Hi, just wanted to pop in and say, I’m terrified of T1D, I try my hardest to be strong of course but shots and needles are scary to me, sometimes I’ll sit down and just think, “Why can’t I be like everyone else around me,” as I watch them eat my favorite candy or old favorite snacks, etc. I suppose I just need to sit down and realize that, none of us are alone in this, and we, who are T1 need to stick together. So no matter how tough it gets, know even a 15 year old that’s new to all this needs some help sometimes, but we can still do this. As positive I try to be about all this, I’ll be honest I just need some support and to know I’m not, in a manner of speaking floating along the sea of T1D, all alone with the young diagnoses and fear of shots and needles. That’s all. Thanks for reading 
Hellow @REESEScups07 .its really that shots and needless are scary! But diabetics we are all strong after the only option we had was to say yes we can do it. Ope you get strong and be proud of yourself that you gonna live and enjoy your life to the fullest! 
@REESEScups07 Hi Landen, and Welcome to the JDRF TypeOneNation Community Forum! Yes, this place is dedicated to people like you and I, people affected by T1D where we can stick together and share our diabetes concerns.
I can relate to you; I began my journey with diabetes at age 15 and now in my 80s I’m still quite active and living a full life. Over the years i’ve had to give myself thousands of shots and I still “hate” needles - way back in the 1950s insulin needles were the size of small nails.
Think more of what you CAN DO, and not do much of foods you need to limit.
Stay in touch!
Hi @REESEScups07 and welcome to the forum. You’re at the start of a learning curve with your new diagnosis but take heart: you’ll learn as you go, not just about diabetes in general but about diabetes and your body. You might be under some strict orders right now as your doctor works to determine dosing, but once you’ve got a good plan in place you may find you can have those treats along with your friends so long as you manage them well. A pump can give you flexibility so you might look into one down the road. Hang in there - with support from family, friends and the forum, you’ll learn.
There are summer camps for kids with diabetes, and while the term usually makes you think of little kids some/many have sessions for teens. You and your parents might start researching now even though it’s early.
Hi Landen, I was diagnosed at age 33, and have now had it for about 2.5 years. So I can’t offer advice/support as a person who has/had T1D while young. But I saw your post and wanted to reply. You’re in good company here, and most definitely not alone! I’ve struggled with the same feelings of wondering why I have to have this daily ordeal, just to do something as basic as eating, that all these other people can take for granted. It can be so frustrating and disheartening. I’ve found that it helps to stop for a moment, and refocus on the immediate things happening in the moment or during that day, in terms of what I did that was successful w/ diabetes (or anything else!), and/or what I can do right now to exert some control to benefit myself (as far as treating blood sugar), even if it’s just to help me out for the next few hours. Take it a step at a time, focus on small achievements, and be glad for them. I am so impressed by anyone your age who deals with and manages this disease, it’s a huge effort, physically and mentally, and takes so much stamina and constant reassertion of a positive outlook. You can do it–you’ve already been doing it! As far as needles, I use the BD Veo Ultra-Fine needles. I find the insulin can sting more than the needle itself! Sometimes I don’t even feel it. And the needle is the delivery system for something your body can’t live without–the needle’s a helper, not a foe. That probably all sounds trite…I know it’s difficult! Anyway hang in there, you got this.
Thanks for the advice and i really appreciate the support from you guys! Welcome and i think we can be friends if you don’t mind
Welcome! Glad to see another 15-year old posting on the forum!!
Advice I wish I could give to myself when I was diagnosed at age 13; take it one step at a time. (Or one shot at a time). Yesterday is gone you can’t add a minute to your life by worrying about tomorrow. You can only do right now. I still need to remind myself of that.
When I was diagnosed I thought the needles were bad and scary but I felt so horrible (789 BG and miraculously not in DKA) that I thought the shots were worth it. They still are worth it. But that doesn’t make it any easier!
