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Before You Leave the Hospital

It's important to be properly prepared to manage type 1 diabetes before you leave the hospital after a new diagnosis. During your in-patient stay, you should be informed of the basics on treating diabetes. In addition to this information, there are other things you should be aware of. We have compiled this information on this page.

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New Onset Guide

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With the help of our dedicated team of patient family advisors, we are proud to offer this guide to the first days and weeks of your T1D diagnosis. Our New Onset Guide was built to help with the confusion and adjustments that often come with a T1D diagnosis. Inside, you'll find useful tips and information that will help you acclimate to this condition. 

The guide is also available in Arabic and Spanish!

Supplies You Will Need

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You should receive your first month of supplies before you leave the hospital. Do not leave the hospital without these supplies:

  • Long-acting insulin (basal insulin, e.g., Lantus, Levemir, Basaglar)

  • Rapid-acting insulin (bolus insulin, e.g., Humalog, Novalog, Apidra)

  • Syringes with 1/2 unit markings (make sure they have 1/2 unit markings to aid in insulin dosing)

  • 2 glucagon kits

  • 2 blood sugar meters (one for home and one for school)

  • Blood sugar test strips

  • Lancing device

  • Lancets

  • Alcohol swabs

  • Urine ketone test strips

  • New Onset Guide, which contains must-know information, an example daily diabetes schedule, and Your Diabetes Data Log Sheets (extra 5-day and 7-day sheets available under Forms and Handouts)

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If you do not receive all necessary supplies or have questions about billing or insurance coverage related to supplies, please have hospital staff contact a member of our team. For weekdays, ask for the Pediatric Diabetes Social Worker to be paged. For weekends, ask to speak with the on-call Pediatric Endocrinologist.

 

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Supplies After the First Month

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You will need to contact your insurance provider to find their durable medical equipment (DME) [What's this?] partner to arrange for your next shipment of supplies - they will not be delivered automatically.

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There are usually two different places that provide you with the supplies and medications you need for type 1 diabetes, your pharmacy and your insurance provider's preferred DME company. A DME company usually provides medical equipment or specialized items not provided by your local pharmacy, typically through the mail.

 

The pharmacy will usually provide: insulin, syringes, glucagon, alcohol swabs, and urine ketone test strips. The DME company usually provides blood sugar test strips, lancets, and in some cases, urine ketone test strips. You should check with your insurance company to find out where you should get specific supplies. 

 

If you have trouble getting supplies, do not wait! Please contact us at the clinic so we can help. Our office is trained to deal with insurance and DME issues and can help expedite the process.

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JDRF Bag of Hope

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JDRF offers one free Bag of Hope to all newly diagnosed children. If you do not receive your Bag of Hope while in the hospital, you may contact your local JDRF chapter to receive one. Click here to see the contents of the Bag of Hope.

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Need-to-Know Facts

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In addition to knowing where to get your supplies, be sure you know this basic information:

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  • How to contact the diabetes care team (check our Contact page and sign up for the Patient Portal)

  • Your insulin/carb ratio, correction factor, and target blood sugar, which should be written on page 14 of your New Onset Guide to help you with insulin dosing

  • Your blood glucose testing schedule for at home, which you can outline on page 15 of your New Onset New Onset Guide (generally before meals, at bedtime and at 3 AM)

  • When to check for urine ketones (when blood sugar is 300+ at 2 checks or if your child feels sick)

  • How to administer insulin injections

  • The next time you will meet our diabetes team (dates for your Basic Diabetes Education class, 1-on-1 with a dietitian, and your first clinic appointment)

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All of this information can be found in your New Onset Guide and on this website under the Resources tab. If you have questions, you can find answers under the Topics section or search for keywords using the search box at the top of the site. Remember if you need help remembering these details or answering a question, you can call us with any concerns.

When You Go Home

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Getting used to living with diabetes can be difficult, and we would like to help address those anxieties. To provide the best care for your child, the clinic will be in contact with you during the first few weeks to address concerns and establish care routines. ​

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Remember to call us if you have an emergency, including:

  • Moderate to large ketones

  • Severe low blood sugar (glucagon administered or blood sugar not rising into target range with appropriate treatment)

  • Vomiting more than 3 times

  • Unable to keep fluids down or no fluid intake within 4 hours

  • Unsure of what to do

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