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Episode 29: From ADHD to Type 1–Jess’s Journey Supporting Millie Through Dual Diagnoses
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Jess shares the journey of parenting through two life-changing diagnoses — first understanding Millie’s neurodivergence and then adapting to the demands of daily diabetes management. Together, they talk about the unique challenges (and insights) that come with balancing both, how ADHD influences diabetes care and the strength it takes as a parent to navigate constant learning, advocacy and support.
This episode is a powerful reminder that every child’s path is different and that understanding, flexibility and community can make all the difference.
What You’ll Hear
- Millie’s ADHD diagnosis story and how it shaped Jess’s parenting
- The shock of Millie’s later Type 1 diabetes diagnosis
- How ADHD impacts diabetes routines, focus and food decisions
- Strategies Jess uses to support Millie’s independence and confidence
- The emotional load of parenting a child with multiple diagnoses
- Why connecting with other families who “get it” can be so grounding
- The importance of compassion — for your child and yourself
Further Resources:
Type 1 Foundation Website
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If you'd like to share your story with our podcast listeners, please email: podcast@type1foundation.com.au
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:23
Speaker
Welcome to the Type 1 Club. Whether you're a parent grappling with a new diagnosis, a caregiver seeking guidance, or simply someone wanting to learn more about type 1 diabetes, this podcast is for you.
00:00:36
Speaker
Together, let's dispel myths, break down barriers and build a community of understanding and resilience. Join us as we embark on this journey together, because with knowledge, compassion and support, no one should ever feel alone in managing type 1 diabetes.
00:00:54
Speaker
Welcome to the Type 1 Club.
00:00:58
Speaker
Hey
Jackie's Personal Journey
00:00:59
Speaker
everybody and welcome back to this fortnight's episode of the Type 1 Club. My name is Jackie Kidman, I am your host and I am a Type 1 mum to a boy named Harvey who was diagnosed in June 2022 the age of seven.
00:01:16
Speaker
So he's now 10 years old. We have moved from MDI to a pump just recently. So I'm in a whole new learning curve and ah my brain is... is exploding a little, but it has been a great sort of change for us. So that's a little bit of a quick update about about me, but this episode's not about me.
Meeting Jess
00:01:41
Speaker
This week I have a guest who is another type 1 mum, and she actually happens to be one of my type 1 mum friends, um as we all have have become friends over the years, with the the type 1 diabetes diagnosis that seems to link us up. And I have i have Jess. So, Jess, welcome. Thank you.
00:02:05
Speaker
so Jess is another type 1 mum that actually attends the same school that Harvey attends and we have the same age children. So, another grade 4 child that is going to our primary school. ah She's going to share Millie's diagnosis story and some other stuff around pregnancy.
00:02:25
Speaker
Millie's type one that is ah just adds another layer, I guess we would say, Jess, I guess. um And Jess is actually one of the people that I probably text when Harvey was diagnosed. I think if I looked back, if I could have a history of our text messages, um they're always long. But I think when Harvey was first returning to school and I was like, how do you pack a lunchbox? you know just the simple things that you're like what am I doing here um and I didn't actually even know Jess and that's what happens in this type one world is I think when you hear that someone has had a child that is diagnosed you instantly remember and you recall when your child was diagnosed and you know what it's like for that parent and i think that I can't remember who connected us but someone had said this is Jess's number
00:03:20
Speaker
She said message if you need if you need anything. So I would love to welcome you to the podcast and I would like you to start just by sharing Millie's diagnosis story. Okay. So
Millie's Diagnosis Story
00:03:34
Speaker
Millie was diagnosed in August 2020. She was in grade prep. She was five years old, nearly six.
