You Just Became a T1D Parent

I write this for all you newly diagnosed diabetic families! And yes I said families, even though it’s only one person with the disease. You have now become a family of diabetics!

It will get better! I remember hearing that from an amazing nurse the night we showed up at the diabetic unit! Cause I remember thinking it over and over again, when Colton cried so hard that ITS NOT FAIR. Or when then the kids at school looked at him like he had the plague. When the depression hit! I remember it so vividly because I kept saying to myself, “When Debbie?? When’s it gonna hey better??”  If you didn’t guess, that is the nurses name LOL!!

And if I’m being honest April 3 literally seems like a lifetime ago!  But it actually wasn’t so I know the exact moment of your life your existing in!

~the worrying, ok this never goes away but you will become more confident in your skills! Also I know there’s more info coming at you then an entire 4 year undergrad program, you’re worried you’ll forget everything when once you get home.... you won’t, there’s amazing online resources available at your finger tips. But please believe me your at the beginning stages & soon you’ll be introduced to the medically technology of diabetes that will make your life 1000x more manageable! Right now you have to learn the basics..... gotta learn that carb counting!! But it will get better!!

~the guilt,  this was hands down the worst part I had to deal with. As a parent you’re supposed to make the hurt go away. Mentally wrapping your head around the fact that you can’t fix it..... well it’s a hard pill to swallow. Actually I would compare it to swallowing a pill the size of tank. That’s how hard!  But it’ll fade. You will still have your “moments” like their first flu, but they will be fewer and farther in between! It will fad!! 

~the control, ok this one is going to be a hard one for you all to grasp and it’s the mama bear or parental guard you have now placed around your child like a protective force field of impenetrable steel. Nothing or no one will harm your child ever again🙅🏼‍♀️ You will do everything in your power to stop all highs & lows!! I’m sorry to break the news BUT you are going to do everything right and he or she will still be rocking an 18 that day. Some days there’s no rhyme or reason to it, it’s like they are breathing sugar that day! Don’t let it get you down, there is about a million + 1 factors that effect their BG and you can’t control them all!!

But more importantly what I’ve learned is to let them breath, they need to feel like they got this too!! That impenetrable steel you want to protect them in is also hurting them. Stepping in to save every situation makes them feel inadequate! One thing Colton has taught me is no one knows, better yet FEELS, their diabetes better than them and he needs to know that we trust him!! We trust you Cookie!

👉 And don’t blame everything on the diabetes...... yep I’m guilty!! You’ll do it too, more times than you’ll care to admit. But asking them to check their blood after every snarly comment or bad look doesn’t go over well. They are still the same kid, bad attitudes and all. They had it before so it’s not just the diabetes! But don’t let the steel let them be kids! They will make mistakes and so will you but if you don’t let them make them they will never have a chance to learn from them.

But Debbie was right! It got better,  A LOT better! The fears are always there, long nights will happen, bad numbers are inevitable but you’ll become a team! A carb counting, insulin junky, bolus badass! You are now their pancreas and you both need each other!! You’re on a crazy, life changing emotional ride, cry it out, let them feel all the emotions, cause there’s going to be a lot but please dont forget to feel yours too!!

This is my cookie & I am his Pancreas!!