DATES

For every life changing event the date is etched into my heart.
July 11, 1998- Jeff and I went on our first date. January 5, 2002- Jeff and I tied the knot. March 5, 2004- Ty joined our world and we became a family of 3. July 5, 2007- Sweet Ava girl made her entrance. May 22, 2009- We found out we had another girl as Miss Ali May came out screaming. January 28, 2010-Ty was officially diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

It has been exactly 1 year since THAT day. What a blur of emotions and overwhelming information those first days in the hospital were. What anger and guilt I felt that my baby had to endure this instead of me. How many nights did I spend crying into my pillow worried about the “statics” and future health complications for a person with Type 1 diabetes. How many hours did I spend reading books and internet articles just to research and learn the best possible way to take care of Ty. How stressed was I when I filled Ty’s prescription for the first time and spent over $400 for one months supply of his diabetes care? How many nights did I lay awake fearing the “low blood sugars” and obsessing over his numbers. How many times did I cringe when I looked at his scare “poked” fingers from all the blood sugar checks. How many days did he have the exact same breakfast yet never had the exact same blood sugar by lunch? At what point was I able to look at a plate of food and rough guess the correct carb count? How many times do I have to explain diabetes to stranger? When will I stop getting upset when people compare Type 1 diabetes to Type 2?

I will “flip” this date and use it as a time to bring PRAISE to Ty and his Creator.
I do not thank God for the diagnosis of diabetes, but I accept it as a result of being alive and on the Earth. In the midst of life and its disappointments, a year later I can reflect back and see HIS glory intertwined in our life. And I PRAISE Him for HE saw me through.

I praise God for Ty being alive another year. Ty’s diagnosis was not a death sentence like it is for children in 3rd world countries or for all children 100 years ago (insulin was not discovered until 1912).

I praise God for giving me a child who at 5 years old was able to grasp the complexity of this disease and be responsible in taking a major role in his own care.

I praise God that this “life changing” event wasn’t a “life shattering” event and my son is healthy not only physically but emotionally.

I praise God that Ty’s diagnosis wasn’t a devastating diagnosis. While having diabetes is daily and difficult, I prefer diabetes over hundreds of other diseases and diagnosis.

I praise God for providing for us during our “famine” year. With Jeff being laid off in April of 2010 it took away 70% of our income as well as our medical insurance. God provided for us financially through granting me a job, anonymous donations from friends, and help from family. It was God’s provision that we were able to receive diabetes supplies and medical care.

I praise God giving us opportunities to help other families struggling financially with diabetes. When Ty got on the insulin pump in July, he no longer used 2 types of insulin. We had a surplus of long acting insulin and no longer had a need for it (Ty uses only short acting insulin while on the pump). God brought people into our live that needed the insulin we had a surplus of.


I praise God for the FOTOD group. It is an online community of families in my area whose children have Type 1 Diabetes. This group has been a wealth of information and support. They are a community that truly understands daily living of Type 1 Diabetes. Being apart of this group keeps me updated on everything concerning diabetes from the lasted recall, excellent endocrinologists, how to handle “sick” days, to receiving advise when it came to picking out a pump.

I praise God for the people in my life that understand the urgent needs that diabetes can have. I praise Him for Mrs. Annie, Ty’s school nurse and her love and dedication to take care of my baby like he is her own. I am thankful for her constant communication and complete support and attention to my concerns. Right after his diagnosis I was scared to let him out of my sight. I was prepared to home school him for the remainder of his kindergarten year. Then I met with his kindergarten teacher and I praise God that she was the daughter of a Type 1 diabetic and grew up knowing how to address the needs that might arise during a school day. I praise God for Ty’s current 1st grade teacher and her openness to learn about diabetes.

I praise God for the Jones Family. Ty’s best friend is a Jones and he also happens to be his cousin. My best friend is a Jones and she also happens to be my sister. They live 5 minutes away from our house. Had it not been for Levi, Ty would not have had a social life this past year. Thanks to the Jones family and their willingness to be trained and learn diabetes care, Ty did not miss a beat with play dates and sleeping over. A lot of our emotional health has come from the support of his best friend and mine.

I praise God for Jeff, who is just as passionate and determined to care for Ty as I am. He does not take the back seat in letting “the mom” do all the work, but has actually inserted more infusion sets and filled more insulin cartridges then I have. He takes over the midnight blood sugar checks (and volunteers to do the 3am ones when needed) allowing me to sleep in peace.

I praise God for restful nights. Sleep was one thing I struggled with during those first weeks. Sleep was a “danger zone” and scary time when Ty’s blood sugar could drop into hypoglycemia and he would slip into a comma. It brought me back to being a first time mom. When Ty was an infant I had such a fear of SIDS to the point I woke up dozens of times through the night to check Ty’s breathing. After several days of no sleep I had to let go of the control and fear and give it up to God. I very distinctly remember speaking to God and thanking him for Ty, saying if 3 days of life was all that I got with him I wanted to still thank God for the gift of Ty. After that point I made myself sleep at night and God gradually filled me with a peaceful nights sleep. When Ty was first diagnosed with diabetes I found myself having the same fear and loss of control when he slept. This time I recruited help from Jeff. However,
I found myself repeating a conversation with God I had had 5years earlier. This time it took me longer to have the conversation because after 5 years of being his mom I felt entitled to Ty, he was MINE.

The worst possible situation (being death) is a reality if Ty was no properly cared for, but God gave me the tools, education, finances, time/place, recruits, people, and faith in my life so I could do my job and be Ty’s pancreas to keep him alive.

I praise God for the gift of Ty and another year of life.

I praise God that even if my biggest fear does comes true, death is not the end of Ty, but the beginning of a new eternal life in heaven. I praise God for the promise of heaven. I praise God for Ty’s innocence and his dream of a heaven where his body is made perfect and he no longer has to check his blood sugar.