00:03:42
Speaker
And her main symptom or her only symptom really that we noticed was that she started to wet the bed. and it went on for couple of nights. We had no idea what was going on We went away to the snow sort of that weekend and um I did notice that she was drinking a lot. She was literally sculling cups of water and asking me to refill them and I thought it was a bit odd but didn't really think too much of it because we were staying in this really, really warm lodge and I just thought she'd been really active and it was really hot and
00:04:15
Speaker
She was just thirsty, so I didn't really think a lot of it. But again, she was waking up every morning having wet the bed. Then we got home, and again that night, she woke up in the middle of the night and had wet the bed again. And whilst I was laying with her to get her back to sleep, she said to me, Mum, I'm really thirsty. And that was the moment where I kind of straightaway thought, oh, it's it's diabetes. um And I don't even really know why I thought that.
00:04:37
Speaker
however It's so weird when you have those moments, isn't it? You're like, yep, yep. i thought oh, how did I not see this sooner? I'm sure it's diabetes. And yeah, so it's let's down the phone, you know, Googling symptoms and of course, thirst, extreme thirst and urination. And then i guess I wasn't shocked because my mum is a type 1 diabetic.
00:04:56
Speaker
And she was diagnosed when she was about 42 years old. So I always thought someone in the family is going to get it you know being genetic. So yeah, but so we went to the doctor the next day and got a blood test and yeah, we're hospital that night.
00:05:14
Speaker
Wow. So you were like in your teens then when your mum was diagnosed, is that right? Yeah, i'm yeah. I know this is Millie's diagnosis story, but I also just am curious about do you did do you recall anything at the time with your mum?
00:05:28
Speaker
All that I remember, and I have a very bad memory, but all that I remember was that she was in bed for like ah what felt like days and days, like it was the sickest I'd ever seen her, like she she had like a like a flu or something, like some sort of virus.
00:05:43
Speaker
but She was just sick for many days and then that's obviously what triggered the type 1. All that I remember, and this was a long time ago obviously, like over 20 years ago, and so they dealt with diabetes differently and all it was all about – having, you know the exchange, the carb ratio, the carb exchange to like, you know, one unit of insulin. So she would always at every meal just have to say, oh, how many, you know, what carbs are we eating with this meal? Is rice or potatoes? She always had to have carbs to then be able to inject her insulin. So it was very different to...
00:06:18
Speaker
I guess how we manage Millie particularly because she's on a pump and my mum just can't get head around the whole pump situation either in terms of you have to insert all the carbs that you eat, you know, to to make it calculate your
Technological Challenges Across Generations
00:06:33
Speaker
insulin. my that My mum just doesn't get it because it's just so different to what she was taught.
00:06:38
Speaker
because So she's still, she's MDI, I'm assuming, your mum. She is. She's a pump but terrified. Does she check... Like she's on Fingerpricks or does she do CGM or? She is on a CGM now. She's on the Dexcom. Oh, she is?
00:06:53
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, one maybe a couple of years ago. Yeah, and that's still even now she rings me and says, I don't know why, I don't feel very well. But the Dexcom saying that I'm, you know, over four or, you know, not having a hypo, but I don't feel well and I keep reminding her that Dexcom is at least five minutes delayed to your actual blood sugar levels, but it's a lot to get around. and she's 60 seconds.
00:07:15
Speaker
Oh, and I said the technology is great, but you know your body better than technology, you know, and it's, know, it doesn't do everything, but it is, you know, it is amazing compared to what she did have. She didn't have a CGM for many years.
00:07:29
Speaker
I find that so interesting that we were just, i was just actually just chatting with Ange from the Type 1 Foundation earlier today and um she was talking about that trying to teach like around some psychology kind of stuff.
00:07:43
Speaker
some psychologists doing some work with the Type 1 Foundation, i hope I get this right, ah talking about teaching kids on how to understand their body and understand when they they feel low and they feel high because, like you just said, you know your body better than anybody. And, yeah, with your mum, like even though she's kind of like, well, I'm a little bit low but I'm still, she's been dealing with this for over 20 years and she's still not 100% confident that, you know, that that's she's ah she's confident in what our actual body is feeling. It's so interesting. Yeah.
00:08:12
Speaker
Oh, yeah. She gets very frustrated, you know, with all this Dexcom, you know, it's terrible. I'm like, that you know, she gets frustrated. It's not 100% accurate. like, but it's just technology. It's just to help, you know. yeah Yes. All right. So let's go back to Millie. So I guess, you know, you kind of like get this diagnosis, you go into hospital.
