alt.support.diabetes.kids

  Support for kids w/diabetes and their families.

  A newsgroup to serve as the support forum for children with 
  diabetes and their parents.  A lengthy explanation and statemnent of 
  purpose follows the FYNF line.
  
  Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) exacts a tremendous toll on
  the lives of children who are forced to grow up with the disease. The
  rigors of monitoring insulin and activity levels, along with the stigma
  of being "different" is a difficult burden for all diabetics.
  
  The parents of diabetic children, while not suffering directly from the
  effects of IDDM, must also carry the burden of dealing with the disease.
  
  There are many special issues relating to diabetes in both childhood and
  adolescence - issues that present unique problems for diabetic children
  and their parents. The dietary complication involved with holidays,
  birthdays, trick-or-treating, and other such "special" events is just
  one of the challenges.
  
  Parents of diabetics are keenly aware of the long-term effects of IDDM.
  The potential for development of destructive processes such as retinopa-
  thy (leading to blindness), nephropathy (leading to kidney failure, and
  heart disease, demands that strict control of blood sugars is main-
  tained.
  
  Of more immediate concern to parents of IDDM children is the prevention
  of dangerous insulin reactions. The unpredictable nature of childhood
  makes controlling these reactions difficult, and creates high levels of
  distress in parents.
  
  Parents must take on an instructional role when their IDDM children
  begin to interact with mainstream society. Teachers and childcare
  workers must be educated before assuming responsibility for an IDDM
  child. Parents deal with guilt and fear, and struggle with a desire to
  overprotect the child with diabetes.
  
  The siblings of IDDM children also feel the strain put on the family by
  diabetes. Often these siblings feel neglected or overlooked, and dealing
  with these feelings on top of the normal sibling confrontations places
  an additional load on the family. 
  
  The groups for diabetics (such as misc.health.diabetes) have
  proven to be a blessing to those who suffer from the disease. 
  
  The focus of such groups, however, is very broad (covering non-insulin-
  dependent diabetics, who greatly outnumber IDDM victims), and can only
  begin to address the needs of IDDM children and their families.
  
  This group is for information sharing, emotional support, and
  guidance for families who are involved with IDDM.