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Teen Panel
Panel Responses
Show questions from:Kathy, aged 15, from Berkshire, would like to know:
Andy suggests Kathy should ask the hospital:
"Some hospitals do weekends away and action days which are fun. When I went, thirty or so kids went with two nurses and a doctor and a couple of helpers who knew a little bit about diabetes. It was great to be able to be with all these other people who had diabetes. I've learned something every year. We compared results and things. I got on really well with the people there. I've been every year for three years so I know the people who go really well now."
’You could try Diabetes UK too. They do holidays for young people with diabetes. I’m a member. The Diabetes UK website is good, and there are other websites too.’
Danielle agrees:
"Birmingham Children's hospital put on a lot of activity holidays for people with diabetes. You go rock climbing and canoeing and things like that. It's all very flexible apart from the injection times and meal times. Most people think of it as just a holiday rather than a 'diabetic' holiday. I went purely for fun and made some good friends. I've been a close friend with one girl for ten years now. They group you with your friends to share rooms, so it's nice. Those holidays were all about doing normal things with other people who have diabetes too. You learn a bit from other people, but it's all about having a good time really."
"Some hospitals do weekends away and action days which are fun. When I went, thirty or so kids went with two nurses and a doctor and a couple of helpers who knew a little bit about diabetes. It was great to be able to be with all these other people who had diabetes. I've learned something every year. We compared results and things. I got on really well with the people there. I've been every year for three years so I know the people who go really well now."
’You could try Diabetes UK too. They do holidays for young people with diabetes. I’m a member. The Diabetes UK website is good, and there are other websites too.’
Danielle agrees:
"Birmingham Children's hospital put on a lot of activity holidays for people with diabetes. You go rock climbing and canoeing and things like that. It's all very flexible apart from the injection times and meal times. Most people think of it as just a holiday rather than a 'diabetic' holiday. I went purely for fun and made some good friends. I've been a close friend with one girl for ten years now. They group you with your friends to share rooms, so it's nice. Those holidays were all about doing normal things with other people who have diabetes too. You learn a bit from other people, but it's all about having a good time really."
Lily, aged 13, from Bristol, would like to know:
Danielle says, ’Tough luck, Lily. You must eat a healthy diet. The only time you should really eat sweets is straight after your main meal. That won’t hurt you, except that you might put on a bit of weight, but if you stick with it you'll be ok.
’You can save your sweets for special occasions like birthdays. It’s not a crime to go high sometimes. It’s just that it’s best not to. Don’t get hung up on it, as long as it really is only one day.
’If you’re on two injections of insulin a day there’s nothing much you can do to make your blood sugars go down again. With the multiple insulin injections I take, I could eat all the chocolate cake in the world and just have more insulin, but that’s really not good for anyone. I could eat crisps and a chocolate bar in the morning at work but I’d have to inject then, which would annoy me.’
Andy suggests that Lily should:
"Save your sweets for when you're doing your exercise. Otherwise, you can either enjoy eating sweets now and feel grotty later, or you can miss out now and feel sorry for yourself for a few minutes, but feel fine later."
’You can save your sweets for special occasions like birthdays. It’s not a crime to go high sometimes. It’s just that it’s best not to. Don’t get hung up on it, as long as it really is only one day.
’If you’re on two injections of insulin a day there’s nothing much you can do to make your blood sugars go down again. With the multiple insulin injections I take, I could eat all the chocolate cake in the world and just have more insulin, but that’s really not good for anyone. I could eat crisps and a chocolate bar in the morning at work but I’d have to inject then, which would annoy me.’
Andy suggests that Lily should:
"Save your sweets for when you're doing your exercise. Otherwise, you can either enjoy eating sweets now and feel grotty later, or you can miss out now and feel sorry for yourself for a few minutes, but feel fine later."