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Coping Strategies To Deal With
Type 1 Diabetes In Your Child
By: Khim Lim
Nothing can throw you into a tailspin as fast as finding out that your child has a chronic disease like Type 1 diabetes. As a parent, you may go through the whole gamut of emotions from angry to fearful to confused to depressed.
You find yourself full of questions about the future life of your child. How do I tell my child that he/she has this disease? What do I tell the school, friends, or family? Can my child still have a normal life? Keep in mind that all of these questions are normal and it is up to you to learn how to cope.
After the diagnosis, you find that you are thrust into a world of injections, testing blood sugars, and changing eating patterns. How do you deal with all of this? Being overwhelmed with questions is normal and it is a good idea for you to connect with other parents who have been where you are.
There are many support groups for parents and children that you can join to help you find answers. By sharing your own experiences and learning from others, you will find that some of your anxiety will start to dissipate.
A great part of joining a support group or organization is that you can learn more about dealing with diabetes by encouraging others, learn ways to deal with the diabetes of your child, and you can trade sugar-free recipes. If you cannot find a support group in your town, then look on the Internet for an online support group.
A diabetes diagnosis requires increased attention to your family health care by you and your doctor. Learning all that is possible about diabetes will help you to take an active role in the care of your child. You will know what questions to ask and will understand better what the doctor tells you. Your physician and your family needs to work together to control this disease.
It is important to talk to the teachers and administrators so that you will be aware of any special issues that your child may encounter at school. It will fall on them to watch what your child eats and to monitor what snacks are brought in.
The shock of a diabetes diagnosis will take a while to completely understand. It will be a time full of different emotions and it is the time that your family needs to come together for the best interest of your child.
It is possible for your child to live a more normal life with diabetes. There are many sugar substitutes, sugar-free recipes, and sugar-free candy varieties that will give your child the sweets that they want, but keep them healthy. Eating meals that are healthy and well balanced will help keep the blood sugar levels of your child under control. Adding exercise to the mix will help both your child and your family, especially if you make it fun.
You child may need to use manufactured insulin to keep their blood glucose levels under control. This works differently for each person and your physician may have to do some experimenting to find the right combination and dosage of insulin for your child. You will probably have to give the injections, so it is important that you learn as much as possible about insulin and its purposes and injection methods.
You may want to purchase a good diabetes dictionary because it will help you with the medical talk that is common with a diabetes diagnosis. Learning more about the diabetes related terms will help you to become more knowledgeable so that you can take care of your child.
You can find many useful websites that are full of information about diabetes and coping with the disease, whether you are a child, parent, or teenager. Connecting with others who are going through diabetes will help take some of the stigma out of the diagnosis and you will be able to learn more about it. Learning is the key to coping with diabetes.
About the Author:
The incidence of diabetes is on the rise. Learn more about diabetes treatment on this site here at http://www.diabetes-treatment-research-hub.com.
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