[Karla's Mum]

My name is Bronwyn and I am the Mum of Karla who is 13 and was diagnosed a year ago with Type 1. She has just gone on the pump a month ago and we are learning heaps. It is certainly a challenging existence but she is coping very well.
She has recently been to a Diabetes camp which was excellent. She had a great time and has now met up with some other girls her age with Diabetes and loves "chatting" with them.
I also have two 9 year old girls - Tegan and Emily.

Looking forward to seeing/reading lots of interesting stuff!!!

Thanks
Bronwyn

 

[Terrie]

Hey There:

I'm Very Glad to hear that Karla is doing fine. It sounds like
she is accepting her new challenging Lifestyle. That's Wonderful.
Good for her.

I'm Happy to hear that she enjoyed camp(I loved it also)and has
found new Friends.

Twin Girls. Terrific. (I have a twin Sister and Brother). You
obviously have your hands full. I'm sure that you will all do well.

 

[Karla's Mum]

Thanks for the Welcome Terri

It was lovely of you to write as well. Do you have Diabetes yourself or is it a family member?

I certainly find it a challenge - just keeping up the daily routine is hard. Sometimes I feel like I have had enough and we just wont do this anymore - but it's not the sort of thing you can just give up when you have had enough!!!! And I'm not even the one with Diabetes. The constant monitoring and checking...do you ever get used to it???

Mostly we do fine but of course we have our moments.

BRonwyn

 

[Terrie]

BRonwyn... Hi!

To answer your first question......both. I was dxd. at age 3.
My oldest Brother(the twin) was dxd. at age 4. And my youngest
Brother was dxd. at age 4. I've had Diabetes for 46 yrs. And Yes!
I finally got used to it. I'll be the first to admit, I didn't like it when
I was young but now, I'd be lost without it.

Many years after we were dxd. about 5 of my Aunts and Uncles
were dxd. with Type 2. Also my 1st Cousin's 3 Boys were dxd. at
ages 3, 9 and 11. Poor her, she's a nervous wreck.

It certainly is a hard disease for the Person who has it. I can imagine
it even being worse for you, my cousin, my Parents and all the other
Parents and Caregivers of Diabetic Children.

I can imagine how you's feel since I know it. I can also imagine being
a Parent, like you, not knowing how your Child is feeling, not knowing
what to do a lot of times and wanting to make everything right for
them.

I know sometimes it would even make me frustrated and mad and
depressed and feeling like giving up because it is as tough on the
Parent. Particularly on the Mom since as we know they are almost
always the one responsible for the Children. I can also imagine some
days looking at that Child and feeling guilty that I could have any of
the other bad feelings. I may even feel guilty about my child
having Diabetes, even though it's not my fault. It's a vicious circle.
Love conquers all. I give you Parents SOOOO much credit.
Thank You!

(Although my Dad is gone, I still phone my Mom often. Your's will too).


So today I definitely hope that you have a:

~*~WONDERFUL VALENTINE"S DAY BRONWYN!!~*~

 

[Richard157]

Hello Bronwyn! I am sorry to hear that your young daughter has diabetes. I was diagnosed in 1945 with Type 1 when I was 6. My Mother was responsible for keeping me alive and healthy through my childhood even though very little was known about diabetes back then. With modern day insulins and meters for testing blood sugar and other existing technology you can give Karla good control. That control will make it much more likely that she can live a long, healthy life without serious complications. Good luck to both of you!

Richard

 

[Karla's Mum]

Hi Richard

Thanks for your reply. It is amazing to me to hear of people such as yourself who have had Diabetes for so long. You are such an inspiration. I cannot fathom how you must have coped when you were young and what changes you must have seen.

Well done and all the very best to you. I am so happy to hear that you are still doing so well

regards
Bronwyn

 

[DiabeticDr]

Hi Bronwyn - its great to see you here! I was diagnosed at 11 years old and have had diabetes now for 18 years. After the newness of the disease wore off, diabetes was a bit of a challenge for me to deal with. The teenage years were definitely difficult and as most adolescents, I did not test my blood glucose level frequently enough. In clinic, many of the adolescent patients I've cared for have the same problem. There is a great solution that I firmly believe that can help kids and adolescents with this issue and it is a CGM. Do you have Dexcom in your country? Its a continuous glucose monitoring device that has a subcutanoeous sensor (similar to the pump) and gives readings every 5 minutes. I've worn one for a year now and have avoided major lows while maintaining an A1C of <6%. Personally, I believe the CGM technology is the best new device for diabetes, particularly for youth who have difficulty both remembering and wanting to take blood glucose measurements. I swear I'm not trying to advertise but its really changed my life and I wish I would have had it as a child/young adult! Diabetes is so complex and there is a lot in store for your daughter and your family. However, there has never been a better time to be diagnosed and personally, I think there are a million worse things to have.