After our son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) last year, our lives were changed forever. While I’m relieved that T1D is very manageable and a livable diagnosis, my mom heart breaks that he will have to deal with finger pricks, needle pokes, high/low blood sugar, and carb counting for the rest of his life. Our lifestyle had to completely change to accommodate his T1D. Naturally, I wanted to connect with other parents of children with T1D and started to share our story on Instagram and on the blog to help others feel less alone. Today, to share a little more insight into the disease, I wanted to share the real cost of T1D. Both monetarily, physically, and mentally, having a child with T1D has a big impact on your lifestyle.
Get more insight into Type 1 Diabetes here!
The Real Cost of T1D
Medical Costs
In addition to our son having Type 1 Diabetes, my husband has T1D, so the real cost associated with T1D wasn’t a surprise to me. But now that we have two family members with T1D, the costs have increased. On average, we spend $800 per month on insulin and an additional $1,000 each month on other supplies. This includes Dexcom G6 and Omnipod overlay patches (our go-to for these is the Sugar Patch!), insulin pump belts, glucose tabs, and so much more.
Lifestyle Implications
Not only does Type 1 Diabetes have an impact on finances, but it also has a big impact on the lifestyle of the child and their family. We spend so much time making sure our five-year-old (and my husband, who also has T1D!) is comfortable, eating properly, and managing his insulin. On average, we make around 200 decisions a day that could impact his T1D, and while we make around the same amount of decisions on a regular basis about everything else going on in our lives, making decisions that impact our child medically can be scary.
Since our son wears an insulin device 24/7, which conveniently hooks up to an app on our phone, there are nights that we have to wake him up to give him glucose tabs. Because of this, we lose a decent amount of sleep each month between waking up to the notification on our phones, trying to get him up, monitoring his blood glucose level, managing it, and then falling back to sleep. Most months, we lose an average of eight hours of sleep but this can increase or decrease depending on his levels.
In addition to losing sleep, we also spend an average of 300 hours each month treating highs and lows.
Tips for Supporting a Friend Whose Child Has T1D
Having a child with a chronic illness is hard no matter how common and treatable it is. Having a great support system is the key to making the diagnosis so much less overwhelming but not everyone knows how to handle it. If you have a friend that has a child with a chronic illness, here’s how you can truly be a friend to them that “that mom” needs.
- Instead of saying “what’s going on with ____?,” say “I am thinking about you and ____. Sending you a big hug! Please don’t feel the need to respond.”
- Instead of saying “what can I do for you?,” say “I’m going to____.” (Insert: make dinner on X day, bring you some groceries, etc.)
- Ask what you can do to help and support the siblings.
- If you know someone with the same illness, let your friend know that when they’re ready you’re happy to put them in touch with them.
Psssst… More ways to support a friend whose child has a chronic illness
Leave a Reply