Customer Reviews

Parenting a Child With Diabetes : A Practical, Empathetic Guide to Help You and Your Child Live with Diabetes

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I was given this book by another parent of a diabetic child and I read it and reread it. It is so honest about all the things that can happen to your child as well as encouragement. It has been a referance guide for our family. Her cookbook is wonderful too!

I agree with the other comments that Ms. Loring is an obviously caring mom who is writing from experience and with compassion, but I find the information in the book very dated.

The book does not mention the insulin pump, which many kids now use, and has been a wonderful alternative to shots for many people with Diabetes. Also, the philopsophy that kids with Diabetes are "forbidden" to ever have sugar is extremely dated. Children and adults with Type 1 Diabetes can certainly enjoy the occasional treat (birthday parties, etc), with prior planning, and careful monitoring. If you work with your healthcare provider closely, children with Type 1 Diabetes no longer have to be the "odd kids out".

For more current information, check out Understanding Diabetes, published by the Children's Diabetes Foundation. While it doesn't have the "Mom Who Has Been There" angle, it does have a ton of very helpful and easily searchable information.

I appreciate the fact that this book was written by someone who "has been there." But, Ms Loring wrote this book in 1991 and apparently updated some of the mateial in 1999. Given today's advances in diabetic treatment much of the information is sadly out of date.
If you want to read a book about the old days of diabetic treatment or a book written by a compassionate mother, then go ahead. I personally find it difficult to relate to the expriences of a Hollywood actress from over a decade ago.
If you want to know about today's treatment alternatives and how to deal with Type 1 diabetes in today's world, find a book with a more recent publication date, written by someone with the proper medical credentials. I'm not a medical professional, but I'm quickly becoming an expert on juvenile diabetes by reading and studying timely publications.