"It's All About Your Attitude"

Clark V. says...
Ive heard that in around 90% of juvinille onset cases, the kids will at one point just give up and go for days/weeks and even sometimes up to a month without treating themselves. I hope I never go through that but I was wondering if you ever did and at what age was it?

Interesting % you discuss. I have had my ups and downs with my own diabetes. There where times when I was in Middle School and High School where I didn't keep diabetes a priority like I should have. I will talk about that in the video for sure, the uncontolled times. It is hard growing up with diabetes at that age because all you want to be, is like everyone else. Being different and having diabetes is a challenge. I will talk about that and what my set backs were and how I overcame them. Hopefully I can shed some light in those dark times. I'm glad they are in my past, as growing older has helped in my acceptance of my own diabetes.

My son was diagnoned at 12.He is now 14 and will be going into h.s. next year .I see him getting to the point that your talking about he is begining to slack off taking numbers,writting them down forgetting his lantis at night.How did you feel when your parents where always on you about taking care of those things at that age.I don't want to push to hard but then again I want him to realize his health comes first.You have been there, where he is, whats going through his head.Also love your site what a great way to talk about such a dfficult subject and not get as personnel as most support meetings can get thanks.

THUMPER says...
My son was diagnoned at 12.He is now 14 and will be going into h.s. next year .I see him getting to the point that your talking about he is begining to slack off taking numbers,writting them down forgetting his lantis at night.How did you feel when your parents where always on you about taking care of those things at that age.I don't want to push to hard but then again I want him to realize his health comes first.You have been there, where he is, whats going through his head.Also love your site what a great way to talk about such a dfficult subject and not get as personnel as most support meetings can get thanks.

He is at a tough a age to say the least. Trying to fit, act older, and take responsibility. Diabetes has a hard time fitting into the life of any teenager. I struggled, but here is the key "I never knew I was struggling." Sure I knew I wasn't checking my numbers as much, and doing the minimum but I had no idea how bad it really was.

I'm not sure if you saw the video I did for Trevor (Teen Challenges) but I mentioned somethings that made Diabetes more real for me, and why I should have taken better control. For example missing my growth spirt, doing poorly at sports because of highs, and most likely not having good numbers when taking tests. I am going to be doing a follow up video with one of our members here Chloe who is 13-14yrs old and she is going to talk about what it is like as a teen. She did a very personal response video on youtube to the "teen Challenges" video.

I don't think you can just tell any teenager to make a change, they have to find it themself. The growth spirt thing made me look at myself differently, because until I heard about that... Diabetes for me was an awful routine with shots and finger sticks. It was nothing personal until I realized the ways it was changing my behavior.

What I would do... I would bring up missing his Lantis and the effects of that on his performance and health. Not everyone is perfect but there are somethings we all need to do each day. I wouldn't want to be a hound on his Diabetes control I would tell him, but I would say I hope you understand the problems you CAN have if you don't take proper care. Growth, sports, schoolwork etc...

What I know was a fact for me is it took time, and not a talking to. Like most things with teens. I hope this helps and I hope you watch the follow up video Chloe did and the one we will are going to do soon.