We all have to admit, T1D has taught us all something. Whether you are a parent of a child with T1D or whether you actually have the dreadful burden weighing down your shoulders day in and day out. I have had T1D for 20 years now and WOW, the things I have learned about myself and even others. Just the things I have learned in general. Whether or not you want to admit it, if you are someone who has T1D, it is the disease that makes you who you are today after a long traveled road. Responsibility, is something I have learned. Discipline, is something I have learned. Most importantly, but not by choice, something we all learn through this disease is NOT QUITTING!! I know all of you who have the weighted burden, there has been times in your life you just felt like throwing in the towel and some of us has probably did just that, just to find ourselves in the hospital bed. It is so hard, I can’t go very long at all without this stupid disease haunting at my mind. Mentally, it makes you tired, discouraged, frustrated, etc. I know. I, as a diabetic, I have always hidden my T1D from everyone else. Some people to this day, don’t know I have it. Now, whoever is with me, did you all just hate that commercial with the old fat guy in it. DIABETEEES!! or however he said it. OMG, so annoying. Why, because that is the category that others put you and I in. It made me feel handicap and I didn’t like it. Ladies and Gentlemen, when I say “others,” I’m referring to the ones who don’t suffer from T1D, but also the ones who made fun or thought they knew and understood it all because of there grandpa/grandma…etc. Don’t get me started on that. Now, back to the topic, “Type-one-derful.” By all means, there is nothing wonderful about this disease, but I personally have learned quite a bit from it. Most of what I’ve learned, has been good. Took awhile for me to learn from this disease, but it’s not over for me, I still have a lot to learn.
Before I leave, let me give a short story. Now, please follow it carefully. First, I will talk about my youngest daughter and something that had crossed my mind the particular occurrence.
I came home from work one day, my wife said to me, “honey, watch the girls while I take a quick shower.” I replied, “I got this.” The wife then finishes her shower. In the mean time, I was wrestling with my oldest daughter…making lots of noise and totaling forgetting the youngest. However, I knew my youngest daughter was sitting right next to me, but was just not paying attention to what she had in her hand. My wife comes out of the bathroom and screams, yelling out my name. I knew that scream and immediately looked at my youngest daughter. My little 3 year old princess. Now people, I know, this was my wife’s and I’s fault. Anyways, there she was eating the entire bottle of my wife’s allergy medicine. All 50 caps of the 60 that were in there. Brand new bottle. I was already dressed. My wife called the poison control hotline and in the mean time, I was on my way to the hospital. I told myself, don’t panic, don’t panic. My little princess was all happy when I put in the car seat. My wife calls me informing what the poison control people said and that the hospital I was in route to was waiting for me. The poison control people said, you don’t have much time and to hurry. Well, that wasn’t comforting at all. I live in a big city and traffic was horrible. Driving my daughter to the ER myself was faster than waiting for an emergency response team.
Now, the next thing I’m going to share is what changed a little attitude of mine at the time. Prior to this event, I will be truthful, I was getting depressed. Blaming God for my stupid T1D. All of the above. Now, my wife knows nothing about this and most of the occurrences I am going to share, she really didn’t find out about it till later. And she still doesn’t know the whole truth.
My poor little child fell into a deep unconscious state while sitting in that car seat. I was yelling her name and slapping her face. Nothing. I still had 2o minutes before reaching the hospital. The most scared I have ever been. I still remained as calm as I could, driving as careful as I can drive, but driving a lot faster with my flashers on and blowing my horn like I was stupid crazy. There was many times, I drove right on to the side walk. I pulled in to the hospital emergency entrance, left my car running, and my doors opened, as I pulled my little daughter’s lifeless body out of the car seat. I ran in to the hospital as the doctors met me, stripping my princess out of my hands and rushing her to the back. Yes, I’m shedding a tear right now. Thinking about this, breaks my heart. My daughter was very petite for a 3 year old…if I were to guess, she probably weighed in at approx. 20-25lbs. Long story short, my daughter came to after a few hours of intensive care. Later my wife shows up, not knowing what had happened but knew it was bad. Our daughter will out when my wife arrived at the hospital. The doctors said, if it would have been a little later, I wouldn’t have my little Macie today. THE MOST SCARED I HAVE EVER BEEN.
It took this to make me realize, that I will accept T1D any day until my death, for the above never to happen again. Every time I’m faced with a discouraging moment due to my diabetes, this incident is brought to my mind. Sorry for going off into a rabbit trail, but I guess this is where my mind led me. Now, don’t get me wrong, facing the battles on a daily basis, still wears me out. But it is nothing compared to what I had experienced with my little daughter. I think this was shored of my turning point. But still, I have a lot to learn. Thank you for reading.
Anyways, I have never shared any of this with anyone, but this is it. I hope you all enjoyed reading it.