by IDS Emotional Health Counselor, Anna Sabino, MSW, CDCES
Level-set your own expectations.
Transitions are hard. It’s SO hard to stop doing fun things-going to bed, transitioning to a new school year, getting off the highway to treat an unexpected low when you’re so close to your destination. Diabetes can get in the way of life a lot of the time.
As many of us transition to something new this fall, I want you to think about your relationship with diabetes.
Level set it.
- Do you think your expectations differ from your child or what they once were for yourself?
- Are your expectations realistic for you, your child, or their teacher?
I am still recovering from a massive herniated disc. Thanks to lots of steroids and high blood sugars, I am slowly starting to move my body again. The resentment I felt this summer, jealousy and inability to move my body like I used to has been awful, AND I am accepting that my body can do amazing things and will recover from this.
Slow and steady. Level set.
We cannot expect that because we are used to managing diabetes a certain way, the school nurse will magically pick up on our tendencies. We cannot magically expect that our children will be able to bolus themselves exactly 15 mins before dinner like we once used to because we set a timer when they were 8 to ensure we were doing all the right things. Even at 12 and 18, these kids’ brains aren’t fully developed.
Accepting that we are in a different place now is just as hard on the outgoing party (parents, old you etc) than it is for the person taking over….aka your child, a nurse, or a new version of yourself.
Here are three things to help as you shift gears this fall.
- This is hard. New things are hard for everyone. I have never done this before. I can do this. Naming it and labeling it is always the first step to recognizing an issue and establishing the next steps.
- Check in with your progress weekly, not too often though. Reflect on how far you’ve come (whether it’s letting go of Dexcom follow, or reducing time spent looking at your phone, etc).
- Share the progress with someone else, or the world. (Therapist, spouse, etc). Allow some people in for support.
AND, I’m always here for free and scheduled support sessions. As a therapist also living with type 1, I have been through SO many life transitions and now, I’m here for you.
Our next parent call – Timeout for Caregivers, is scheduled for September 16 at 12noon. It’s a free program and all parents are welcome. Sign up here!
