Even if what you do now keeps you in control, that can change. As you grow, you need to eat more so you also may need more insulin. Anytime your life changes, your diabetes treatment may change. For example, if you join the basketball team, you may have to fit your shots and snacks around games and practices.

At times, you may feel your treatment is not working for you. Maybe your blood glucose levels have gotten too high. Maybe you're having too many lows. Maybe it's really hard for you to fit in a snack during the afternoon. Don't sit by and let your diabetes get out of control! Instead, talk to your parents, doctor, or diabetes educator about changes you can make to take better care of your diabetes.

Who takes care of your diabetes will probably change as you get older, too. When you're younger, your mom or dad may help you check your blood glucose, measure your insulin, and give you your shot. As you get older, you'll probably want to take over your own diabetes care. You may start by giving your own shot once in a while, or by keeping track of your sugar by yourself. No matter how much or how little of your diabetes care you do on your own, don't be embarrassed or afraid to ask for help when you need it. Diabetes care is a team effort!

Your Diabetes Care Team

You are part of a team, your diabetes care team. On this team, you're the team captain. When you're frustrated with your diabetes or don't know what to do, call one of your teammates in to help.

Each person with diabetes may have a different team. Here are some people that could be on your diabetes care team.

Parents and Other Family Members
Your family is an important part of your diabetes care. They are the first ones you should talk to when you have questions or problems with your diabetes (or anything else!).

Doctor
Your doctor may be a specialist (often called a diabetologist or an endocrinologist) or a family doctor who also cares for people with diabetes.

Diabetes Educator 
A diabetes educator is trained to help you learn about diabetes and make adjustments in your diabetes care. He or she may also be trained as a nurse or a dietitian.

Dietitian
A dietitian is an expert in food and nutrition. He or she can help you and your family create and stick to a healthy eating plan.

Eye Doctor
People with diabetes should get their eyes checked by an ophthalmologist at least once a year.

Mental Health Professional
Diabetes can be hard for you and your family to deal with. A counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker can be a big help. You can talk to a mental health professional about your feelings about diabetes and other things in your life. He or she can help you and your family cope better with the emotions and changes that diabetes can bring.

Exercise Specialist
If you're having trouble fitting exercise into your diabetes care, an exercise specialist could help. He or she can work with you and your doctor to create an exercise plan and make sure you exercise safely.

Podiatrist
People with diabetes sometimes develop problems with their feet. If this happens to you, your doctor can refer you to a podiatrist, or foot doctor, for help.

Pharmacist
Your pharmacist can help you and your parents learn more about diabetes medicines and supplies. A pharmacist can help you choose the diabetes supplies - like your glucose meter, syringes, and finger-pricking device - that are right for you.

Talking with Your Diabetes Care Team

People with diabetes should do their best to follow the advice of their doctor and other members of their diabetes team. After all, the members of your diabetes team are experts in diabetes. But you are the expert on how well your diabetes treatment plan works in your life. In order to make your diabetes treatment work well, you need to talk with your diabetes team. A lot. Let them know what's going on with you, and what you need from your diabetes treatment. If you don't talk with them, it makes it really tough for them to help you.

For example, there's no reason you can't find a way to work an occasional treat into your meal plan. Is your class having a party? There's no reason for you to refuse all the food that's being served and eat celery sticks out of your lunch (no matter how much you may love celery sticks). Talk with your diabetes educator about working occasional treats into your plan. Your diabetes educator can show you how to make changes in your day (like increasing physical activity or insulin) to make up for the extra carbs. This way, everyone's happy and you have a diabetes plan that works for you.

Getting Good Diabetes Care - What to Expect

You and your parents can make sure that you get good diabetes care. Here's a list of things to expect when you see your doctor about your diabetes.

If it's your first visit to a new doctor, you can expect the doctor to ask: 

• How long you've had diabetes
  
• If anyone else in your family has diabetes
  
• About your current diabetes care plan
  What and when you eat
  
• How often and how hard you exercise
  
• If you have any other health problems
  
• Whether you have had ketones in your urine
  
• If you have had low blood glucose
  
• Whether you have had any infections
  
• If you have any complications of diabetes
  
• What medicines you are taking

Then, the doctor should:

• Measure your height, weight, and blood pressure
  
• Look in your eyes and ask if you've had eye problems lately
  
• Look in your mouth and ask about dental problems
  
• Feel your neck to check your glands
  
• Listen to your heart through the stethoscope
  
• Feel your belly to check your liver and other organs
  
• Look at your hands, fingers, and bare feet
  
• Check your pulse and sensations in your feet
  
• Check your skin
  
• Test your reflexes
  
• Take your pulse
  
• Ask for blood and urine samples for tests

If you've visited the doctor before, you can also expect the doctor to ask:

• To see your logbook
  
• Whether your blood glucose has been running too high or too low
  
• If you've had any signs of complications
  
• Whether you've been sick since your last visit
  
• What medicines you're taking now
  
• If your life has changed since your last visit
  
• If you've had any problems sticking to your diabetes treatment plan

Your doctor will also:

• Look in your eyes
  
• Look at your bare feet
  
• Take a sample of blood for an A1C test and other tests
  
• Ask for a urine sample to test
  
• Go over your diabetes treatment plan to see if you've met your goals
  
• Talk about any changes that need to be made in your treatment plan

You can expect to visit your doctor about every three months if you're in pretty good control. When you're having trouble with your diabetes or trying a new treatment, you'll probably see the doctor more often.

Expanding Your Team

Help is all around you. In addition to your diabetes team, you can find people in your community to help you learn more about diabetes. You and your parents may want to check out diabetes support groups, local chapters of the ADA, and other resources in your community.

Changing Parent/Child Relationships

As you get older and have more practice with diabetes, your role in your diabetes care will change. You will start to take on more of your diabetes care, and your parents will move into more of a support role. This is good. It means that you're growing up and learning how to take care of yourself. Sooner or later, you're going to be living on your own. You'll need to know how to take care of yourself. It's great to start "practicing" while your parents are still around to help and support you.

All this change can be tough on everyone, though. It's hard on your parents. It'll definitely be hard on you, too. The key is to keep at it and keep talking to each other all the way. Eventually, you'll all get comfortable with your new roles.

To learn more about dealing with your parents, click here.