My nephew (janobonano)

I'm thinking good thoughts for Simon and his parents too. I have 2 friends whose children were diagnosed as pre-teens and I know it rocked their world for a bit but they did adjust and had a lot of support.

Thanks so much everyone. I know once the shock wears off and they get things figured out and into the new routine that everything will be ok. It is treatable.

Here's a pic. Simon is in the middle. Cutie pie, eh?

janobonano

Cutie pie, eh?

 Yes, a diabetic alert dog is DEFINITELY a service dog.

 Here is one place:

 http://www.dogs4diabetics.com/index.html

 The other place I know of is Wild Rose Kennels; they are not even accepting applications just now, as they have placed all their dogs in training through the end of this year.

Children do not qualify for the pump until they are about age 9 or 10; you have to be aware enough and understand enough to use the pump.  So most likely Simon will be on insulin injections for a few years.  My Dad has dementia so is not qualified for a pump.  I give him insulin 4 times daily = before each meal, and at bedtime.

I'm glad you posted the photo, Simon is a handsome lad!  The older children are going to feel this change, as the parents will be quite focused on Simon's needs for the next few weeks.

Thanks for the info. The link you posted is for California (my sister lives in MN) and they don't give dogs to children under 12. I've checked out a few other websites. There are a lot out there... lots of research to do.

ETA: My sister called! They're doing great. Learning a lot and he should be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. Yay!

Prayers for Simon he is a little dear.  So glad everything is going well and he will be home soon.

Prayers and good thoughts coming from us, too.  As many have mentioned, he'll probably have an easier time adjusting than someone who is diagnosed well into adulthood ... he won't have to relearn how to eat and he won't develop a lot of bad eating habits.

Joyce

Sorry I couldn't give a better update earlier. I had just gotten off the phone with her and the kids woke up from their nap.

I'm so happy she called. She sounded really good. Tired, but in a good mood and thinking positive. They caught it really early, luckily. It sounds like it won't be really difficult. She just has to test his blood about five times/day and give him a shot, depending on the test results and the carbs in his food. She said that during training, she did the shot on herself, with saline I think, and she could hardly feel it. The needle is tiny and the amount of insulin for him is like a drop.

 He is adorable; and so are his sister and brother; what a beautiful family! I'm so glad that he's going to be okay.

Continued good thoughts for Simon and his family. It sounds like they've gotten some excellent help right away--yeah!

Oh, he's so cute, they all are.  Best wishes for him and his parents.  I have one cousin and 1 friend who both are Type I.  And, they both have to take care of themselves and take insulin but they both live very normal lives.  The insulin will be like nothing to him eventually.  My cousin will be in a roomful of people and be like, "nobody minds if I give myself a shot, do they?"  And, they both always have some kind of power bar or snack with them.  My friend used to go to the nurse to eat a couple of extra times a day when we were in school.  

Thanks everyone! The girl on the left is Margaret; she's only 3 weeks older than Willa. They are almost the exact same height & weight. It's fun having kids so close! I just wish we lived even closer.