Diabetes and Puberty Don't Mix

I have been told many times that when my tween Type 1 hits that time, you know that time---Yes,  I am talking about Puberty.  The big P word.  By the way I did mention I have five daughters living in one house who will eventually all experience this transition.  Fun, Fun, Fun...I plan to pick up lots of overtime.

Well that time has come, well it is actually in passing as she just turned 13.  I was forewarned about the increased need for insulin and rollar coaster blood glucose levels, but wholly crap there is way more to it then glucose and insulin.

Someone or some thing I believe has abducted my daughter and replaced her with a replicate from another planet.  The old one comes to visit on occasion then returns to the mother ship.  Okay, perhaps I am being a bit too harsh.

The challenges of raising a teenager with diabetes is a daunting, and very tricky task.  To her, her friends are now way cooler then us, and she would prefer to be with them instead of under our careful watch. Let the autonomy struggle begin!

We ask her daily to track her readings, count her carbs, take her insulin.  But all she wants to do is be a teen, free to hang out at the mall, socialize with friends and talk about the latest movie.  Notice how I didn't mention boys, yes I am in denial and I'm totally OK with that.

This got me thinking about when I was a teen with Type 1 diabetes.  It sucked. But I survived.  I was active, so is she.  I survived with no testing, and 1 shot a day.

This amazing alien that was sent takes her own shots, counts carbs better then most adults, knows how much to take to correct her highs, and usually tests a minimum of 4-5 times a day.  All this stuff and has a thriving social life! A promising track career, and she is passing school. What more could we ask for, really.

Even though Puberty and it's surge of hormones has made it extremely difficult to manage her diabetes I think she is doing Great!

The only major issue (which I will blog about next time) was a recent trip to the emergency department.  It wasn't DKA or a Hypo.

Oh and another thing, I like it when the mother ship leaves her for more then a day.

Later,

Trev