If you don’t have a CGM yet, you should get one asap! Especially if the finger pokes are hard for you. My dexcom g6 stays on for about 10 days with the help of some tape and I hardly feel it. Insertion is painless- it just feels like a weird sticker being slapped onto my skin. It’s pretty accurate. Instead of poking myself 100+ times in the 10 days I typically poke about 5-20 times. Most cgms will also alert for lows, highs, and let you see what your blood sugar is up to 24/7.
You came to the right place for support! This forum and the people on it are incredible. If you’re ever looking for some laughs type something like “funny” or “people” into the search bar. You’ll find hundreds of funny and relatable stories, some posted as far back as 2009. As well as lots of tips and tricks and good advice about practically everything.
Good luck with this beast called T1D! You’re most definitely not alone.
You have T1D all wrong. You can eat anything you want. Just take the insulin to counter it. Get an insulin pump if you are afraid of needles. To be honest I think needles are less painful, when I used them, than all kinds of other things you experience daily and think nothing of them. BTW I was diagnosed at 12 and I am now 66 with zero complications. We are lucky. If we just take the insulin we need, we live a normal, full, life. People with Type 2 are the ones that have all the complications.
@REESEScups07, there are millions of type 1 diabetics in the world. I have been type1 for 77 years, diagnosed in 1945 when I was 6. I have had a very good life, with no serious complications. You can adjust and have a good life, too.
Hey Landon,
This is a great forum for help and information, full of a lot of people similar to you, and so many here are very helpful and caring, and experienced. My son was diagnosed at 15, just over three years ago. He has had ups and downs, but is now doing a great job of managing his condition, and I know you can too. It is really hard at times, but you can do it.
I know it doesn’t help you directly, but also know that there are other medical conditions out there, that can be worse than T1D. Some people have mental illness which can be difficult to control, some have substance abuse problems and are struggling, some have difficult home situations that are a constant battle to endure. Some have other medical conditions that have poor outcomes, but they are battling for an improvement. When you look around you, know that there are people who are in worse situation than you, and they also need our help, and a place to go for help.
My son was told when he was diagnosed, you can continue to eat whatever you want. You just need to dose yourself appropriately. He does pretty much eat anything he wants, and of course, sometimes he goes high and sometimes he goes low. But his A1C is in target, even below where his docs expect. The best is to speak with your medical team, endocrinologist, etc. I also know that sometimes you may not have the best medical information, it may not be available where you live. So that is why this forum can be a great place to learn.
I have 2 nephews with T1D, and 2 great nieces with T1D. They have ups and downs, but they are doing well. Some were diagnosed at age 2, some later. You can do it, Landen. Just remember that this was not a result of anything you did or did not do, it is a condition that just happens. Know that your family and friends love you, and they want what is best for you, but sometimes they won’t know how to tell you.
Like others said, if you can get a CGM and a pump, that will help a lot. My son uses the Dexcom G6 with the Tandem T-Slim pump. It works really well. It is not perfect, but it does help alot.
Hang in there, and know that others want you to thrive. There are a lot of famous and accomplished people who also have T1D. None of them chose it, but with help from others, and their own strength, they have found a way to do well, and excel. You can do it too!
Hi Landen.
Don’t often participate on this forum but a struggling teenager always strikes a common cord.
I am now a T1D x 63 years. I was diagnosed at the age of 5 which on its own was scary enough.
Times were much different in 1960. No blood glucose monitoring, No disposable needles (syringes and needles were boiled for sterilization purposes), No insulin pumps or CGM, and no multiple insulins, In effect life was simpler (not better) for the T1D. One shot a day and the rest was on a whim and a prayer. Not likely well controlled. Did not have a blood glucose meter until I was 18. The meter was the size of small shoe box.
I felt like you in that I felt much different than my friends and piers. I was for many years a “closet” diabetic, Most of my friends and were unaware of my status. By the time I was to go to college I was very uncertain as to my future and if there was one ahead of me. I just kept going and some how survived and thrived despite the T!D.
