Moodiness and diabetes

[Lycale]

Our 38-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a few weeks ago. Of course, my husband and I are very upset and shocked since she was always extremely healthy until recently. She also has been very moody and irritable. We were hoping that starting insulin injections would help relieve the moodiness, but it seems to have continued, even though her sugar levels have been kept under control. Is this a common occurence at the beginning phases of Type 1 diabetes? We so much want to help our daughter--and to relieve our own anxiety-- but she seems not to like our asking her about her health or making any suggestions. We are also concerned about our two little grandsons. How likely are they to develop Juvenile Diabetes?Thanks so much in advance for your kindness and patience.

[JDRF-Team-SS]

Hi Lycale,

I am sorry to hear that your daughter was just diagnosed with Type I diabetes.

Before I add my 2 cents, I need to tell you that I am not a medical professional, so my advice/input is not in place of medical advice from your daughter's Endocrinologist.  I am giving you input based on my personal experiecne and knowledge.

I am also a mother of a Type I diabetic.  My 9-1/2 yr. old son was diagnosed at the age of 3 and my sister was diagnosed eight yrs. ago when she was 24 yrs. old.

Keep in mind that this is a lot for your daughter to take in right now.  I understand that you want to help your daughter.  Maybe instead of making suggestions to your daughter, you should simply say, we love you and need you to know that we are here for you whenever you need to talk.  (It is hard to tell an adult diabetic what to do...I have a sister, as I mentioned, who is  Type I and if my Mom makes a comment, sometimes my sister gets annoyed)

Especially this is all so new to your daughter.  Possibly you can find a support group in your area for family members of diabetics???

As far as her children, honestly, I am unsure how much it increases their chances of developing Type I.  Remember, you will know the signs/symptoms.  Since my son is a diabetic, I worry about my daughter becoming a diabetic, but then I tell myself that I cannot constantly worry about that and I will notice the symptoms and I can always check her blood sugar if I notice these symptoms.  

Please ask your daughter's endocrinologist as far as how much it increases your grandsons' chances.

Again, I am so sorry to hear about your daughter's diagnosis.

Do keep the faith that in her lifetime a CURE will be found!

[JDRF-Team-LRS]

You've come to a good place for information.  None of us are physicians but we all are diabetics or care-givers for diabetics or both!

I've had diabetes since I was a teen and am now in my late 40s.  It's not surprising that your daughter isn't quite her normal cheerful self yet.  Diabetes has, not only physical dimensions, but also emotional and psychological.  On the physical side, it may take  months or years until your daughter gets the hang of the delicate balancing act that's will, inevitably, become part of her daily life.  The balance is among food, insulin & exercise ... and then the confounding "gnomes" in all this ;-) ... include stress, health issues, and your daughter's motivation and ability to learn learn learn how to take good care of herself.  

On the emotional side, there're the "usual" family dynamics where even our loving and well-intentioned parents can press a hot button for us.  Often this button is related to our health.  Try to be patient and try to learn all YOU can about the disease and the many different successful ways that folks find to do their daily balancing acts.  

Acknowledge that this is a disease that's gonna require "marathon" (lifelong coping) skills and that it's not useful to have a "sprint" (gotta be PERFECT today) mentality.  JDRF is a great resource for reading about the latest advances in diabetess research.  Visit them at www.jdrf.org and click on research to browse your topics.

[Lycale]

Thanks so much for your reply.

[Type 1 Diebet]

How can your daughter be 38 and have type 1 diabetes?

im 19 and have had diabetes for 11 years

[Lycale]

My daughter does have Type 1. Although it is unusual for adults to develop the illness, it happens occasionally. Also, my daughter ALWAYS ate a low carb, low sugar diet, with only occasional "fattening" foods. As a result, she is quite thin. In addition, she exercises regularly and is extremely athletic. She may well have had the illness for some time before it was diagnosed, following gestational diabetes. Her diet and exercise burned up the sugar/carbs and kept her A1c level just a little above the accepted normal level . However, a glucose tolerance test, one in which she had to have sugar and couldn't exercise, was EXTREMELY high right away. I'm thrilled that by continuing her exercise, by taking her insulin shots, and by a tightly controlled diet of very, very little carbs and sugar, her new test level, taken today, is now normal (6).

