Transition was positive. They helped me understand my condition.
Support
We know that there are a lot of changes for all teenagers and young people to navigate, so managing diabetes care can just be another thing on the list! You may have been diagnosed a long while and know the children's team very well. You might have only just got to know the childrens team. Either way we know it can feel scary to think about meeting a new team of doctors and nurses. When you are ready to start planning and preparing to move adult services, we want to make this as stress-free as possible for you.
To help you with this transition we try to have joint clinics where you will meet members of the adult team in the children's hospital clinic. You might like to visit the adult hospital to find out where you will need to go or ask questions to find out how your care might be different.
We hope that when you transition to the adult team you will be taking steps towards independence in managing your diabetes and feeling more confident about this change. We know this can be tricky at times, especially as your parents will have to learn to step back and trust you can do a good job! It's normal to feel a whole range of different emotions at this time. You may feel nervous, worried or scared. Or you may be sad to say goodbye to a team you know well. Others of you may find you feel excited and glad to be able to have your own discussions with your doctor and perhaps feel more in charge of decisions about diabetes.
There are lots of people and resources to support you with this transition. The children's teams and adult diabetes teams can offer advice and support and answer any questions you have about transition.
You may wish to talk to your friends and family about moving teams. School or college teachers, tutors or counsellors may also be able to help.
If you need advice you can contact your paediatric diabetes nurse on: 0117 342 8559 or 0117 342 8572.
If you need to phone out of hours then you can talk to someone by phoning 0117 9276998 and asking for the Team 1 Registrar on Bleep 2289.
The Diabetes Nurse Specialists for the Adult service at Bristol Royal Infirmary can be contacted on 0117 342 2892.
There are useful websites or helplines too where you can find advice and support, or read stories from others who have transitioned to adult services. There are lots of brilliant resources, here are a few we recommend:
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
If things are feeling difficult and you would like to talk to someone other than your friends or family, then please get in contact with your diabetes team and tell them how you are feeling. There is a psychologist as part of the Paediatric Diabetes Team and once you transition to adult care there are other ways to access psychological support through your team. You could also speak to your GP or there are other places that may also be able to help. Those in the Bristol area include:
