Two Kids. Type 1 Diabetes. 21 Years of Real Experience.
I’m Katerina — a mom of five, two of whom have Type 1 Diabetes. My daughter was diagnosed at 2, my son at 4. This blog is everything I learned managing T1D — the hard way, so you don’t have to.
Everything a T1D parent actually needs.
Seven corners of life with a T1D kid. Start wherever your week is hardest.
Blood Sugar Control
Pre-bolusing, dawn phenomenon, puberty shifts, exercise physiology. The numbers behind stable graphs.
Food & Nutrition
Real carb counts, kid-friendly recipes, pizza bolus strategy, school lunches, holidays.
Technology & Gear
CGM setup, pump comparisons, adhesive fixes, closed-loop reality. What we use, and why.
School, Sports & Activities
504 plans, hockey game blood sugars, recess lows, travel tournaments. The advocacy layer.
Emotional & Family Support
T1D burnout, sibling stress, marriage weight, the 3 AM guilt. You’re not alone in this.
T1D & Homeschooling
The unique intersection most content ignores. Daily rhythms with a pump, CGM, and curriculum.
Emergencies & Sick Days
DKA recognition, glucagon, hypoglycemia treatment, illness protocols. The pages you hope you never need — but must know.
Your child was just diagnosed. Start here.
The first 30 days are the hardest — and the most overwhelming. This is the guide I wish someone had handed me. Written by a mom who’s done this twice.
Read the guide →- What actually happens in the first week
- Blood sugar targets that aren’t scary
- The supply list you need before leaving the hospital
- How to treat lows and highs (exact numbers)
- What to say to grandparents and teachers
- When to panic vs. when not to
Written from the kitchen table, not a clinic.
Real situations, exact numbers, honest mistakes. The things you can only learn by living them.
Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes in Children — What Parents Need to Know First
The step-by-step roadmap I wish existed when my daughter was diagnosed at 2. What the endo won’t tell you, what the hospital skips, and the first-month system that keeps your sanity.
Adhesive Allergy from Dexcom & Omnipod: Every Solution That Actually Works
Hydrocolloid barriers, overlays, prep sprays, brand swaps. Tested on two kids over 21 years.
Air Fryer Salmon Patties — Low-Carb, High-Protein for T1D Kids
4g net carbs per patty. Makar’s most-requested weeknight dinner. Bolus strategy included.
Signs of Diabetes in Children — What Every Parent & Grandparent Must Know
The symptoms pediatricians miss. The 4 T’s, bedwetting regression, and the conversations to insist on.
What Causes Type 1 Diabetes in Children? The Truth About Triggers No One Warned Us About
Viruses, genetics, gut health, environment. What the research really says — and what we still don’t know.
T1D Burnout in Parents — Why You’re Not Broken, You’re Running a Pancreas
The 3 AM exhaustion, the marriage strain, the guilt that won’t quit. How to recognize burnout and recover.
How to Write a 504 Plan for Type 1 Diabetes — With Template
The exact language schools will accept. Advocacy script included. Copy-paste ready.
After 21 years of managing Type 1 Diabetes for two kids, I learned something no brochure will tell you: it’s not the math that breaks you — it’s the loneliness.
The T1D Parent Starter Kit.
Everything you need in the first 30 days after diagnosis. Blood sugar targets, supply checklist, how to treat lows and highs, and a printable Quick Reference Card you can hand to a caregiver.
I’ve been doing this twice. For 21 years.
When my daughter was diagnosed at 2, I didn’t know what a basal rate was. When my son was diagnosed at 4, I had two decades of experience — and I still sat on the bathroom floor and cried.
This site is the resource I wish had existed both times. Written in plain mom-language. Built from 21 years of real math, real meals, real ERs, and real hockey games.
You’re not alone in this. And you’re going to be okay.