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Yeah, she was "in DKA." That's what we say. Tough few days I'm sure, but I hope you have been able to take a deep breath and see that as nuts as this all probably seems right now, you'll learn to live with this and it will be ok.

I was also 6 when I was diagnosed, and almost 32 years later I am doing just fine. I identify as a person with diabetes--that's part of my identity--but it is just one aspect of who I am. Everyone has their struggles, and this happens to be ours, but it certainly didn't ruin my childhood or anything. The technology is so much better now too.

One thing to keep in mind is that you and she have plenty of time to learn how to get this under control. Until you have a feel for it, her control is not going to look like the superstars with the A1c's in the 4's and 5's that you sometimes see on here, and that is totally, perfectly ok. Insulin needs may also change a lot in the first year or two as she exits the honeymoon phase. Obviously you'll want to do what the doctors say, but in the near future there is no need to beat yourself up at all over BG control that isn't quite dialed in yet. Focus on getting used to T1D and integrating the treatment into your lives. That mindset sort of continues into the long term too: there are tons of things that impact BG, and there are going to be days that look really ugly control-wise. That's totally fine. The key is to focus on average BG and time in range over weeks and months, and not to get too hung up on the individual days. This is really hard, but just try to keep celebrating the good days and approaching the bad days with a sense of curiosity about how to do things differently next time, never with any blame or guilt.

I think the single most important thing for me early on was developing a great relationship with my endocrinologist and especially my diabetes nurse educator. I stayed with them for 25 years--grade school, high school, college, graduation and my first job... if it's good, that relationship can be hugely impactful.

Inevitably you'll have some thinking to do about CGM and insulin pumps at some point. I personally love my pump and CGM and wish that I had access to them (particularly the CGM) 31+ years ago. At the same time, I think it would have been very difficult for me to have my parents remotely monitoring my BGs all the time, especially as I got older. I don't know the answer for that situation, but something to keep in the back of your mind. As far as having a thing attached to me with a tube, it's part of my life. I don't really notice it that much. It beats having to carry around an insulin pen.

This community is extremely supportive, as are r/diabetes_t1 and r/diabetes. As far as books, lots of people recommend Think Like a Pancreas, and I think Bright Spots & Landmines is a good one too. Good luck, and hopefully we'll continue to see you around as questions come up.

Hands down dexcom! g6 has a more slim close to you profile but g5 can sometimes be more economical because you can extend them longer. Libre is the cheapest option but isn't great because it doesn't alert you to rises and falls which I have found to be the most essential part of reducing my a1c and more importantly, increasing your Time In Range which is actually a way better indicator of control and likelihood of developing complications.

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What ever you chose here are some tips to help you make the actual wearing of a CGM easier!

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1. buy liquid Skin Tac this stuff with be a life saver, cleanse your skin and shave if necessary then apply the liquid to the skin and WAIT it must be all the way dry and feel sticky, it takes about 5 minutes, NOW apply your sensor
   
2. invest in patches either call dexcom and ask for some free trial ones or try Stay Put Medical if you don't care what they look like or if you want "cool" ones try these, they will custom make ones for you if you'd like or these. there are others these are just my two preferred brands for fun ones. if you do use over patches, I generally wait until the sensor is peeling up a bit on the edges before I patch and then I trim the patches as needed.
   
3. don't be afraid to use other places, I have very movement intensive job as well and have found after 29 years of diabetes, my abdomen is out, completely not useful. I really like the backs and front of my arms, chest, and area right below the bra line.
   
   Go get yourself a CGM (but really not a medtronic one, they are less acurate and an 18 month commitment). If I were in a financial bind today I would take a dexcom CGM and only a dexcom CGM over a pump every day!

As a person with a newly diagnosed kid, I can agree that everything is super overwhelming in the beginning and help from friends is welcome. The thing we needed most was the space to learn about our new life, and someone to just talk to about everything. Seems contradictory, but I would reach out with no expectations and wait to hear back.

In terms of more tangible things, you could pitch in to hire a temporary cleaning service, even if only once during the 1st couple weeks. or help buy some of the items they will need such as a quality digital food scale, Frio insuling cooling case, or books. The two books I've found to be the most helpful are Think Like a Pancreas, and Sugar Surfing.

Also the JuiceBox Podcast is really wonderful, and I highly recommend it.

All I can say is that it gets easier. We’re 4 years post diagnosis of 2 kids, now 11 and 5. Your endo and diabetes educator are great resources, and we’ve developed an amazing relationship with ours.

As for resources, here are some things we find invaluable - a food scale (makes carb counting so much easier), measure bowls for cereal, yogurt, etc (similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WHEF0IO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_aAMHDb46AETKP), and the CalorieKing app is great for finding carb counts on things. We also track all their numbers via the BlueLoop website/app, and their endo’s office and the school nurse can see everything there, too. And if you’re in the US where insulin is expensive and you have private insurance, call the manufacturers and ask for copay cards. I hope this helps, and it will be sooner than you think before it becomes much less overwhelming.

Torbot Group Inc Skin Tac Liquid Adhesive Barrier 4Oz, Clear, Hypoallergenic, Latex-Free (Bottle of 4 oz) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JWSD9JU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1UXQDbHKCW8YM

I would look at something like this. I can't speak for that much swimming but it helps me during the summer when I am in and out of the water more. Maybe combined with the patch it could work.

Something like this

try something like this: https://www.amazon.com/3M-Tegaderm-Dressing-Non-Adherent-Pieces/dp/B00DRC572O/

3M Tegaderm +Pad Film Dressing with Non-Adherent Pad 3582, 50 Pieces

it has a pad that DOESN'T stick to the sensor and WON'T pull off when you remove the plastic part. just a thought...

Look into:

• Type One Grit
  
  
  
• Dr Bernstein’s book
  
  
  
• Let Me Be 83.
  
  
  It’s worth it!

Frio makes a product that uses water to activate the cooling gel. I use it when I go on vacation but would work wonders backpacking or camping. Frio Insulin Cooling Case Mini Wallet, Purple https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WTM65W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RSnTDbEX395F5

Protein Cereal by Wholesome Provisions! You can purchase this on Amazon. Here’s the link! 👍🏼

Protein Cereal, Low Carb Cereal, High Protein Cereal, 15g Protein, 4g Net Carbs, High Performance Cereal, 5 Individual Macro-Controlled Packages (Cocoa) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078T2Z4BL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2PAEDbBB32B3F