Teens and College

[Jay Pat]

My 18 year old son is about to head off to New York City for college. I will be a 9 hour car drive away. He will be living in the dorm. He's had diabetes since he was 4 and has been on the pump for about 6 years now. He has had many episodes of early AM hypoglycemia where he has been unarousable and we've had to give him glucagon. I'm just wondering how other parents have dealt with their diabetic teens going off to college and the lack of supervision. There are times when I think I just want to tell him he can't go!

[lflisp586]

I am about to go into my second year of college in New York as well, and I have been on the pump for about 3 years.  Last year I lived in a dorm, and as the other person said, I told my RA and roommate exactly how to give me glucagon shots and waht to do if there was ever a problem.  I would suggest maybe typing a list of protocol to have in his room in the event of a problem so that anyone can help in an emergency, plus it will give you some peace of mind.  There's probably some kind of group for diabetics on campus, and I know that I personally met a few people who passed me around campus and said that they had the same pump, were diabetic, etc.  
I'm sure that your son will be fine, but my mom also worried more than I thought was possible :-).  From a student's perspective, knowing that there's at least one responsible person to help out is enough, because we take this opportunity to truly learn to be independent.  
Good luck to both of you!

[JDRF-Team-wak]

I am not a physician, but a volunteer and mom of a type 1 diabetic.

I would suggest that your son tells his roommate and the resident assistant that lives on his floor, that he is a diabetic and what to do in an emergency. This way there are at least 2 people that can help if god forbid your son has a problem. The resident assistant will also be able to advise you as to who else should be notified on campus, besides the campus health office.

I would also suggest you speak with your son