Hey everybody! I've missed you guys...I mean, I've been here but not HERE! I feel like I'm in this crazy dream...one that I knew was going to come but can't believe it's here AND we are living it. In case you've missed what happened you can read all about it here.
So we are...one week in. And Evelyn is doing well. We all are. She worked her shift at Hallmark. Checked her blood sugars, fixed herself lunch, gave herself shots and survived a day without Mom or Dad.
She had her first low, 65, and didn't even feel it. I just so happened to be up checking Nora, because her pump was alerting to a low. Evelyn still had an hour before we had to check but since we were both up she went ahead and checked. 65!!! "Don't you feel low?!?!" She said she was just tired!! UGH!! So at 2am I've got my two girls sucking down Juicy Juice!! That's our new normal (as if we were normal before!!)
Evelyn turned 18 this week. Had a birthday lunch with her girlfriends at O'Charley's. She figured out her carbs with me over the phone. Even got a free birthday Brownie!! It was listed in the Calorie King app but she double checked with the waitress to make sure of what the carb count was and the waitress KNEW!! Shocked! She made it through her birthday dinner date with her boyfriend at a Pizza place AND a Red's game, which included hot dog and ice cream!!
She has also showed her frustration. She gets tired of bolusing everytime she eats. She HATES her Lantus shot. It didn't seem to bother her too much the first couple of times but now she hollers about it while it's going in. She gets it and really, she has had a great attitude about it all. Accepting her knew life...with diabetes. I can't imagine how hard it would have been had she not known about diabetes because of what she has seen with her sister.
I've been humbled by her acceptance and her sensitivity to all of us. Evy gave her sister the sweetest card. She apologized for having diabetes and for taking some of the attention away from her. She wished that neither one of them had diabetes but she is glad that Nora can be there to help her. We got one too...she again apologized for adding stress into our lives and having to worry about her all the time now. Oh, and for always calling us to let us know what her blood sugar is and to double check her carb count. She wrote one for her grandparents, my Mom and Dad, and thanked them for always being there for her. Which is so true. Sometimes they even beat us to the hospital. They are there for us anytime for any reason!
It's a fine line when you have an 18 year old daughter just diagnosed with D. I don't want to smother her like I do her 11 year old sister. But at the same time I don't want her to feel like I don't care, I do but ultimately SHE is the one that is taking care of herself. I'm just over seeing it all. I want her to feel like all 18 year olds feel like...ADULTS. But she's my baby....with D. So I tread lightly. I'm there if and when she needs me and back off when she's "got it MOM!!" I'll learn the balance. It's just training for when Nora turns 18!!
One thing that I'm brought back to and I've not even shared this with my husband because I get all choked up when I go to tell him about it. One week ago, today, when the Endo on call comes in to see my sweet Evy. To tell us she's so sorry. There is sugar in her urine. That she knows her sister has diabetes too. Do you know what Evelyn says? "I'm blessed with a wonderful Mom and Dad who can take care of me and is always there for me. I know I'll be okay".
Blessed is right my sweet baby girl but WE are blessed by YOU!!