[Diabetic_Reality]

Type 1 can hit anyone at any age.  I was 33 when I was diagnosed.

The moodiness - well, that's normal.  It takes time to accept this.  A lot of time.

Diabetics who have had this at birth or who got it at a young age sometimes do not realize how hard it actually hits those of us who have had 30 some diabetes-free years and who know exactly the lifestyle that is lost.  

Devestating is not quite the word for it.

[newoldtype1]

Firstly to Type1 Diebet:YOUR ? HOW COULD SOMEONE AT 38 HAVE TYPE1?

I WAS 35 WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED IN 2002! IN MY 3RD PRGNANCY AT 20 WEEKS I WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR A KIDNEY INFECTION FOR A WEEK. I CONTINUED TO GET UTI'S FREQUENTLY UNTIL DIAGNOSIS.THEN AT 34 WEEKS I BECAME ABNORMALLY HUGE - POLYHYDRAMNIOS. THEY DID TESTS AND SAID I HAD GESTATIONAL DIABETES AND WAS PUT ON INSULIN IMMEDIATELY. THEY DELIVERED MY BABY TWO DAYS LATER. THEY TOLD ME MY SUGARS WERE NORMAL AFTER AND I (AND BABY) HAD A HIGH RISK OF DEVELOPING TYPE 2 LATER IN LIFE. MY WEIGHT WOULDN'T COME OFF LIKE MY FIRST TWO PREGNANCIES, AND I WAS SO FREAKED OUT OF GETTING TYPE 2 - I WENT TO THE GYM 5 DAYS A WEEK FOR A YEAR AND DROPPED THE WEIGHT-35LBS. I CONTINUED TO GO TO THE GYM AND STARTED NOTICING AFTERWARDS I WAS SO TIRED I COULDN'T KEEP MY EYES OPEN. THIS WENT ON FOR 5 MONTHS. THEN FOR TWO WEEKS I WAS VERY MOODY, IRRITABLE, THIRSTY, LOSING MORE WEIGHT AND URINATING FREQUENTLY. I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING TYPE 2 BECAUSE OF MY AGE. I WAS PUT ON METFORMIN AND GLYBURIDE. A WEEK LATER MY BLOOD RESULTS CAME IN AS HAVING TYPE 1. I WAS SHOCKED, BUT AT THE DIABETES CLINIC THEY TOLD ME MY PANCREAS WAS NOT MAKING ANY INSULIN. THEY SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY A VIRUS THAT CAUSED IT.I REMEMBERED HAVING A BAD COLD 5 MONTHS PRIOR TO DIAGNOSIS. THEY ALSO TOLD ME I WAS PROBABLY ALREADY TYPE 1 DURING MY PREGNANCY.

