Now that you are in secondary school you will probably have to manage your diabetes with a bit less support from adults than you have in the past. One good thing about this is that it gives you more control over your own life, however it also means that you have a lot more things that you have to remember to do. Here are some of the things that kids your age have found difficult and some tops to overcome them:
The prickly truth:
Finger-pricks and injections
Some ways to reduce the amount of time you spend worrying about whether you have everything you need for getting ready to go out are:
- Buy a groovy backpack or handbag to carry all your stuff in - If you have to carry your gear, it might as well be a fashion statement!
- Make sure you top up the supplies in your bag each time you come home so that it is packed ready to go so that you can just pick it up and run without worrying about whether or not it has what you need in it.
- Have an emergency kit in your locker (with sugar, juice box, dry biscuits). Also have spares in sick bay so you always have a back up plan.
- If you do regular activities (e.g. different sports or other activities) try to have a separate bag for each, which is stoked with supplies.
- Plan ahead: While planning ahead can be a drag, it means that you will spend less time worrying while you are out having fun!!!
If you've had diabetes for a while, up until now you may have relied on your parents or teachers to help remind you to do finger-pricks and injections. However, once you get to secondary school, usually you have to take on more responsibility for remembering to do these things yourself - especially when you are at school or out with your friends. However, this isn't as easy as it sounds.