00:08:32
Speaker
Did you think because your mum, you already had some experience with type 1 that it did help a little bit with adjusting to Millie's diagnosis or...? Probably
Family Adjustment and Support
00:08:42
Speaker
not because I'd never even done a finger prick on my mum. Like I probably should have known how to do it. Thinking back now, you know, she really should have taught us. So in case she did have ah a hypo that, you know, rendered her unconscious, we should have known how to deal with it. But, in fact, we didn't. We just know she needed juice, you know, if she felt low. So I didn't know much about the day-to-day and how much insulin and all that.
00:09:05
Speaker
But I did know it was lifelong, whereas my husband, who knew nothing about diabetes, was like wondered why I was so upset when I came home and said we've got to go and uh and then here he looked at me and he was like oh is this lifelong and i was like yeah like and and it was it was amazed me that he didn't understand that part like you just if you've never been exposed to it you don't know So um that was scary. And I think so we, that year was COVID.
00:09:34
Speaker
It was great prep, first year of school. They were in and out of school a lot. And I was told that she'd be in for about five days. And I was quietly happy that we're about to go into lockdown the next day again.
00:09:47
Speaker
So kids going to be out school anyway, because I was like, oh no, another were five days out of school, you know, but the more like Well, it's lockdown tomorrow anyway, so we may as well be, you you know, the little things you you remember.
00:09:59
Speaker
But, um yeah, we just picked her up and took her straight to the Monash Children's and it was – Thursday I think so we were told we could be in longer because it was over a weekend so we went in that evening and and her bloods were only 18 at the time so not ridiculously high she what didn't she told me she didn't feel unwell she didn't appear to be unwell yeah and we just learned over the next few days were you in for five or more I think it was just five, but we could only have one parent stay because of COVID. So I think I stayed for it every night bar one. I think my husband switched out for one night. and um Yeah. Yeah.
00:10:38
Speaker
At least you could do the switch out. Yeah. like yeah Yeah. i I remember when Harvey was in, yeah there was only, I know both parents were allowed, but Jimmy, his brother, wasn't allowed to come in. And I found that really, because it was Jimmy's birthday that weekend and I found that really like,
00:10:56
Speaker
Yeah. ah And yeah, we um we I actually had to beg for my husband to come in just for the training sessions with the diabetes educator.
00:11:08
Speaker
He said, I'm learning. How am I supposed to then go and teach him? We both need to be present. So advocated for that and they they allowed that, but all the other times it was only meant to be one of us. And we just had to arrange care for our other daughter both in because she couldn't come in as well.
00:11:24
Speaker
So yeah, so Millie's then... you're You're kind of getting her, did she get back to school? Oh, well, hang on, it's lockdown. So yes what was school like and what was was that was that good that you she was home for some of it? and Yeah, I think it probably was. I actually don't remember how long that lockdown was. But the good thing was at the time we had the school nurse, she had grew up with a sister who was a type one. So that was fabulous. That was really wonderful. She was completely across it, probably more so than us in the early days. I can't remember if she was on... this She started off with the Libre CGM. I'm pretty sure she was still on fingerprints when we left the hospital. But, yeah, I had complete confidence in the school.
00:12:06
Speaker
That helped that we were just around the corner. And she was MDI for...? Block of like how long? Probably about a year or maybe not even. We just wanted to go straight to the Omnipod. um There was no way that she'd be able to have a pump that, you know, it was attached to tubing and stuff because she's like just super active. So, yeah, we went on the Omnipod maybe about a year or so later. And so you're on the you were on the Omnipod Dash with the Libre, was it, or how did you? um Yeah, so they didn't link up, obviously, but it was the Libre and Omnipod Dash and then we did the Dexcom G6 and then moved over to the G7 when we upgraded to the Omnipod 5 a few months ago.
