Defiant 16 Type I

[TerriLH]

I have a 16 year old that has had Type 1 for 10 years.  She has always tried to ignore the diabetes. Now she is in real trouble with a HBa1c of 11, microalbumin in her urine, sugars all over the place but usually 200-450 and absolutely refuses to care about her health.  I truely don't know what to do any more.  With her total defiance with regard to just about everything in her life and her anger that she is diabetic I am at my wits end.  According to my daughter I am acting like a teenager and need to grow up LOL.  She also refuses to go to therapy or a diabetic counsler.  What do I do??  Any suggestions on how to hurry this teen phase along and get her to help herself?

[Sliderule_x]

Perhaps you could ask your daughter this question, after sitting down in a 'non-confrontational' setting, so, she could respond, first withOUT knowing you are going to ask the question:

"If you were the mother of a 16 year old daughter living with Type 1 diabetes, how would you support your daughter with her diabetes. What things would you as the mother, or, not do to help her?"

And, afterwards, ask her to respond to the same question, perhaps in writing. The reason . . . so . . . she could respond after being able to 'think' about the answer.

Just a thought. Just so you know, I have been living with diabetes for 56 years, and, remain free of long-term D complications. I approach D as a moment by moment part of my life. Put another way, I find it easier to live WITH it, rather than FIGHT it. But, YMMV ( Your Mileage / Diabetes May Vary ).

Sliderule

[TerriLH]

Melissa,
Thank You so much for sharing your story.  I am encouraged to hear that you went through this and came out ok.  We tried the pump about 5 years ago and the same thing happened and ended up in the hospital.  I think she knows deep down that I am always here for her.  It just crushes me when she seems to not care about her life as much as I do.  I guess the only way she will understand is to hit bottom, but I so much would like to avoid that :) I divorced her father when she was a baby and it has been the two of us for a while now.  I can't tell you how grateful I am that you would share your phone number with us. When things get bad she screams at me that I can't possibly understand how she feels because I am not diabetic.  I will give her a choice if she would like to talk to you. Maybe it would help to talk to someone that has been there.  If you get a strange call out of the blue, her name is Sarah. God bless you and your son.  Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  

[Melissa1584]

Terri
I was that teenager 12 years ago my HBa1c was up to 13 when I was taken to the hospital and it was an eye opener to me. Is she on the pump? the pump saved my life and the life of my son. It did take me till I was 22 to figure out that my mom was right. If you dont push and shove her she may just come around. If she would like someone that isnt her mom and that could just be her friend she is mom than happy to give me a call
660-221-4293. Just be there for her when she falls and it will be a hard fall but an eye opener.
Melissa Lynch