My little sister has diabeties.........HELP!?

Question

She's only 6 ...........No one in my family has this disease..............I am seriously shocked .........and shattered so as my parents .........I never knew this can effect Kids of her age ..............so tell me is this comman? Can it be cured as she's still growing.......How will this effect her health and growth.......We are all scared.

Answer 1

So sorry to hear about this. My child was diagnosed at age 7. It's definitely life-changing but doesn't have to be devastating. My daughter is almost 17 and doing fantastic.

Just to correct a lot of misinformation in the above answers: Nothing your sister ate or did caused this. It IS genetic - even though no one in your family has it, she inherited the genes that gave her the tendancy, or possbility of having it. Then something in the environment, we don't know what, triggered the auto-immune process. Once the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas have been destroyed, there is no bringing them back. This is why she will always be insulin dependent.

Transplants have been done with limited sucess, but the anti-rejection medication is too toxic, especially for a child. There is a lot of ongoing research, though, and there is hope for a cure in the future.

Please beware of the many scam-cures on the internet. None of them work and some are dangerous.

With excellent control she can expect to live a normal life. Excellent control is not easy - it takes constant vigillance but it can become a way of life. It will be best for her if your family can try to take in stride.

A really great site is www.childrenwithdiabetes.com.

A really great book is Sweet Kids by Betty Breckenridge. She emphasizes making the treatment fit the child, not the other way around.

Good luck!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Hey..well my son was diagnosed recently and he is 2! Yes two years old. Type one diabetes is an Auto-Immune disease so of course it doesn't run in the family. What basically happens is that your own body attacks the pancreas causing it to malfunction in a way.... for my son he was very very very sick for almost a month before he was diagnosed...the Doctor said that she sees that a lot! The children are sick i.e. a "virus". Then shortly after are diagnosed. From what my doctor tells me it seems to an epidemic and aren't sure what's causing it. My doctor said there were several other children in the hospital at the same time as my son. They think there is an environmental trigger. (i.e. pollutants or whatever). Diabetic children can be smaller than other children their age but not always and they tend to be thin or at least thinner. The doctor (an endocrinologist) will want to see your sis about every 3 months. In the beginning it is very hard to deal with and I cried many nights but with time and knowledge of all involved it gets much easier. Although every day is a struggle. I have been told that the children do not grow out of this although there have been some that did...it should not be expected whatsoever! Her health should be fine as long as you guys are diligent in her care. Kids are going to get sick but with close monitoring I hope all should be well. I know this is shocking but the best thing you can do is learn all about it! Your family will need all the help they can get regarding her care. Its very difficult to find child care providers that are willing/or able to take this on. Good luck to you and your family...and please go to the Juvenile Diabetes Web site great stuff. I also would like to tell you to get as much literature as possible and have your family read up it really helps!


one more thing...see if you can get her a bag of hope it comes with Rufus or Ruby the diabetic bear teaches kids about where to inject and helps them not feel soo alone!
Also a great book is taking Diabetes to school..Once again good luck!

http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=10...
http://www.jdrf.org/

Answer 4

Don't worry. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes when I was only 4 years old. This is extremely common. Not many people realize this but there are two types of Diabetes. There are type 1 Diabetes also known as Juvenile or Insulin Dependent and there is Type 2 Diabetes. Your sister has Type 1 Diabetes.She will control this by insulin shots for a few years but then I highly suggest moving on to the insulin pump. With type 1 diabetes you need to count carbs something that you and your parents can learn how to do to help take care of your sister. There is an excellent book and website that assist with carb counting. I suggest you visit. www.CalorieKing.com to help with counting and you can also buy there book. For the first few years this will be an amazing source for your family to learn to count carbs. As of now, unfortunately there is no cure for type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. Everyone is hoping, praying, and researching for a cure for this terrible disease. I reccommend that if you haven't already to visit an endrocronologist (Diabetes Doctor) and a Nutritionist. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Answer 5

Stop being shattered and help her get on with life.
Your attitude and those of your parents can make her feel sorry for herself.
When my daughter was dxed at the age of two, my now X and I decided she would not miss out on anything due to the diabetes.
She is now 17 and doing great.
Education is the key here.Call the ADA and ask for info on kids with diabetes.There are tons of books and even parts in their magazine [ diabetes forecast ].
Make sure your sister is seeing pediatric endocrinologists [ not just a gp ] and schedule appointments with a dietitian every year.
There many be a support group for your parents and play groups for your sister.
Check into diabetes camps through out the US. My daughter attended for several years and loved it.Perhaps next summer she can attend?
Learn to count carbs and all about how insulin works.
I know you and your parents can help her live life to it's fullest.
There is no cure for diabetes right now.
We can hope !

Answer 6

I was 7 when I got type1 and am now 36 and even gave birth to a healthy girl! In the 70's when I got it, they didn't know much about it and I didn't even have blood-sugar testing. They only did urine testing for keytones in urine. They've come a long way since then. Her Dr. will steer you all straight as to what you need to do. Diabetes can effect anyone at anytime so everyone should really watch what they eat. The diabetic diet is the healthiest diet for anyone! Have you seen Bret Michaels from Poison? He is one of the best looking men I have ever seen! He's also been diabetic for a very long time! Good luck and do some research!!

Answer 7

Diabetes can be a very scary thing. My brother was diagnosed at the age of 8. He is now 23, so he has had it for fifteen years. I know what you are going through. The biggest thing is to get educated. My mom did everything in her power to learn about diabetes, and today my brother is doing great. Diabetes is not a death sentence, and can be managed. Just give lots of encouragment to your sister. There is no cure right not for this disease, but there are lots of way to take care of it. It is going to be hard somedays,. Yes, it is alot common then you think. I had never even heard of diabetes until my brother got it, but now that I am aware I know alot of diabetics. Also if you can get involved in a diabetes camp in your area it is really good education. I was camp counseler for 10 years, and I gained alot of knowlege about diabetes and it was a good way to get our family invovled. Good luck.

Answer 8

Type I diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, is very treatable. Unfortunately your sister will need daily insulin injections and blood glucose determinations, several a day. With modern equipment these are less painful than previously, but still a major annoyance for a six year old.

You can assist your parents by attending the diabetic education sessions and by learning how to test your sister's blood and administer the proper dosage of insulin.

Diabetic management requires a certain degree of compulsion and attention to detail. You can help by assisting in the routine, not complaining about the inconveniences. Don't bring junk food into the house.

Currently there are excellent treatment regimens for diabetics, but no cure. But advances continue, and perhaps there will be a cure during your sister's lifetime.

Answer 9

She'll be fine, don't treat her like she's a freak, she will be scared at first too and you lot fussing and worrying will frighten her even more. Diabeties is a worldwide disease, its manageable, not curable. Doctors will educate her and your family. her health and growth won't be affected she just needs to take care of herself, she needs to learn to do this by herself, a couple of finger pricks a day and a magic machine to tell her how her blood is, she'll feel grown up, she can play at nurses, testing her own blood sugar. She isn't any different to anybody else, don't treat her like she is.

Answer 10

My step daughter got it when she was 5. she has type 1 diabetes and I am pretty sure that it is not because she ate so much junk food. My husbands brother got it to when he was 5 and he is now 25 and is doing great, and my mother in law also has it, My step daughter is doing well, with daily bs monitoring and she now has an isulin pump and it is regulating her blood sugars better now than when she was giving herself 3 shot a day. Some thing to look into.