Diabetic Recipes
Our neighbor got into a conversation with a woman whose 4-year-old son was just diagnosed with diabetes.
Our heart goes out to anyone who was just diagnosed. The fear and confusion of those first few weeks is still vividly etched in my memory and probably will be forever. Whether it's a friend of a friend or a friend of a family member, on a few occasions, we've offered our phone number out to those parents in case they wanted someone to talk to; someone who's been embedded in the disease for a while.
Our neighbor mentioned our situation to the woman. She mentioned the difficulty we face in trying to manage Charlie's diabetes: the numerous blood sugar checks, getting up to check him in all hours of the night, the arrangement at school with his health aides, etc.
I'm not sure if my neighbor offered to put us in touch with her. Though if she had, I suspect the woman would decline.
She explained to my neighbor that managing diabetes hasn't been difficult for them and that they wouldn't need to test their child as often as we do, get up in the middle of the night or have a need for school aides.
They test their son four times a day. We did too … in the beginning.
Because that's what the doctors and diabetes educators tell you to do. That's what they tell you to do while you're in a hospital for five days with your head spinning; learning how to draw insulin into a syringe, pop air bubbles with a snap of your fingernail and inject a needle into a pink rubber slab of pseudo flesh.
"Is it us?" Susanne asks.
"No," I say into the phone.
"What if it's us?" she cries.
Her frustration palpable.
"We work so hard at this! So hard!"
I remind her that the woman's son is honeymooning and that unfortunately, they'll see soon enough that it's not easy to manage. But even as I say the words, I'm not completely buying it.
What if it is us?
Hey Carey -
If it's you, there are a hold load of us in the boat with you...
Everyone's experience from day one is different, but in the end, more people than not end up testing in the middle of the night (even 25 years plus in), and have challenges managing.
Rest assured, you're not the only parents who've asked the same question... When people used to tell my mom there was "really no need to test me more than twice a day..." my mother would answer "to each their own." I learned a lot from my mom. Her patience in the face of differing circumstances, differing levels of awareness, differing management styles... Charlie will learn that kind of patience from you and Susanne.
- Nicole
It's us too! We test our son 8-10/day on a good day. When I asked our PA at the diabetes clinic to write the test strip prescription for 10 tests per day he didn't bat an eye. (He's type 1 also) Every day I think about those poor little fingers.
I would venture to guess that on some level, that woman needs to believe it's not that challenging, and they'll be able to manage it. If she thought it would be as frustrating and overwhelming as it really is, she might just have a mental collapse, and right now she's trying to find all the evidence and reassurance she can that it's not so bad so she can move forward. That's just my theory.
So, no, it's not just you.
I would venture to guess that on some level, that woman needs to believe it's not that challenging, and they'll be able to manage it. If she thought it would be as frustrating and overwhelming as it really is, she might just have a mental collapse, and right now she's trying to find all the evidence and reassurance she can that it's not so bad so she can move forward. That's just my theory.
So, no, it's not just you.
If it's you, then it's me too. Riley's sugars are all over the board. He gets tested around 10-12 times a day. He gets tested 2-3 times in the middle of the night.
I remember testing him 4-5 times the first few days home. I remember the doctor saying he didn't need to be tested at night. Then, I realized that the doctors were idiots.
Unfortunatly, this woman is in for a rude awakening. I hate to hear of any kid getting diagnosed. My heart goes out to him and to his family.
It is so not you. We test 10 - 12 times a day. We do not sleep through the night. I use my cell phone as an alarm clock because I can change the ring tones to prevent getting too used to anyone sound and sleeping through it.
We're still getting up and checking Joseph overnight (Ryan and I alternate checking at 12, 2 and 4am)- and we've caught more lows than I can count.
No, Carey- it is most definitely not just you.
It isn't y'all. We got the 'ol 'test at 8, 12, 4, 8 and 12' spiel too. However, we blew that off the first day home. It's just way too scary not knowing (nighttime or daytime). We beat ourselves up if we sleep through one of the overnight checks. Maybe when Sarah's 18, wears a CGM with a siren for an alarm, and eats nothing but brocolli and fish, we'll think about sleeping through the night.
It's not you guys. And when Charlie grows up and is in charge of managing his diabetes completely on his own, he'll meet other folks with diabetes. Folks who seem to have it SO much easier, and he'll ask himself, "Is it something I did? Something my parents did?"
We're all unique in how this disease affects us, unique in how we cope with it, and unique in what our level of denial is on certain occasions.
I'm sure you're doing the absolute best you can.
hugs,
Hannah
A quote from Jane Austen comes to mind that you could use in response: "You think that, if it gives you comfort." I'm with leeleeiam, I think it says more about them than you.
My parents were no less vigilant 25-odd years ago, even if they couldn't do the kind of instant BG checks we can now. Someday people will realize that even 10-12 tests a day isn't nearly enough to really know what's happening.
Charlie is lucky to have such committed, smart and well-equipped parents :)