Okay, I will do this in the my perspective...the Mom of a diabetic. I don't usually go here for several reasons. I don't want to seem like I'm feeling sorry for myself. I don't want the focus to be solely on me and how I feel. After all, I'm NOT the one with diabetes! I just react, test, count, bolus, move on. I honestly believe that if I sat here and really thought about how bad this disease sucks and the worry I have every night Nora goes to bed and how this is our "normal" now and forever more... I would curl up in the fetal position and cry myself silly. But then her pump would alarm and I would need to check her blood sugar so I'll just skip ALL the aforementioned BS and just stick to my shared motto of other D Mom's...just keep swimming...just keep swimming!
5 Challenges (remember...from the D Momma perspective):
1. BEDTIME- doesn't matter if it's for me or Nora. Sucks either way. I can't sleep the night through because her pump is usually alerting me to something, HIGH/LOW, whatever! AND on the RARE occasion I do sleep the night through I wake up startled that she may be dead. I know...dramatic, but you other D Moms/Dads know what I'm talking about!!
2. STICKING MY CHILD- finger pricks, multiple site insertions, needle injections if needed. Needles, needles, needles!! I HATE sticking my kid. I love her alive so I'll keep sticking!
3. LATE NIGHT SITE CHANGES- why, oh why does it seem as if EVERY site change is done late at night?!?! It's like the Diabetes gods are playing a trick on us! Insert evil laugh here, "it's 10pm!! Let's make the kids site go all wacky so her mom needs to change her!!" Point in case, last night. Sensor decides it's not working anymore so Change Sensor flashes on her pump screen! grrr...oh, did I mention, this was last night at 10pm? So we slapped some numbing cream on her and by the time her site was good, numb and sanitized it was 11:30pm before I even got her sensor inserted!! *yawn*
4. SLEEP OVERS- for as much as I want her to be a kid and not let D get her down I DREAD sleep over's!! Is she going to remember to check her blood sugar, will she SWAG correctly, will she remember to bolus without someone asking!!Will she have her phone on her so she can call me if she needs me?!?!
5. SICK DAYS- I can't stand when my kids get sick. I feel so helpless. I can't do anything! They whine, I whine, everybody is miserable! Throw diabetes in there and blood sugars go wild, ketones show up, vomiting ensues, calls to the diabetes clinic made and mini glucagon given because, of course, MY kid usually runs low WITH ketones. So I have to get her blood sugar high so that I can give her insulin to get rid of ketones!! UGH!!
okay...now for the POSITIVE finish!! Yay!!
5 Small Victories (although some may be BIG victories!)
1. BLOOD SUGAR FLATLINE- the perfect number straight across the screen; doesn't happen often...but when it does I just stare at her pump screen and smile! Beautiful!
2. CGM catching a low- I love technology and when it works well! Her CGM will alert she is predicted low and we can catch it BEFORE she bottoms out! Bliss!
3. Nora being a KID- The days when D isn't the main focus and she can cut loose and be crazy with her friends! Like a kid should be...one who doesn't have to live with a chronic disease.
4. LIVING-(this one is far from a small victory!) Learning how to take care of my baby girl and keep her alive and thriving!
5. D.O.C.- the Diabetes Online Community! There is not a stronger support group anywhere!! I can share my joys/sorrows/rants/raves and people get it. You feel down? Not with the D.O.C.! They will embrace, wipe you off and pick you up! These bonds can't be broken and for the most part, we've never met!!
So I take my challenges and my victories and mix them together. Some days we get more challenges than victories. But we can turn those challenges into opportunities and live this life with diabetes.