00:12:50
Speaker
I actually don't know how you did the, like when I think about with the, how the Dash, I just, I'm glad I didn't don't need to get my head around that, to be honest, because with Harvey being on the on the g seven and the and the Omnipod 5, I know with the with the Dash you had to input a lot of stuff. Is that right?
00:13:10
Speaker
And I'm actually kind of glad I didn't have to learn that and then that there's a lot of, like you would probably be now that you're on the Omnipod 5, are you thinking, wow, we had to do a lot more work Yeah, I felt like I was constantly suspending, increasing, changing ratio.
00:13:26
Speaker
But mostly overnight, like I just felt like you feel like you never sleep when your child's firstly diagnosed particularly. you just feel like i was up I was up every night multiple times suspending, you know, that sort of thing, whereas now obviously the five does that automatically.
00:13:41
Speaker
so it's completely amazing. And then since we've had the um five, I just feel like I sleep again. You know, I still sleep. I wake up and have a glance at my phone usually around 2am. I think it's just a normal thing for me now, but I don't have to get up and physically go and adjust that PDM. Yes.
00:13:59
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I know. It's amazing, isn't it? Do you have alarms set for if she's at a certain level of, of heart like, high? ah Yes. um I couldn't actually tell you the top of my head what they are, but probably around 16 or something.
00:14:15
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Maybe. So I think I'm 15. And then I find with the with the Omnipod 5 that if he stays above 15 for a block of time, then it just says, like, okay, something's not right. Like, it's working too hard. Yes. But then sometimes I miss the notification, like the alarm or the, I don't hear it. And then, yeah, there's been a couple of times where I'm like, oh gosh, it's sort of just saying, it's just giving minimum now because it's just worked too hard and it's waiting for me to do something and then I've missed it. And then it's like hours and I think...
00:14:46
Speaker
Yeah, it'll come off auto mode sometimes and say, can I do this? It's got to go to manual um or it just peaks like it's given as much extra that it can. Yeah.
00:14:57
Speaker
Just what can't give any more extra and I think that might be when it goes over to manual mode and, yeah, and you've got to acknowledge it though. Well, I'm the same. Yeah. yeah But I think in the scale of things it actually does, like it's so amazing what it does in the background.
00:15:09
Speaker
I mean, because we went straight from like manual injections to Omepod 5 and I was like, Well, no wonder why I was not sleeping up at night. Like with when you look at all the work that's happening like in the background to keep him within range, it's quiet it's quite amazing. Anyway, we digress. But um so Millie's also got some other kind of stuff going on that has changed.
00:15:35
Speaker
you know, kind of adds an extra layer to her type one. Do you want to share that with? Yeah. Well,
Complexities in Millie's Health
00:15:40
Speaker
the first thing when was diagnosed with type one, she also was diagnosed with Graves' disease. So her thyroid is overactive. Oh, those autoimmune diseases just love and invite friends, don't they? So many. and We've all got autoimmune diseases in our family. So again, that doesn't surprise me, but she takes medication for that every day. The ah the issue with that is if her thyroid levels are out go out of control which happens you know about once a year the main symptom is her blood sugar levels are really hard to control and they just keep they just go really high and they're hard to get down and they're really erratic so that's one thing we just need to you we do three monthly appointments with our endocrinologist who looks at all that so that's your you you have a private endocrinologist now yeah Because obviously you're not able to do that stuff at the with the with the hospital. No, it got to, yeah, we moved from Monash Children's pretty quickly after diagnosis because we wanted the Omnipod and they couldn't support that at the time. And they actually said to us, was just too busy because they'd had this real big increase of children being diagnosed. Which is even probably double, like, you know, now, yeah, the comparison to whip back to 2020, yeah. Yeah.
00:16:49
Speaker
So, yeah, we that's another thing that we just manage. But she's also um neurodivergent. She was diagnosed with ADHD when she was five, pre-type 1. Pre-type 1, okay, yep.
00:17:01
Speaker
So what does that mean? So take out the diabetes in the graves and explain to me around the neurodivergent stuff of what that what that means for Millie. She is combined ADHD, so she's inattentive and hyperactive. She is...
