The day reality hit

Its been 55 days since Hannah was diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes. February 12, 2014 was the day our world turned upside down (or so it seemed) and what we knew as "normal" was no longer that.  It was a very scary time seeing my beautiful precious child so sick and laying in a hospital bed. That is the last place any parent wants to see their child. I felt helpless and all I wanted to do was to take away her pain and fear. Since that day there have been a lot of ups and downs. A lot of friends and family have asked how Hannah is doing. Each time is a different answer. Some days are better than others, sometimes it is dependent on each hour. She has adjusted incredibly well, but she is only 7 and still has lots of moments where she is scared. Shes just a little girl who never asked for this. Quite honestly, it makes me angry that she developed this. As a nurse I know that there was nothing we could have done to prevent her getting diabetes. As a mom, I try to reason with myself as to how we could have prevented it. It just happened. Somehow she inherited a gene that gave her the disposition to get this. Regardless, it still makes me mad. I have moments when I am alone where i just cry. I cry because my baby has to endure pain at a minimum of 4 times a day in order to get her insulin... insulin that keeps her alive. Add finger sticks to that number and its a minimum of 10-15 times a day she has to get stuck. About a week ago, it was time for her bedtime injection. She just started to cry. I put down the insulin pen and just held her and we both cried together. She said to me "you just don't understand what its like to have 4 shots a day.". No, i do not know what its like. I think the hardest part of this whole thing is the emotional part. I have dealt with a lot of ignorance over the past few weeks regarding type 1 diabetes.. A lot of people think its type 2.. Its not.. She didn't get this from eating too much fat and sugar.. she didn't get this because she is overweight. Her little body just stopped making insulin. People say to me "oh she can eat sugar?" Yes she can eat sugar, in fact she can eat anything she ate before. I have just come to the understanding that I, and she, will be dealing with this ignorance for the rest of her life. We can't just leave the house like we used to. We have to carry a snack kit, emergency glucagon kit, Blood sugar meter and insulin. We have to time meals in accordance with her insulin. We can't just leave Hannah with anyone. I can't take her to a play date and leave her and she can't ride home with a friend after school. Most people do not know how to care for a child with type 1 diabetes.  With all that being said.... Today is a good day, so far. 3:00 may be a different story but in our house we take it one hour at a time. 

night in the E.D  2/12/2014 Blood sugar 492

Feeling much better 2/14/2014

Going home 2/14/2014

Back to school.smiling once again