Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Determined

There have been a lot of blue candles lately.  Too many, and  it's making me sick.  But it is also making  me more determined then ever.

Determined to keep fighting for a cure. NO MATTER WHAT.  Determined to raise money for that cure.  Determined to raise funds for advancements in technology to make my girls life's a little easier.  Determined that I will NEVER stop fighting all the miss-conceptions out there about Type 1.  I will do everything in my power for my girls and all the other children and adults out there living with Type 1.

I dare anyone that questions why I do what I do, to live ONE DAY in my shoes. I dare you, just one day.  Count the carbs, measure the food, poke your kids fingers (each) 8 -10 times a day. Constantly watch what your kids put in their mouth. Every single little bite.  Even 10 little carbs can make a HUGE difference in blood sugar levels. Learn how to calculate a bolus and how to subtract insulin on board and determine if they need a correction dose, at least 3 times a day.  Poke you kids with long needles for a site change.  Then poke them with even longer needles to change their CGM sensor. Then watch at the tears stream down their face as they tell you they wish they didn't have diabetes anymore. Watch your kids suffer from low blood sugars acting lethargic, lost, unable to speak.  Watch your kids deal with high blood sugars and ketones.  Worry about whether you should make a change in their Insulin to Carb ratio or their basal rate and worry if you did it right. One wrong move either direction can have devastating consequences. Then worry every night when you put them to bed that there is a REAL chance they may not wake up in the morning.  I dare you to get up twice a night and check their blood sugar, to make sure they aren't going to suffer from a severe low that kills them or a high blood sugar that puts them in the hospital ICU.

I am NOT exaggerating this, just talk to any d-mama out there.  They will tell you. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn't even go into what can happen in the long term.  Like the fact that my girls are 2-4 times more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke and have it be deadly.  One of the girls that passed away died from a stroke. She was only 14 years old.  Now tell me not to worry and that I am exaggerating. Yes, I know every parent worries about their kid dying but I stare death in the face each and every day.  Times two.

That is why I will never give up fighting and raising money for a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.  No parent should have to deal with this.  No child should have their childhood stolen from them because of it.  We need a cure and we need it now.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Same-same. I think a few of us are on the same wave-length today. We will not give up.

NikDuck said...

I am SO with you on this and feeling this same burden on my shoulders today. It just feels like too much sometimes for our precious kids. You have so many others out there that get it and we will all keep fighting for a cure too for all our t1 kiddos. We can't ever give up hope.

Superhero Baby said...

Dumb question but I'm new to all this. Where are you finding the blue candles?

Alexis Nicole said...

Another raw real post. Thank you Heather. Sometimes people need to see its NOT as easy as it may appear. At all!.

Love to you!

Racheal said...

My daughter was diagnosed T1 7-1-11. I feel like a veil or blindfold has been lifted from over my eyes to this new world of Diabetes. I can't believe that kids are dying from it and there is no cure. So now, I too am determined to find ways of making our lives easier or better and I am going to try my hardest to raise money for a cure because 1 kid dying is 1 too many.

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