00:17:16
Speaker
She's very difficult to manage. She's difficult to parent because she's really active and doesn't like to get yeah gets bored easily and needs to be doing stuff all the time. And she's just really strong-willed. So you get something in her mind that she wants to do she won't let go of it. and They become quite...
00:17:36
Speaker
um I guess fixated on certain ideas and stuff and we'll do anything, you know, to to get our own way for certain things, I guess. So that can be ah difficult. And I think sometimes her brain's just going a million miles an hour. so When it comes to diabetes then, i don't know. you i mean, you you touched on earlier about psychologists and and helping kids to understand how their bodies feel.
00:18:00
Speaker
Her brain is just going million miles an hour and sometimes I just don't know. i just say stop and think i think, how are you feeling right now? Because her ADHD means that her emotional regulation is quite delayed. So she really has trouble regulating emotions. um She can really quick to to get emotional, get sad, get angry.
00:18:18
Speaker
So that sort of to us sometimes mimic mimics a hypo. Her hypos are really, um can make her literally go kind of crazy, like be really, really irrational.
00:18:32
Speaker
Mm-hmm. really upset get really angry or just be really silly like just continually do something silly and you tell stop and tell her stop and she won't so that could be a result or a symptom of her ADHD or that could be a really significant hypo for us so then it's a matter of then trying to finger prick her to confirm it's a hypo and so it can be really tricky sometimes the symptoms can kind of be similar
00:18:57
Speaker
Don't ignore the four. The four early warning signs of type 1 diabetes. Excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, and extreme fatigue.
00:19:08
Speaker
If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, don't wait. Get checked by a healthcare professional. Early detection and treatment are key to managing type 1 diabetes effectively.
00:19:21
Speaker
I can imagine that a challenge in that because, you you know, you kind of need them to be sitting still when you do the finger prick or, you know, like at least keep their hand still. Do you get the same if she's high?
00:19:34
Speaker
Is that a different behaviour or is that that you don't notice that? Yeah, the high we don't notice as much, although she can be quite angry when she's high. But I say to listen, like yesterday she was really high for whatever reason and, like, she was in her 20s. It was Harvey. It was Athletics Day, mate. It was mental. It was Athletics Day.
00:19:53
Speaker
oh ah So I said she was 20 sort of for a few hours over in the afternoon and we just kept pumping insulin. And, in fact, I injected her as well, got the pen out, injected her because I do that sometimes when I can't get her down and it took hours. And I just said her, how are you feeling? Like just stop and think about how you feel when you're high and just say, don't know, don't know.
00:20:16
Speaker
yeah. Do you notice difference with her when she's high? I think she's bit cranky and thirsty, drinking a lot. Thirsty, a bit cranky, a bit angry and tired, yeah.
00:20:28
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, the tired's interesting. Yeah, Harvey gets really short. like Yeah. Yeah. You know, almost like he really hurts my feelings. Like it's like I know that I'm a grown woman and my child, my 10-year-old can really hurt my feelings. But, i you know, like and then I think, okay, he has been high for a very long time or, you know, like, you know, a block of time that,
00:20:50
Speaker
Like I need to remember that. But, you know, it's like, ah you know, I'm trying to help you and, um yeah, you can be really mean to me. Yeah, I think that's what saying for being cranky. Yes, definitely mean and we so we struggled with that last night and it can be frustrating. Sometimes her behaviour with her ADHD can be like that depending on what mood she's in. So as I was saying, it's sometimes hard to just differentiate what's causing this particular crisis mood or behaviour. Is it the diabetes or is it the HD or is it both? Yeah.
00:21:23
Speaker
Did she have any problems with putting on the tech? Like she's not, She doesn't get frustrated with any of that stuff? no she doesn't have any sensory issues or anything like that. She's so used to it that, don't know, it's just kind of, yeah, it's part of her life now. um
Encouraging Independence
00:21:41
Speaker
But she refuses to take on full responsibility for it at the moment. And like at school, they still, know, they're encouraging her to start doing it herself, especially but she doesn't want to do it all herself. So in terms of food and bolusing for food and stuff like that, she'll do it with the teacher, but she doesn't want to do it all on her own. And when she goes on playdates, we talk about the importance of if you're going to eat, you must bolus. And if you're not sure...
