Dear Thimblebug,
Your question is huge and I remember so well being in your shoes. My son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was three and a half years old. I was scared to death and had no idea what to feed him, do the injections or how I was going to manage this disease. There was so much to learn, to remember, to watch out for and on and on. Fortunately my sister went to the diabetes association and grabbed a suitcase full of brochures etc. and we listened very carefully to our doctors and educators. Oh how I wish you & I were neighbors! I would hold your hand and tell you that it will turn out okay. My son just turned 30! (How could I have a baby who is now 30?!!) and he is doing his medical internship at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle Washington. He and his darling little wife will leave there in June to start his residency at Stanford in July. He was a great athlete in high school and college, received excellent grades and has absolutely no signs of complications! (I am so stinkin proud of him I can't stand it!) This is an excellent website:
http://www.diabetes.org (BTW this website also has recipes that are real and well tested) It has information about every diabetic detail. I urge you to get involved with support groups and education opportunities as often as possible. Another great group is
www.jdrf.org. That is Juvenile diabetes Research Foundation because type 1 or Juvenile Diabetes is a totally different disease than type 2. Everyone who happens to read this should educate themselves about diabetes for their own well being and for that of their family and friends. It wouldn't hurt to make a donation either because these diseases are very difficult and serious. They last a lifetime and there is no cure, YET! And to you Thumblebug, I send my prayers, hugs, offer encouragement and hope. God bless your child! Mary Ellen