other pressures of being a young adult.  Glad to hear you’re moving forward and getting support though, and I hope it all gets a little bit easier each day for her.


Lovely to hear from you!  Yes it has certainly been a tricky time, especially with lockdown.  Alice is off to a new 6th form college in September (hopefully) so we will have to see how she adjusts to meeting new people etc then


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## stephknits (Jun 11, 2020)

Thebearcametoo said:


> Excellent. You may find she goes through periods when it’s difficult again but it sounds like she’s adjusting well


Yes, I expect the tedium of everyday forever to hit her at done point.  Plus navigating relationships, going out etc.


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## KookyCat (Jun 11, 2020)

stephknits said:


> Lovely to hear from you!  Yes it has certainly been a tricky time, especially with lockdown.  Alice is off to a new 6th form college in September (hopefully) so we will have to see how she adjusts to meeting new people etc then


Well best of luck Alice for a new adventure in September.  I’m sure there will be tricky times, but she’s got a pro for support and exciting times ahead to distract her a wee bit.  A new challenge might be just the thing she needs


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