September 25, 2003
Diagnosis and Symptoms, Other
Question from Corpus Christi, Texas, USA:
My four year old little girl will be tested tomorrow for diabetes, I really do not know all that much about it, even though I am reading, and I am not sure how to help her with it. How do you tell a child her age about this? Help — I’m going nuts here.
Answer:
At this point, it is more important to prepare your daughter for the testing and not for a diagnosis. Be matter-of-fact in your explanation. You might say, ” the doctor wants to check that you are healthy. To do that, he will want to do come checks. I will be with you the whole time.” Don’t give her too much information unless you are sure exactly how the visit will go. You might trying playing ‘hospital’ or ‘doctor office’ with your child and a stuffed animal before the visit. Also focus on your time together after the visit, saying, “After we see Dr Jones we’ll go to the park for lunch.”
BS
