I don't have any info on juvenile diabetes. Just diabetes in general.
To DebbieB and her Niece,
I was Dx 3 yrs. ago. Everyone tells you,you are lucky it's a treatable disease. But you don't feel lucky. I was very anger. Food had been an enemy all my life. I had just learned to eat a Balanced diet. I wasn't craving foods anymore. I wasn't dieting. THEN I had to think about every bite I took!! I was Anger.
But I took the classes. Went to all the appointments. The reward for doing all that was an understanding of Diabetes and how it was affecting me[feeling icky if I ate ice cream and feeling good if I ate cottage cheese.[good thing I liked cottage cheese alot!!] I came to understand that if I watch what I eat,take the medicine,and monitor my blood sugar, I feel good. And Feeling Good again is Great.
Having Diabetes is kind of like having motion sickness,no one knows why you have it,If a person hasn't been motion sick they can't understand how bad it feels,But if you take the medicine the Dr. gives you before you ride the farris wheel,then it's fun. But if you don't take it you will feel really sick,and that won't be any fun at all.
When I need a shot,I take it right in front of people,and I say out loud I'm taking insulin,so I can eat. That way other poeple will learn about Diabetes,too. When I buy a soda ,I tell the person at the restaraunt that I need Diet soda because I have diabetes. Then they say oh,yes,my uncle or my grandma has that and they need Diet,too.Then they don't forget that I need a Diet drink.
The secret to learning how to feel good is to monitor you blood sugar.[This is the hardest part for me,even harder than taking 2 shots aday.] But I know you can do it better than I do. The Dr. just ordered a new kind of monitor for me. It is a small flat egg shape and you can test on your arm with it! This is much better. It has a case sort of like a gameboy color!! It holds the monitor and has compartments with zippers. The best part is it works easier.
What you need to know is it is ok to be anger,or sad or whatever you feel about having Diabetes. Tell you mom or dad or a friend how it makes you feel to have Diabetes. They will listen and telling them will make you feel better about it.
Learning about Diabetes will help you,too. Because then you know what to eat and understand when you don't eat right you don't feel good.[I carry a card in my purse that tells others what to do when I am sick from the Diabetes,then I don't have to remember that part.I just need to tell my friends and an Adult that I don't feel good because of the diabetes. then they know who to call and what the Dr. wants done.]
You know what?? The Dr's are working on getting us a cure. One where we don't have to take medicine. I will like that!! But until then we need to do the things that make us feel better. If I can do it, You can do it even better!! Go to the classes with your Family,its about you and you get to ask questions and tell them how you feel about having Diabetes and thats important for you to do. Don't be like ketchup and bottle up your feeling,ok??
Take good care of your self and help your parents and the Dr. to help you get better. I love Disney World and I got to go there this year,it was soooo Fun. Pick something you love,then do your best to learn about Diabetes and yourself so you know how to stay feeling well,then you will be able to do the thing you love,too.
Your Diabetic Friend,
tink2dw
p.s. We write how we feel here and talk about Disney things. I'll bet your Aunt can help you find a place like this for you. Maybe Zoog Disney. Somewhere you can write about things that bug you or things you like to do.
