My 15 year old son has not accepted the fact that he has diabetes. He does not take care of himself right and fights us tooth and nail when it comes to his diabetes. When he had a seizure and had to call 911, the doctor in the emergency room said we were lucky he did not die.  I am a nervous wreck. He won't talk to a therapist (tried that), he won't talk to us (parents). I am in a panic.....what else can I do to make him realize the seriousness of his actions in terms of his long term health??? We do plan to send him to camp this year, whether he likes it or not.

Dear Concerned Parent,
Sending him to camp is the right thing to do.  I have had diabetes for 22 years and I was diagnosed at age 14.  It is a hard thing to get over when you are diagnosed as a teen, do not press the issue so and try (as hard as it my be) to let him find the benefits of taking care of himself.  The one thing that help me the most was turning my diabetes into a science project at school.

I learned a lot about my diabetes and I got good grade on my work.  You need to remember that this is a major change in is life.  You also need to let him know that it is his body and he and only he will see and feel the effects of not taking care of his diabetes.  If you want, your son and I can be email pen pals, just call the office (888) 800-4010 and they will give you my email.  Good luck.