00:22:08
Speaker
then just give us a call. But she just ignores it. She just pretends like she doesn't have diabetes. she'll, I can tell, you know, if she's eaten because she'll go up a bit and she'll come home and I'll say, did you bowl us? And she'll say no because she didn't want to stop what she was doing and,
00:22:24
Speaker
So far it's kind of been okay because I guess the extra physical activity when she's with her friends kind of equals it out, you know, so she doesn't go too high without bollasing, but, you know, as she gets older.
00:22:37
Speaker
Yeah, Harvey's pretty good at doing majority of stuff on his own, like we're sort of, but I still have those moments. I still have that with playdates that he thinks because he's up at the oval kicking the footy that it doesn't matter if he's also had seven stakes. Yeah.
00:22:51
Speaker
because he's active and you're like, oh God, like, it's probably like the worst thing you can have. But, you know, it's, it's, it's tricky, isn't it? Because you want that independence, but you want them to take the responsibility because they, like, it's the only way that they're going to learn. But then I guess as, as parents, like,
00:23:10
Speaker
you know, it's also like, well, they're going to have that for the rest of their lives. So maybe we, you know, we take on what we can to help them. But, yeah, I find those play dates and stuff, like as much as you say, you know, or parties, as much as you kind of say, you know, you need to put the insulin in and you need to, you know, kind of wait the 10, 15 minutes or, you know, that sort of stuff. And they just, no yeah, it's interesting. I think Harvey is starting to feel the effects now from a high.
00:23:40
Speaker
because I think he does say that he feels a bit sick. So i'm kind of like maybe that is a good thing, that as much as I'm like, he doesn't necessarily, he's not as necessarily symptomatic for lows as much anymore, I think because he's had so many that maybe he's that, you know, or that the pump suspends it so quickly that it's not as as a severe low. don't know if you noticed that. But, yeah, sometimes I'll say to him, do you feel dizzy? or Because that's his that's his symptom and he's like,
00:24:10
Speaker
Not really, you know, like um whereas before when it was he was MDI and he was at like 4.1, would be like he'd be no straightaway. He's like, I'm i'm dizzy.
00:24:24
Speaker
Oh, wow. I don't get that anymore yeah but on on the pump. But I'm not really sure if it's just because he's, if it's a pump thing or just a growing out of the awareness sort of thing. I'm not 100% sure. Yeah.
00:24:38
Speaker
Yeah, that's interesting. You said he feels a bit sick when he's high. You just reminded me. Millie actually does say she gets sick in her stomach when she's high, like nauseous or something like that, I think. Yeah, and I was like, this morning because – She wanted some sort of sweet or something.
00:24:54
Speaker
And I was like, you know, as you get older, you might start to recognize, you know, what foods make you feel better or keep your blood sugar levels more stable and that sort of thing because she just loves she loves really high-carb foods. That's just naturally what she likes. And I say, you know, you need more protein and that sort of thing. But, um you know, yes, ah hopefully as they get older, they just become more health-conscious in general and and they and they know what makes them feel better.
00:25:19
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think by us as parents, you know, like just saying, well, how do how are you feeling? Like, and bring that attention back to their awareness of their body, then, you know, maybe maybe that's our kind of role to support them in that sort of aspect.
00:25:33
Speaker
And in terms of you, i know this is about Millie and we've asked about your mum, but like what how, you know, like youd ah us us parents take on a lot with our type 1 kids and What do you do to support you?
00:25:50
Speaker
Other than i I know you've done your trip to Bali, but that was that was with that was as a family holiday. That's different. ah Yeah, look, I guess um I go to the gym, you know, at least a few times a week. For me, that's my, you know, time to just, don't know.
00:26:07
Speaker
mentally unwind switch off and you know and feel better physically I guess and when you're at the gym do you take your phone with you or do you put it away good on you yeah that's awesome yeah you know, Millie's with, you know, my husband and, you know, it's usually in the morning when she's probably still asleep anyway.
