Diaversary

So, it was one year ago today, July 27, that I took my 3.5 year old daughter to her pediatrician because she was peeing more than normal. It was one year ago today that we found out K had type 1 diabetes and that K's life, and our entire family's life, just drastically changed. It was also one year ago today that we realized, as we were injecting our daughter with insulin before she ate dinner in the Children's Hospital Los Angeles cafeteria, and witnessing the other children in the amazing facility, that we knew it could be worse.

It's been a long year and a hard year, and we've had other hardships, including loss of family and lack of help. Rarely do my husband and I both get a full night sleep and rarely can we both fully relax because we must be vigilant about her food intake and BG checks, in addition to observing her behavior, for symptoms of low BG. I have vented enough during the year on this blog and frankly, I am actually at a loss for words on this, K's first "diaversary". So, I thought I'd focus on the positive...

In the past year, my daughter has proven herself to be an incredibly strong, independent child. She will be able to handle anything in life.  Her big brothers, ages 9.5 and 7 now, have matured a lot too. They obviously know that they don't have diabetes but recognize that we all do things a little differently now, including usually waiting to eat 15 - 30 minutes from when K receives her insulin.  Our oldest son immediately took it upon himself to learn all he could about diabetes. Of late, only since K has consented, he has begun to check K's BG. On my birthday, earlier this month, it was the first time we were able to leave the kids with a babysitter early in the evening because our older son could check her. It was a great gift and something he is willing to do anytime.  Finally, I think my marriage has gotten even stronger. Despite typical tiffs or frustrations, my partner is the only person who truly understands this diabetes life. We bounce concerns or judgment calls off each other and never fault the other when there's a problem.

We have a long road ahead of us, but we've weathered the last 365 days fairly well. I'm thankful for this family of mine and I know, when she fully understands it, K will be thankful too.

Although we appreciate your good thoughts and prayers, we put our energy into raising money for researching a cure for t1d. We're assembling another team for the annual JDRF walk. Please consider joining us on the morning of November 6 at Dodger Stadium.