My six year old son was just diagnosed with Diabetes on July 17. Both my husband and I are very sad and worry about our boy. My husband moreso is taking this much harder than I. Why? I’ve had my own share of medical issues when I was a child and my first husband became a quadriplegic after a hockey accident. So, I’ve dealt with a lot worse. I have always asked that all I want for myself and my family is NOT to be paralyzed. To me, that is the worst thing to have happen.
Today while at the library I saw a little girl in a wheel chair receiving a treatment from a machine with a long tube. I only caught a glance but I saw enough to thank my lucky stars that my baby does not have to deal with that. After seeing that I realized that even though my son will have to deal with Diabetes for the rest of his life, he will still be able to run and do whatever he wants. His body his free to roam. Free to grab his fork and cut with a knife. Free to go skating in the winter. Free to go climbing a rock. Free to make a snow man. So, if you are feeling down about your highs or lows just remember that you still have your independence and freedom. This is how I get through the scary thoughts that cross my mind. Be strong and smile!
I too was diagnosed at an early age, 9. Thing is growing up with it you see all of the things related to diabetes as a normal part of your life. I do not think twice about checking my sugar levels or giving my self insulin because it is something I have done for most of my life. Diabetes just becomes a part of you and you accept it and move on with your life. Your son will have a stronger will to temptation because as a diabetic the temptation for high carb foods is a fact of life. As an EMT I have seen life’s horrors and diabetes is hardly one of them. I know that it most be hard as a parent to see something like this happen to your child, but with good control everything will be ok. I totally hear and agree with everything that you are saying. Tell your husband that people with diabetes live long and productive lives and ultimately there are few things that are off limits to diabetics as far as careers and everything else. Keep your head up! We are not prisoners to the disease, we are soldiers against it! Hang in there! Wishing you and your family all the best!
Hi Chris’s Mom,
I truly appreciate your post. You are absolutely correct. It is just dfiabetes, a treatable disease. I would not wish it on anyone, but there are other horrible alternitives. One of my daughters is married to a wonderful man and they have two very healthy children. His brother has three boys, one of whom is 9 years old and has cancer of the brain stem. He has had two surgeries and the tumor is still wrapped up inside the brain stem. He has had radiation and can receive no more. There is no other treatment for him. I feel very sick inside my heart for this child and his parents. He has a little time, but cannot do other things like run and jump and play. We have two prediabetic children in our family and i thank God every day that we have options for treating them. I don’t want them to have diabetes, but i will take that over something non treatable.
Keep you chin up. Your son is so fortunate to have you for a Mom. With your good and positive attitude your son will have some stumbles along the way, but he will be able to get right back up again and go on because you are there with him.
I send you my respect and admiration and big hugs for the times you will need them. Blessings be with you.
I tell my patients,when I break the bad news about it is diabetes,that it is not a disease,as long as the mind is well,nothing will prevent normal life,it is a disturbance of glucose metabolism which we all will help to put it back within normal,and with that to avoid complications that long time of disturbance will cause to the body.And here I am not giving false informations but stressing on most important fact: the child can go on having normal activity with some new changes in his daily routine.
Chris’smom, you are not alone. I was dx’ed at 10 and my parents didn’t skip a beat. They just added diabetes into our family and we kept right on going. For that reason, I have never called a disease. I agree with sohair and what she says to her patients. A disease connotes some sort of invading pathogen - a dirtiness to my body. This is just a condition, a state, an instability, a malfunction. A cure would be great, and I am not glad I have diabetes, but it hasn’t stopped me from living a rich and full life. It was there with me when I sang my first concert, there at my graduations, and with me on my wedding day. It goes to work with me, wakes up with me, and sleeps with me at night. And I’m going to be fine.
My mom told me that the day I was diagnosed, she got in the elevator at the children’s hospital to go down to the cafeteria. She stood alone, crying, feeling desperate and angry, and at the next floor, two bald children going through chemotherapy boarded the elevator. My mom said she stopped crying and said to herself, “we can do diabetes.” And she says that was the last time she ever cried about it.
I’ve been type one since fifteen, and my son was just diagnosed with type one last month (at the age of three). So, I understand where you’re coming from. My son has always been in and out of the hospital (within the first 5 minutes of his life he was taken in for a 9 hour surgery), he is a “failure to thrive”, has a g-tube, has dislocated hips, scoliosis and the list goes on. Sometimes it’s really hard as a parent to step back and put things into perspective, but you’re very right, it could always be much worse.
I’m sure Chris’ dad will see it like that soon. Try not to be too hard on him though, we all handle things in our own way…it may just take him having an experience like you had.
That’s the way to look at it!!! Good for you!!! I always try to look for other’s who are worse off that me! Sounds like you’ve got that one concered!!! Great attitude!!!
I wasn’t that young at dx but close. I’ve looked up some camps in the US that specialize in kids with diabetes and accept children to attend form outside the US. I would say going to a camp with kids my own age dealing with the same thing could be one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life with diabetes. Just a thought!
Thanks Mike. They look like fantastic camps. There is one in Alberta that has been around since the 1950’s. It’s in the Alberta Rockies (how sweet is that?!). Kananaskis to be specific. We will probably send him in a couple of years when he feels comfortable being away from us.