00:26:27
Speaker
So yeah, I totally switch off from that. And to be honest, like I work full time and I have stopped looking at her levels as much lately.
00:26:39
Speaker
I feel like, you know, when you first get a CGM, you're like, oh, I can see what she is like all day and it can become a real trap. And it's mentally not My husband did the same and he was actually worse than me. You're constantly checking. And then he would say to me, oh, she's she's having a low. Should i ring the school? And I'm like, oh, no because she's at school and they're dealing with it and you need to trust people, you know, and that.
00:27:01
Speaker
So we both, you know, you have to kind of, um you have to put trust in other people, wherever she's at, if she's in that six or whatever, and put trust in her that she will always tell someone if she's shaky and she knows to go and grab her Skittles. And so that was something, you know, just switching off a bit from it.
00:27:17
Speaker
And if you're not, you know, we're not with her trusting the people she's with, um you know, still sort of most days we check a couple of times maybe, but some days I'll get through a whole day at work and think, oh, I haven't even looked, you know. I think that that's good.
00:27:31
Speaker
No, you are so right because I think I need to take a little leaf out of your book, Jess, because I still have it come up on my phone. Like it's permanently I can see his readings. I use the um the app ah Sweet Dreams or something.
00:27:44
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Which is great, but you're right. it's It's constantly there. So I'm constantly seeing these numbers and thinking, I guess, have i did ah did I write down the carbs right? Did I, you know, like... But, yeah, I probably need to take a leaf out of your book and not have that when he's at school because i don't there's nothing I do anyway. I don't and don't call the school and say, oh, hang on, you know, you know we need to change this or not not now that he's on the pod but just because it gets gives the correction dose whenever he has it. um And I love that you say that. You just kind of got to go, no, like, yeah.
00:28:16
Speaker
I think my husband's quite good at not checking it. So maybe but when i am when I do go away or something and, i and you know, he's he's like, you know, watches it like really closely, but I think, oh, that that's me, isn't it? Like, and maybe I need to find that balance there with with that.
00:28:35
Speaker
so yeah So I do ask that question to to type 1 mums because i am it's really more not necessarily i get I get a lot out of the answers and think, oh, yeah, that's what I should probably take a leaf out of your book in that aspect of things.
00:28:49
Speaker
And have you had any time away? Like so she's been, you know, we're coming up to five years diagnosed. do you Have you taken time? away? I've had some work trips. I probably haven't been away from her for more than about four nights, but my husband we know would have been with her when I'm away for work. And we've, she stayed family, you know, for a night or two here and there or sleepovers. Um, and, and they've been good. Um, you know, I'm quite nervous the first few times and like literally constantly checking overnight and ringing my parents in the night to make sure they've woken up to a alarms and that sort of thing. Um,
00:29:26
Speaker
And like, as you said, with the Omnipod 5, I'm a lot more confident now, overnights. And she had she did attended one of the diabetes camps. Yes. Tell us about that.
00:29:37
Speaker
Well, we did two family camps, like two years in a row, where it's one parent and one and and the type 1 child. So I went one year and I encouraged my husband to go the year after because they're really fabulous for kids just to meet other kids with type 1. Like Millie just kept saying, I can't believe all these kids here all have diabetes. Like what are the chances, you know? um And so I think they run them, Diabetes Victoria i run them, I think for ages between – five and nine, I think.
00:30:04
Speaker
um So, we yeah, we did that two years in a row and, yeah, got a lot out of it, lot of stuff for the kids, a lot of information sharing for the adults. um But then last year she went to her first one without a parent in Wharton for two nights and they literally made us switch off all of our follow-ups.
The Impact of Diabetes Camp
00:30:23
Speaker
So we had no contact with her, no visibility of any of her levels. um That was weird. It's just you almost feel like you know, like you're missing something or you go out and you don't have to carry the stuff and the phone. don't know. Like you feel like, yeah, you just, don't know, one part of you is gone. don't know. It was kind of weird.