Today I am happy to see that young people with T1D are very much “out of the closet”. They discuss being diabetic openly and proudly wear their CGM or pumps proudly.(at times with a bit of bling). A completely different approach to the disease as a young person. it is pretty difficult to hide all the accessories we use to stay in control.
To this day, I am one of the lucky ones. If one has to live and thrive with T!D, I would much rather be your age with all the medical and technological advances we currently have. You don’t have to be depressed. Your best response is to “own” it and wear it proudly.
Any way we old timers can help…let us know.
Best.
Richard
Hi Landen.
I’m sorry you have to start this journey. My name is Katie. I’m 17, and I’ve had diabetes for 10 years. I know these beginning stages are really tough. I’m still figuring a lot out right now. I also know it can be hard to fit in as a teenager through all of this.
As far as needles go, it’s just something you have to get used to really. It’s terrifying, but in hindsight, there’s worse. I know that’s not really helpful, but it’s all I got.
Food can be really tough to talk about as a diabetic. It seems like everyone around you tells you what you can and can’t do before you can even make that decision for yourself. It led me down some really bad paths in terms of my relationship with food. I would let insulin or my blood sugar determine when and what I ate. It’s hard to feel like your really living your life as a teenager when you have this blockade. I’m sorry. But, you shouldn’t let diabetes define what you eat necessarily. You shouldn’t cut out sugar from your life altogether. It’s okay to be a kid first. It’s hard to manage when to have fun and find your moderation limits, but it’s important to do so you don’t end up like I did.
I’m sorry if that wasn’t very helpful. I’m just trying to say that I understand it’s really hard. If you want to talk more about it, I’d love to.
@REESEScups07 Hi Landen,
I’m curious what exactly about the shots and needles is scary to you? I’m scared of needles, too, and had a hard time learning to give myself shots when I was a teenager (took me 5 years to work up the courage; I was completely dependent on my parents until then). But there are assistive devices that can help. For example, I use an inject-ease when I give myself insulin. AmbiMedInc Inject-Ease Injections Made Easy It’s easier for me to push a button than to stab myself. There are also tools out there that help with pain, like the shot blocker, if that’s the problem. And if you decide to use a pump, the Omnipod will do the canula insertion for you. I tried it for a little while, but I had to stop because I had a bad skin reaction to the canulas. The clicking sound it makes as it’s priming is awful and the insertion hurt like hell, but at least it was only once every two days instead of 4 or 5 times daily. And it was lovely being able to eat whenever I wanted instead of trying to decide if the snack was worth another injection.
Katie @pudgesifter, so well said - I like this “picture” you paint; I hope you will allow me to quote you when appropriate.
One thing I will add - diabetes does NOT define who or what you are, you are a person who lives [well] with diabetes - not a diabetic.
Yeah! I’ve been wanting friends with T1 honestly.
As far as I’m concerned, all of us with T1D have a lot in common.
I have always had a sense of comaraderie with others who can relate to me.
We are all individuals but with a strong common thread. Happy to be your friend.
Richard
Agreed! Well said Richard @frankeldpm. Us T1D’s seem to have an instant sort of connection. We’re a pretty exotic species.
I met a girl this summer when my family was in Athens when we were eating at her family’s restaurant. She recognized my CGM and asked if I also had T1D. We must have spent 45 minutes talking a million miles a minute about T1D- do you experience this symptom when you go low? What are your favorite pump/injection sites? How do you talk to your friends about diabetes? On and on.
Although we were different nationalities, ages, spoke completely different languages (she spoke Greek and enough English to carry a conversation), passions, skills, etc, we connected over our malfunctioning pancreases. I don’t remember anything about her except that she also has T1D and that calls pump tubing “the tunnel”.
Everyone can relate to having a cold, but only T1D’s can understand what a severe low blood sugar feels like.
Great Job Richard.
I was diagnosed in 1952, so we have been through many of the same technologies which make daily care a whole lot easier and accurate.
Roger