TO: LYCALE

I WAS ALSO WORRIED FOR MY 3 KIDS AFTER DIAGNOSIS. THEY TOLD ME AT THE CLINIC MY KIDS HAVE A 3% CHANCE OF GETTING TYPE 1. BUT, AS MY GRANDMOTHER HAS TYPE 2 IT IS IN THE FAMILY. I HAVE BEEN BATTLING THIS DREADFUL, UGLY DIABETES FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS NOW. I AM VERY DEPRESSED, MISERABLE, MOODY, ETC.(DUE TO SUGAR FLUCTUATIONS AT TIMES). I FEEL SORRY FOR MY HUBBY AND KIDS AT TIMES, THEY NEVER KNOW WHICH WALL I'M COMING OFF OF. IT IS VERY HARD TO ADJUST TO THIS NEW LIFESTYLE, AND AT TIMES OTHER PEOPLE (WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND) REALLY UPSET ME. IT IS SO HARD TO KEEP SUGARS UNDER CONTROL ON A DAILY BASIS. AND AT MY AGE, ALSO HARD TO NOT EAT A COOKIE (WHEN I USED TO BE ABLE TO 2YRS AGO) WHEN EVERONE ELSE HAS ONE. I AM A STRONG PERSON AND WILL GET THROUGH THIS AND GO ON. MY PARENTS DO UPSET ME AS DO MY INLAWS - WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT INFORMED! THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT CARBS REALLY ARE. THEY GET CONFUSED WITH TYPE 1 AND 2. WHEN THEY SAY THINGS TO ME I GET UPSET BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS WRONG AND I HAVE TO EXPLAIN DIABETES TYPE 1 ALL OVER AGAIN. I NOTICED YOU WROTE ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTER EATING VERY, VERY LITTLE CARBS - WRONG! TOO MUCH PROTEIN IN HER DIET WILL CAUSE KIDNEY PROBLEMS AND PUT HER IN THE HOSPITAL(BEEN THERE,DONE THAT). THE KEY IS BALANCE AND TO EAT ON SCHEDULE ALL THE TIME. PROPER BODILY FUNCTIONS REQUIRE GLUCOSE FOR ENERGY INCLUDING THE BRAIN. EATING THE RIGHT (NOT WHITE BREAD,PASTA,CAKE ETC.) CARBS ARE CRUCIAL TO EVERYONE INCLUDING DIABETICS. WHEN PEOPLE ARE DIAGNOSED WITH A CHRONIC DISEASE THEY (LIKE BEREAVED PEOPLE) GO THROUGH STAGES OF GREIVING. THE STAGES IE) AGER,SHOCK,GUILT, DEPRESSION, CAN OCCUR IN ANY ORDER. I'M OBVIOUSLY STILL GRIEVING..I'M FRUSTATED BY FREQUENT LOW SUGAR, THE COST OF SUPPLIES,HAVING TO GIVE MYSELF INJECTIONS 5X A DAY, MY VISION IS DETERIORATING, NUMBNESS ETC. VERY SCARY FOR US. WHAT WE NEED IS AN EAR FOR SUPPORT AND BIG TIME PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING FROM OUR LOVED ONES. OUR LIFESPAN HAS BEEN SHORTENED 15 YEARS.

[JDRF-Team-SS]

Hello newoldtype1,
I can relate to what you mentioned about people not being informed and it is worse when it is those close to you such as your relatives.

My son was diagnosed at the age of 3 and is now 9-1/2.  My sis was diagnosed when she was 24...she is now 32.  Luckily, my family "gets it."  However, one thing I have learned with others in the world is that it is just that...they do not understand tpe 1 diabetes - what it is and how it is treated.  Before my son went on the insulin pump and people would say, "Oh, can he eat that?"  I would just reply with..."He can eat prety much everything that I eat, however, we moitor the amount of carbohydrates, as well as the time that he eats.  (of course I would not give him regular soda)

I have had people say un-educated things, such as something about their child being healthy.  I consider my son to be a healthy boy....we just have a daily regimen and way of caring for him that is a constant.  

I know there are people who think I am overprotective, but I really do not care what they think.  I am going to do whatever I can do to make sure my son is taken care of and hopefully decrease his chances of having complications in the future.  

My son is in 4th grade and I volunteer on all of the field trips because I want to.  

I try to let things that I feel are said out of ignorance go in one ear and out the other.  This was not so easy in the beginning because it would really get to me.  I had an incidence about 2 months ago where I handed my son a bag with a couple of juice boxes and his glucometer, etc. and this lady (at the school) mentioned to her friend, "She just needs to calm down about this diabetes stuff."  I did not hear this lady say this, however, my son did and he told me and he said, "Mom, that is totally un-cool!"  Well, this person was supposed to be the leader of this group he was in.  (do not want to mention the name of this particular organization)  I ended up talking to her about her comment because if my son was going to stay in this group he and I needed to be comfortable.  Well, she apologized, but I am sure when I walked away she talked behind my back!  LOL  Oh, I have to mention that when I talked (calmly) to this lady, my son looked at her and said "this is a life or death thing."  To sum it up, after going to a couple of meetings for this boys organization, my son decided it was not for him and my husband and I agreed.  It is very hard to trust someone to take care of your child and then when you add type 1 diabetes into the mix, it is even harder - especially if the person you have to trust seems uninterested and does not get the severity of low blood sugars.

Keep up the faith and take care and know that they will find a CURE for this dreadful disease that affects millions of people like you, my sister, and my sweet boy.