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Going through puberty is a tough time. Looking back, is there anything you wish you’d known about T1D in puberty that you would like to share with young people today who are going through this transition? Or, if you’re a caregiver, what is a question you’d like to ask the community on how to handle the challenges that come with managing T1D for young people during puberty?
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Puberty was very hard for me back in the 70’s. No CGMs, no insulin pumps, no blood sugar meters. It is very different today for young people with T1D. I would recommend to not try to hide your condition. Be open with your friends and teachers. It takes a big weight off your shoulders and allows you to be more yourself. I found the more I tried to hide my condition more the bullies picked on me. Once I quit hiding and started focusing on the other areas of my life, puberty was a much better experience. Build a good support network of friends and teachers. Teachers who support you with T1D are valuable in navigating some of the challenges of school administrations.
Good point. I have no idea what my BG numbers were at that age, because there were no pumps, CGMs or meters. And being open about T1 would have helped me.
Same for me, but in the 1960s. In a way, there was less to worry about because there were so few actions we could take. awareness was the only monitor available. I was, perhaps, lucky that I was dx at 10, so that by the time puberty set in, I was pretty well accustomed to being t1.
A few days ago, a poll asked the age we were diagnosed with T1D. From those responses, many of us were past puberty when diagnosed. I was 18 1/2.
When you start working when you turn 16. If the job requires lifting or is physical, you’ll not need as much insulin as you will be burning off the sugar. Sounds simple now, but I didn’t adjust mine and was having insulin reactions everyday.
DX as an adult
I wasn’t diagnosed until my early 20s, so I didn’t have to deal with T1D and puberty at the same time. Puberty was hard enough on its own, so I’m grateful for that.
I wasn’t a T1D until the age of 45 so can’t really say. I am glad I wasn’t back then as I didn’t handle authority well or make the best decisions back then despite knowing better
The biggest thing with puberty and diabetes is that your blood glucose numbers will be crazy and no it won’t make any sense, that is just how it works.
Looking back, I think the social pressures were tougher on my diabetes management than any hormonal/physiological changes during adolescence. That is, partying and drinking, etc, were not great decisions as I tried to fit in with peers. My advice to my younger self and teens today is to never forget T1.
Fortunately I figured out our first wndo was a lying POS and found a fabulous one shortly before we had to deal with puberty. Sure we struggled with the constant changes but our end of made it less stressful and helped us just kinda relax and roll with it.
Puberty is hell on earth for everyone involved. Child and parent and care givers. She taught us, do our best but don’t stress it. And that was for us the hardest thing to do but in the end the best piece of advice. My oldest levels are settling down and my youngest is just now starting with puberty and while I’m not ready I am absolutely ready. The new endi told us diabetes has no rhyme or reason. Some days it’s just gonna do what it’s gonna do and just roll with it. We’ve been given the tools to handle it. We know the signs to look for when ER or urgent care is necessary. We know when we can handle it at home. We know when to call the doctors. Let me add, I was diagnosed at 18 soooo I have plenty of experience…
I was pretty up-front with my friends about being diabetic when in my teens (in the 1970’s), but I do know I once felt awkward about asking a class-mate for some candy that he had when I felt myself going low. Don’t be afraid to explain your condition and ask for help if such a situation happens and you run out of carbohydrate-filled treatments.
No experience, but interested in others response. Thanks.
puberty today compared with my life 70 yrs ago is NO comparison, back then the medical community was years behind the times as of todays standards !!
I was “lucky” – didn’t develop T1D until my mid 50s so I got nuthin useful to offer kids from my own experiences.
I wish I’d have known that it wasn’t my fault when my hormones took over and blood sugars went haywire. I beat myself up bad when this would happen and even more when my parents would look at my Clinalog book and question me about it. As hard as it still is, giving myself some grace for thing’s beyond my control is the best way to deal with it.
Excellent advise. Thank you.
In the early 60’s the tech wasn’t available to do much more than urine testing and lots of guessing. My message to kids today is to keep honest communications open with your parents and healthcare providers, respect is a two way street. Try to start each day fresh and do the best you can without the weight of yesterday’s problems.
Love that!
CGM and CGM data…and patience.
I was diagnosed in 1972 when I was ten years old. T1D management was very simple then compared to today because we didn’t have glucose meters, pumps or CGMs. I took NPH and Regular mixed together before breakfast and before dinner, no carb counting. My Dr didn’t want to force the ADA diabetes diet on me. He told my mom that I’d do it on my own when I was mature enough. He was right! At 15 I started doing the exchange diet. Then it got easier in my 20s when Richard Simmons’ Deal a Meal cards came out.
