Ask Our Team
My son is 8, he was diagnosed with type 1 on Feb.10th, 2011. He went to diabetes camp a couple weeks ago and had a great time. Although, I was told when we picked him up that he asked to have his sugar checked 20 - 25 times a day, he became very paranoid about going low. Since he has beenn home, he's been acting the same way, telling me he feels "weak," and thinks he's low. He wasn't like this before camp AT ALL, he played soccer and finished his basketball season no problem...after he was diagnosed. He had fun and never went low. Now, he's saying he doesn't want to play football ( his favorite sport ) or any sport, for that matter. Is this a normal phase for a child his age ? Do I make him play a sport for exercise ? I honestly think the only reason he doesn't want to do anything is for fear of going too low... I don't know what to do.
Responses
Laura Plunkett says
My daughter was a diabetes camp counselor and she witnessed campers having some very scary lows. I wonder whether Erica's son experienced or saw someone having a low blood sugar reaction and got scared. Another possibility is that someone described what extreme lows are like and it was too scary for him. Most endocrinology teams can recommend a skilled diabetes psychotherapist that might help in this type of situation.
Gary Scheiner says
Sounds like your son could use the calming influence of a CDE who has diabetes and is active in sports. If you don't have anyone near you, feel free to give my office a call. I would be more than happy to work with you personally.
If you think this goes much deeper, perhaps your son saw another child experience a severe low at camp, and this has him very anxious. You might consider having him meet with a counselor who has expertise in dealing with chronic illness and post-tramautic stress disorders.
Alicia H. McAuliffe-Fogarty says
We see this a lot at diabetes camp...it is often he first time away from parents, there are many people getting low at camp, you tend to check more often at camp because of the activity level or embarrassed by your readings....There are many things going on at camp and often carried out after leaving (usually for the better)..but your child may have seen a camper require glucagon which can be scary or heard stories of bad lows and have gotten scared. Having a meeting with your diabetes educator who can discuss these fears with your child and mutually decide on a comfortable "target" BG level and possibly discuss using continuous glucose monitor, which can reduce the number of fingersticks.
