ISTOCK.COM
Take Charge
One way for kids to become empowered and feel like they are not alone is to be involved in activities with other children with the same chronic illness. It is also important for parents to be with other parents to share resources, information and advice. You cannot be with your child all the
time, and emergency situations may occur. Complications, such as seizures or episodes of hypoglycemia, may happen when least expected. Friends or family need to be aware of what to do. When the diagnosis is new, it takes extra planning to make sure that your child is always with someone who will know what to do in an emergency. Your child should wear an emergency bracelet with the diagnosis in case emergency services need to be called. Kids must understand that even though they adhere to their medical plan, complications happen that may be due to reasons such as growth spurts, underlying infection, increased activity or hormones.
Parents and providers need to be aware of these transitions, as a change may be needed in the medical treatment plan. There may be times when kids feel
frustrated and don’t want to deal with their illness or comply with their treatment plan. They should always know that a family member as well as the school nurse will assist when they ask for help, so they must let their needs and concerns be known. When they are ready to resume responsibility for self-management of their illness, they should be able to resume care, and you need to respect their choices. Raising a child with a chronic illness is
certainly a family affair, and parents need to know how valued they are on a daily basis.
Sheryl Zang, EdD, FNP, CNS-BC, is an Associate Professor at Downstate Medical Center, College of Nursing. A nurse for 38 years, she is presently running groups for diabetic children and teens.
It’s important to keep the lines of communication open with your kids they are feeling
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100