The dreaded anniversary day—what do you do?

Three days ago was the one year anniversary of my daughter (now 13yrs) being diagnosed with T1. For my wife and I it was somewhat melancholy. For my daughter, it was just another day. She has not shed a tear or complained once since her diagnosis. While not afraid to talk about having diabetes if asked, she doesn’t obsess over it either (she doesn’t find it interesting). She probably doesn’t yet fully understand the implications of the disease, but for the most part just goes about the normal trials and tribulations of teenage life. For that, I am immensely proud.

My wife and I thought we should call attention to the anniversary in some way but it was hard for us to do without being somewhat sad. Perhaps the best way for us to consider the date is to stop thinking about it as being the day she “got diabetes” but rather the day that her life was saved.

I am curious what others do, especially for children.

Every 100 days my 16 yr. old wants to eat something he might not be able to usually… like a Milkshake or something… I let him. He is coming up on day 300 soon. This time… he says… mom… instead of food…can I have $ for my day 300? I guess his carb cravings are over!
He was diagnosed on Nov. 14! World Diabetes day…so I guess everyone “celebrates” his D-day. As for us… not sure what we will do on that day… I think I will leave it up to him with in reason that is…
He is much like your daughter…he feels that the day of diagnosis is the day he started feeling better… he got pretty sick before then with an A1C of 13% and Bg over 700! Now…he has an A1C of 7.0 and is more atheletic and focused and enjoying his new life… so… it iwll be up to him!! :slight_smile: I am proud of him.

I don’t know what day I was diagnosed. I’m not even positive how old I was. I couldn’t have told you what day or how old by the time I was 15. I think I was diagnosed at 12, I think it was the summer between 6th grade and middle school. But, I’m not really sure.
Guess my point is, why have an anniversary? what difference does it make, it’s just a day. Forget about it.

I’m not a teenager but have raised two and they can be crazy! I’m sure there will be some great suggestions coming in but I think I would ask her what she would like to do.
I find it fascinating how many people “celebrate” this anniversary. After 34 years, it has never once crossed my mind to celebrate getting a disease! I wouldn’t celebrate getting Parkinsons or lupus or cancer. I can understand celebrating the day you’re cured or the anniversary of being cancer free but I’m afraid I’m still waiting for that (like everyone else) but believe me, when it happens there will be one heck of a celebration every year on the year!! For now, I celebrate every day by not obsessing about my condition and living life to its fullest. In fact I’ve never thought about it much until finding this website!!
You’ll get a ton of unique ideas and ways people celebrate and many celebrate the fact they’ve made it another year but for me that’s depressing and yet another reminder. Maybe something will ring right with you (your idea of celebrating the day her life was saved is the best yet) but I’m all for treating it like any other day, every day is a reminder and I really don’t need another.
Good luck and if you celebrate , make it a good one!

I’ve never celebrated or thought about the day I was dxed…it’s been 51 yrs. I was a teen like your daughter and knew it was something I had to live with and just kept going. If she doesn’t mention it do as you said and stop thinking about it as the day she got diabetes.

Follow up: I have to admit that we never would have thought about “celebrating” either until we saw messages on this site and others about people who did. I generally agree with what Barb said about not a lot of reason to celebrate (except as I mentioned, for the notion of her life essentially being saved that day). I found it odd that people celebrated but wanted to understand more from the the TU community. Thanks for your responses.

Growing up (I was diagnosed at 9) we didn’t do anything and I never thought about it. It wasn’t until I was 25 or so that I actually wanted to know the date I was diagnosed. Even now, I don’t “do” anything, although sometimes I mention something in my journal (I’ve kept a journal since I was 12) if I remember.

I may do something small for my 20-year mark—with (so far, knocks wood) no complications—which is coming up in just over a year, but I’m not sure yet what exactly I would do.

Hey, my 29th anniversary just passed a few days ago, and I didn’t even notice.

I don’t think you should do anything special. Don’t celebrate diabetes, but do celebrate everything else.

As parents you might be sad, but as a T1 kid you just have to press on. No other choice. Been there, done that.

Don’t know if you ever watched the Simpsons… at one point Ned Flanders describes his son’s hobbies as “being quiet during trips, clapping with songs and diabetes”. It’s not a hobby! But that doesn’t mean we can’t help and relate to others with it, that’s what tudiabetes is good for.

I like that . . . the day that her life was saved. My daughter has a similar reaction to yours (positive or at least neutral). While I want to stick my fingers in my ears and shout “La la la la la, I can’t hear you!” when I think of that date, my plan (shhh … it’s a secret) is to let her get her ears pierced. Her dx date and her b-day are almost the same day. Last year two of her friends whose birthdays are also close to hers went together to get theirs done, and she’s been wanting to - desperately - ever since. She even bought pierced earrings on vacation with her pocket money! That’s this year, her first anniversary. After that, I don’t know what we’ll do.

I’m a Type 1 for 37 years and my daughter (now 22) is a Type 1 for 11 years. What we do is thank God for another day! If it wasn’t for Drs finding what was wrong we would both be gone. Straight up! I don’t know your belifs but thank whom ever for another day! Their important when I was diagnosed I was told NEVER to have children. Now not only do I have 2 girls I also got 3 grandchildern. Never thought I would see it but I have. 2 girls and 1 boy! Proud as punch of them and to have gotten to see them!