My advice to today’s teenagers is:
* Learn all you can about T1D
* Learn all you can about living a
healthy lifestyle
* Own your T1D. Learn all you can
about managing your blood sugar in
all situations because you might not
have access to a Dr in some
situations.
* Enjoy life!
I thought I had to take insulin if I were to have a couple of beers with people because beers have carbs. This almost killed me due to a hypoglycemic event. Also, don’t be embarrassed because you are a diabetic. It is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about; being a type 1 diabetic is simply the hand that we have been delt. Learn about the disease and how to manage it. Be strong and carry on.
I was diagnosed after puberty at age 14.
Puberty was the only time I have ever been hospitalized for T1D. It came my senior year of High school and the endo was worried about the extreme insulin resistance and high insulin load required. This was 1977. Before CGM, PUMPS, and BG meters, so rheu were drawing blood every two hours (which got old) to see what was going on. The positive outcome was adoption of early Carb Counting, using a system called TOTAL AVAILABLE GLUCOSE.
1962. I didn’t know much about it. My dad, a pediatrician, was Type1, so I pretty much followed his example. One shot in the morning, eat healthy meals, and forget about it until the next morning. Go about your day like everyone else. No testing, apple juice if I went low. Rinse and repeat until I left home for college. I guess my words to a teenager would be : “Don’t obsess about it.”
I would say try to have as much support as possible, a great friend, family member, doctor or counselor. puberty is hard, but 300% harder with diabetic sugar swings. And other teens may not understand. it’s hard to be a teen!
I knew nothing about T1D when I was going through puberty, and had no reason to know anything until I was diagnosed in my late 20s (47 years ago)
Keep a log of when BG levels start to change just before, during, and just after your period. That will help you communicate the noticeable changes to your doctor, who can then help you adjust your insulin to keep the BG levels more stable. My levels tend to run higher and there is more insulin resistance, so the doctors recommend a slight % increase, but you need to know how your levels change through the day to see when the adjustments need to be made.
I’m sorry, but I can’t inform you of my experience of having Type 1 during puberty as I didn’t develop it until the age of 22. What I can, however, advise is that you TRY to follow the guidelines advised by your Diabetes Support Team … doctor/endocrinologist/diabetes specialist nurse/certified diabetes educator … as they have, in all likelihood, come across diabetes patients that have developed diabetes-related complications.
Complications come in a whole range of existences, and tend to ‘creep up on you’. i.e. they’re not normally sudden. They develop over a period of months or years, and sometimes decades.
Try to think of your future life and how you would like it to be, NOT about how life has already dealt you a ‘poor hand’. Things CAN get worse if you don’t take a grip on the realities.
I wish you all well, and truly do hope that you don’t succumb to diabetes-related complications.
I was a teenage diabetic back in the 60s, when HGM was just a dream. As a result, I was constantly living in the insecurity of an imminent low BG or a high glucose level. The tools now available for monitoring glucose levels are unbelievably valuable, so don’t ignore them even though it might seem like a bother.
Nobody every told me that your menstrual cycle affects blood sugar levels
We didn’t have much money. I didn’t feel a part of anything. I wish I’d forced myself to play sports so I could have felt proud to be on a team. It would have given me something that I couldn’t find in food.
Don’t give up and toss blood sugar management out the window. I did and it did not work well for me! I think now there are so many resources available to help with burnout. There are so many groups online and in person that offer support for the various situations that diabetics can experience. Facebook groups, podcasts, videos, all of these have helped me so much in my adulthood as they have developed!
Let your school nurse, teachers and at least one trusted friend in each class know to identify low bg and which pocket or backpack compartment has sugar. One good thing about high testosterone levels: they can motivate you to exercise. In my case buying a 110 pound barbell set from Sears Roebuck and selecting a good book on safely weightlifting and keeping a record of my progress.
As a teenager, I thought “This won’t hurt me”, maybe not right away, but it affects your attitude in thinking your mind is stronger than the disease you have! Your body can’t handle it without you taking control of your own care!!!
Blood sugar levels will vary as your hormone levels change. Don’t stress over this. It is not your fault! It is normal!
I don’t have a response to this
I wish providers had known to tell me how fluctuating hormones throughout the month can affect blood sugar levels and the body’s responses to attempts to control the wide swings of blood sugar changes. I wish providers had known to evaluate me for endometriosis and adenomyosis. I had excruciatingly painful periods for 30 years until I had all my reproductive organs removed because of endometriosis and adenomyosis. These two conditions greatly impacted my BGs and BG management because they cause a lot of inflammation.
My endocrinologist (the best), told me after 1-2 years of his training, that I would do well because “You have accepted diabetes .” I did not fight the diagnoses. Now in my 53rd year.