October 3, 2000
Behavior
Question from Fremont, Nebraska, USA:
My son is 11 and was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He takes his blood sugars all the time and injections three times per day. I cry everyday because of this diagnosis. I feel like I’ll never be able to leave his side. Is this normal and what do I do?
Answer:
Of course it’s normal to worry about your child — all parents do that. When your child is then diagnosed with diabetes, you worry even more. You are doing a great job expressing how you are feeling — the first step to becoming more comfortable with living with diabetes. I recommend you: 1) contact your child’s diabetes team to learn about support groups for parents of children with diabetes. 2) The ADA publishes an excellent book, called The Ten Keys to Helping Your Child Grow Up With Diabetes by Timothy Wysocki. You will find it extremely helpful.
JWB