00:30:45
Speaker
um But it was it was so good. She loved it. she um She learned a lot. She came home and told me all this stuff about carb counting and what free food, you know, like just stuff that she, I guess, never really put her mind to.
00:31:02
Speaker
Stuff that you probably, you do, you do with her and stuff, but she just hasn't acknowledged it because it's coming from mum or dad. And then when it comes from somebody else. Absolutely. And that's kind of the point of it. It's respite for the parents, but it's teaching the kids. So they went over how to use the pump. We'd only been on the Omnipod 5 for, I don't know, maybe a couple of months then anyway. So they, um...
00:31:25
Speaker
yeah, they really went through it with her and taught her really how to use it. They encouraged. They all sit together and they do their finger pricks together and, you know, that sort of thing. So, like, it just normalises it all and, um you know, they see each other's pumps and stuff. She came back, you know, saying, oh, maybe I tried this pump or that pump. You know, like, um it was, yeah, really great. So I'd encourage anyone to do it. She'll definitely go back. um Yeah, they're just really great. Doctors are there. They've got night nurses, like,
00:31:53
Speaker
you know, I felt completely safe. Did you Yeah, that's good. I had someone ask me about that, um the diabetes camp. Oh, it was just last night or something. or And I said, oh, yeah, I haven't, he's, you know, like, wasn't comfortable with going. but i think when he did get in the one that Millie was going to go to um And then, yeah, he he just, he was like, I don't, didn't really want to go. But I think now that he's getting a bit more confident with sleepovers and stuff like that, that he might be a bit more confident to kind of do the next one. So definitely keen to get him, yeah, into doing something like that as well and learning a bit more and meeting some other kids and,
00:32:30
Speaker
Yes, and then they other the following year or at the um Type 1 Foundation events. That's where she then meets them, you know, which is really lovely, familiar faces. But Millie didn't want to go that morning to camp. She was like, I feel sick. I can't go. I'm too sick, you know, all of a sudden. And I was like, no, you have to do this. I wouldn't push you to do it if I didn't think it was good for you.
00:32:52
Speaker
And she knew one of the girls who she met on a previous camp, and I said, you know, she's going to be there and you'll be just fine and, you know, Five minutes in, she was like, see you later, Mum. I'm good. like yeah Yeah, you can go now. ah That's so good. Yeah, we haven't really spoken about the camps on this podcast, but, you know, I think it's such an important kind of respite for parents, even though I think it would be so weird to them to kind of go like, you're cut off. like I think like, ooh, I don't know about that. but um But at the same time, yeah, like, you know, like what a break for your brain and your body, like to have 48 hours of just not having to look at it look at those numbers or worry about that. Like you just, yeah, that's cool.
00:33:36
Speaker
Oh, Jess, thank you. I know that we could continue talking and I know that we do. And we've got we've got um so grade four camp coming up, so we'll be able to catch up then. That's a whole nother.
00:33:48
Speaker
Yeah. um But thank you so much for coming on today's podcast. um I'm sure that people will get so much value out of you sharing ah all the insights and everything about Millie and your family. Last one, I think you touched on it, but what is Millie's hypo treatment?
00:34:08
Speaker
The Skittles, the little mini packs. Yeah. Yeah. Or kilopythons. Same harvies, yeah, or harper snake. Oh, yeah, they love kilopythons. Kilopythons are a bit as handy to carry around. so No, and you kind of only can have like a quarter of it and it's very difficult to to manage a quarter, up just a one bite of it. It's like trying to get that juice box back off a child. um um Thank you so much, Jess. Thank you. And thank you, everybody, for listening to this week's episode. I really hope that you enjoyed it and we will be back in two weeks with another episode.
00:34:48
Speaker
Thank you for tuning in to the Type One Club podcast. We hope you've enjoyed today's episode and gained some valuable insights. If you like what you heard, be sure to subscribe to our podcast on all the platforms so you never miss an episode.
00:35:02
Speaker
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00:35:23
Speaker
Thanks again for listening, and we will see you next time on the Type 1 Club.