From: Ian blenkharn@ianblenkharn.com
Category: Miscellaneous
Date: 06 Apr 2008
Time: 12:14:24 +0200
Remote Name: 86.142.36.254
I was talking yesterday to the parents of a young child recently diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes.
It was taking its toll - carefully measured food intake, learning about the balance of exercise and insulin requirements, planning for hypoglycaemic attacks, mixing and injecting insulin, learning how to self-inject.
And then the problems of making sure that time away from home, including school days (and the additional hassle about the attitude of the school authorities who seem to be making things ever more difficult). This requires a bag of items necessary for blood tests and insulin administration. Needle-free insulin delivery is available now, but apparently it will be some time before they are ready for this and in the meantime they must rely on conventional insulin administration.
One issue took me by surprise. Sharps disposal is a big problem. The smallest sharps container they have is quite bulky compared with all of the other bits and pieces they need to carry with them. And for some reason, in its bright bold colour and hazard warnings the sharps box has become something to dislike. Getting used to frequent blood tests and insulin injections is proving to be one hell of a challenge, and there have been many tears and tantrums that understandably has upset the entire family.
Strange as it may seem, their sharps box has become the focus for resentment about having developed severe diabetes at such an early age. Not the syringes or the needles, not the insulin, not the bits and pieces for testing blood sugar, but the sharps box. They hate it, because it reminds them of the difficulties they are facing looking after their eldest child.