juvenile diabetes?

I had a foster child with Juvenile Diabetes and the biggest problem he seemed to have is that he would sneak food that he was not supposed to eat. He was 6 and if someone offered to give him something he would take it. So mostly this problem occured at school as he could not be watched as closely. Even that being said it was manageable with some training on testing, giving shots, diet, ect.

Although neither of my kids have it, it does run in their family and I understand that it is very manageable! Best of luck on getting the placement. Let us know how it goes. Michelle

My x-highschool bf has juvenile diabetes, he found out at 10yrs... He had to test, take shots, watch what he ate, which is challenging when they see other kids their age eating goodies, he was also very thirsty, always drinking something, usually diet coke/pepsi..... It is manageable but it will take discipline and such.... Good Luck! :-)

Hello,I realize this post is kinda old, but as a juvenile diabetic myself I had to offer my two cents. I will be completely honest with you, and I hope I don't come acrossed to blunt. Juvenile diabeties is not a joke. It is a very serious condition. However, it can be managed. Although it may seem a bit overwhelming at first, it is not a complete uphill battle. I think the younger you have it, the better in control you will probably be. All juvenile diabetics require blood sugar testing and insulin injections several times a day. Don't let this scare you though. When the child is small you will have to give them there shots and help them test,(usually before they eat) but as they grow, you can teach them to test their own sugars and give their own shots. It becomes very routine. Kind of like combing your hair or brushing your teeth. Be as upbeat and possitive as possible, and it will reflect on your child. I have lead a very full life. I was in Jr. High and High School sports. I participated in all kinds of activities. Got great grades and over all had a pretty normal balanced life. Yes diet has alot to do with the childs health. Sugar and even carbs are something to have in small quantities. However, this may require you to be creative. A little something off the menu is okay on special occasions and in small quantities. For example, every child needs a birthday cake. Try something with less carbs. My mom used to take whipped cream and sweeten it with sweet and low (now they have splenda & it tastes much better), add some strawberry slices and mash it all together. Now you have a low sugar frosting. She would also buy a sponge cake cut it in half put a thin layer of whipcream frosting lined with a few strawberries, put the pieces back together and then frost the cake with the remaining whipcream frosting. Ta-da, you have now cut the sugars in half or more. Take a little extra insulin to compensate for the treat and nobody feels like they have missed out on anything. Another good thing to consider is that new developments are available all the time. When I first became diabetic 20yrs ago, I was given a bottle of test strips that required me to poke my finger, squeeze out a drop of blood, wait 60 seconds, wipe it off and hold the results up to a color chart. The chart would say, if you match this color your sugars are somewhere between 80 and 140. Well thats a big margin. Then I got my first machine. It was the size of a pocket novel and took 45 seconds to process. Now days they have little machines smaller than a pager, and poking your finger (the worst part of diabeties management if you ask me) is no longer painful. They have pokers now that you can use on your arm that don't hurt at all. Needles have gotten smaller too, and they even have an insulin pump so that you don't have to take shots at all. Although this is not an answer for everyone. Some folks don't like the idea of being plugged into something all the time. The best news yet is a cure for diabeties. About 3 or 4 years ago, they used a stem cell type research and found a cure that worked in 7 out of 7 cases of juvenile diabetics. However they are still working on the long term studies. It may be another 10 yrs or more before they release this wonderful discovery to the public. I guess my point is with possitive support and creativity the child almost never feels like they are terribly disadvantaged by diabeties. It's just normal life. Keep open comunication so that when they do mess up, and they will, you can help them compensate by taking a little extra insulin. If you are in good control, your health will be too. Juvenile diabetics who are in poor control usually do not have problems right away. But can suffer some later in life. Because the "wish I knew then what I know now" senerio comes into play with me, I have had a little nerve damage in my hands (carpel tunnel) and I have been told that I can not have children because it is not a stable enviroment for a baby to grow. (My sugars are not always perfect) A male though will not have this issue with child bearing. Plus, perhaps by the time they are able to drive there may be a cure available! If there is anything more I can share with you, please feel free to ask. Remember giving a diabetic love, possitive support, and creativity can create some of the sweetest children around! Best wishes,Amy

Everyone, thanks for the replies and first-hand information. As it turns out, we were not offered this little boy as his workers felt like he had some other issues that made him a less than great fit for our family. For anyone else looking for information, I found that the Juvenile DIabetes Foundation website had great resources and they even put me in touch with parents in my area that I could talk to about getting care locally--it is clearly a relatively manageable health issue that there are lots of resources for. Thanks again!