Resources
 As
parents, we want to take small steps toward changing our family’s diet
so that they don't overwhelm anyone - especially ourselves! In “Eight Ways to Improve Your Family's Eating Habits," I discuss ways to move slowly but surely toward improving your family’s
health with the least misery possible. It was published in Diabetes Health Magazine, which has an informative web site and a terrific newsletter, so you may want to sign up while you are there.
In addition, I recommend “Emergency Room Visits for Kids with Diabetes.”
After five years of rushing my son Danny to the emergency room for
non-diabetes fearless-boy related reasons, over time, my husband and I
realized there are many steps parents of children with diabetes can
take to insure that ER visits go as smoothly as possible. This essay
was published in Diabetesincontrol.com,
a web site and newsletter for medical professionals, which gives weekly
updates on the latest advances and research. Their newsletter is a
quick way to keep up-to-date.
In addition, I have created a resource section
on our web site, which offers recipes, food logs, links to other
helpful sites and an archive of the other articles I’ve written.
Click here to order
"The Challenge of Childhood Diabetes: Family Strategies for Raising a Healthy Child" at the author's discount
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August 2007
Welcome to the First Edition of our Challenge of Childhood Diabetes Newsletter!
 As
parents of children with diabetes, we need to start a conversation
about raising healthy, happy, well-adjusted children. My 13-year-old
son Danny has had Type 1 diabetes for six years. Improving nutrition,
increasing exercise, encouraging teamwork and cooperation, and
maintaining a sense of humor and honest communication have been vital
to the overall well-being of our family. What we need to talk about is
how to do that more easily and better.
Each month, I'll offer the best of what I know in the Resources section
and highlight some of the successes that other parents have had as
well. Since the launch of our book, “The
Challenge of Childhood Diabetes: Family Strategies for Raising a Healthy
Child,” I have received letters from parents
in many countries who have put our ideas into practice. They report not
only finding diabetes less stressful, but also getting recognition from
their medical teams for their child's excellent blood sugar control.
Please use the contact information below to keep in touch. Forward this
letter to other families with children with diabetes and invite them to
join us in our parent dialogue. Together we CAN make a difference.
Supporting Each Other
This is a letter and helpful tip from Sue E. in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She has a nine-year-old son with Type 1 diabetes.
"I cried through most of your book as it was the first time in four
months that I felt like someone truly understood how I felt and what my
family is going through. Your book told so much of my family's story.
It was comforting to know that another mother felt like I did and that
I wasn't going insane! This book really has been a great help to my
family. I walk around the house reading pieces to each family member as
a way to comfort them as well.
I loved some of the tips for diet your book offered. We are slowly
making the changes as a family. One of the things that you said in your
book really hit home for me. "We don’t want the easy way, we want the
right way." We are willing to do the work to make our son healthy and
happy, but we are so confused with all the conflicting advice we get
from our health care professionals. I agree with you that they give us
the easy way to manage diabetes, but it’s not necessarily the right
way to keep our son healthy for many years to come.
Thank you so much for letting me into your family's home and most
important into your hearts! You have a remarkable family, most
especially a very strong courageous son!"
Sue's tip: "I use colored
highlighters in Bradley's logbook. I color green over every reading
that is within range. Pink if it’s high and yellow if it’s low. For
every "green day,” (that's what I call it when I can highlight the
entire day's readings) I say in my head, 'Diabetes…..I beat you today!'
Sounds silly but it helps me."
Share Your Tips
Do you have bedtime snack suggestions for other parents, which maintain
good glucose control during the night without creating highs? I'd love
to hear from you! Please send your ideas to newsletter@challengeofdiabetes.com, and I'll publish some of them next month.
August 2007
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