The Park Nicollet International Diabetes Center in St. Louis Park recently hosted two classes for diabetic teens and their parents aimed at support and education.

The classes taught by physicians and staff addressed issues specific to teen diabetes management.

Teens learned about taking responsibility and managing their care. Issues such as how to handle sleepovers, gain parental trust and establish independence were covered. Sick day management, carbohydrate and nutrition facts, exercise and family dynamics were also discussed. The center doctors requested the classes for continuing education.

"Often kids are young when they are first diagnosed, and there is a more sharing of responsibility," said registered nurse Beth Olson. "There needed to be more education and a chance to get information in a different way. Peers are so important at this age; it was a chance to capture this and bring them together."

There is a direct correlation between tight diabetes control and avoiding future diabetic complications, said Dr. Amy Criego. It is tough for parents to hand over control to teens who are gaining independence and often away from parents.

"It is hard for parents to know how much to turn over," registered dietician Gay Castle said.

After a certain age, parents need to help kids learn how to solve problems, such as monitoring or blood sugar levels, Castle said.

The teens gained insight to the thought process behind altering insulin doses as well as the latest diabetes research and technology. Presenters covered topics of interest like monitoring blood sugars, continuous blood glucose monitors and adjusting patients' own insulin doses.

Instructors used role-playing to help patients learn and games like "Are you smarter than a 5th grader/your parents?" to teach. Nutrition and carbohydrate counting were game topics.

A panel consisting of three people, ages 16, 25 and 33, offered advice and answered teen questions. The panel stressed the importance of proper diabetes care to avoid future complications. They discussed the common misconception that Type 1 diabetics cannot eat sugar and shared their experiences being a Type 1 teen.

"The three members of the panel had great information that can help teens manage their diabetes in a more educated way," said 15-year-old Kourtney Johnson of Rosemount.

One panel member, Megan Neisius, 33, rebelled against managing the disease as a teen and is now suffering several complications. She was recently diagnosed with Charchot Joints, a progressive joint destruction, affecting one in 600 diabetics. She spoke about living with neuropathy, kidney disease, retinopathy and the fact that she cannot carry a child.

"A lot of teens don't think it is fair, that it takes too much energy, so you just don't do it," Neisius said. "As a teen I felt invincible, like nothing would happen to me and now I'm experiencing just about every diabetic complication there is."

Through the classes, teens found they had common family difficulties, such as parents being "the food police" and nagging kids to test their blood sugars often. The panel urged parents to stay positive and back off, letting teens manage themselves. Building trust was a common theme. With a little effort in communication, presenters said parents and teens can coexist and control diabetes.

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