This inspiring account of the impact of diabetes on a multigenerational family includes successful strategies for dealing with the emotional, nutritional, and practical issues of caretaking. When seven-year-old Danny was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, his mother, Laura Plunkett, a psychotherapist with a private practice in Marblehead, MA, desperately searched for ways to cope with his life-threatening disease. Struggling to manage her anxiety over wildly fluctuating blood sugar numbers, to transform her reluctant family's diet, and to educate friends and teachers, she eventually finds unique ways to help Danny attain excellent blood sugar control and a new and comfortable sense of normal.
To help others weather such shocking new circumstances, Laura and her extended family share their three-year journey from crisis to confidence with humor and warmth. An intimate look at issues of nutrition, exercise, sibling rivalry, medical care, and holistic medicine, The Challenge of Childhood Diabetes is the friend, coach, and consultant that the family of every newly-diagnosed child will turn to on a daily basis. Written with her mother, Linda Weltner, former "Ever So Humble" columnist for The Boston Globe, the book includes a Survival Guide for those seeking support and a new emotional perspective.
The Challenge of Childhood Diabetes is insightful and compassionate, filling the void between doctors' visits with the comforting voice of a loving and experienced caretaker. It's an invaluable resource for extended family, friends, teachers, neighbors, and medical professionals.
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"This book is a gem. It will most assuredly help patients, their family members and their friends as they meet the many challenges ahead, including the compelling emotional issues largely ignored in the doctor's office."
-Will Cross, the first person with Type 1 diabetes to reach the summits of the seven highest continental mountain peaks, including Mt. Everest.
