I woke up today feeling like Alexander in the book Alexander and the No Good, Terrible, Horrible Day (the title is something close to that, you get the idea) I really didn't have a reason to explain why nothing went right and why everyone got on my nerves for doing absolutely nothing other than sharing the air I breathe. More than once today I wanted to turn in my letter of resignation to someone. Problem is that there isn't anyone to accept it from a mom/wife. Especially the mom of 3 kids, 2 of whom have serious medical issues. Then, about 1/2 hour ago, it hit me. My daughter was diagnosed with T1D one year ago today. I had thought about this up coming anniversary date just a few days ago. Somehow in the craziness of life, I had forgotten about today being the day. Maybe my No Good, Terrible, Horrible Day did have a cause. Maybe this anniversary date was swimming around in my brain with all the other million things I am trying to remember but it just didn't fully surface until now. Now I am struggling with how I should approach this anniversary date. Should I be sad and mourn the loss of my daugher's previous health? Should I rejoice that her diabetes was found early before any DKA or worse occured? Should I be happy that one year later she is in good control and has become such an expert on her disease? Should I be proud that at the age of 8 she can check her own blood sugar, insert her own sites, draw up her insulin and load her pump cartridge and carb count better than my husband? Hmmm......
How have any of you dealt with your child's anniversary of their diagnosis? What kind of feelings do you experience on "that date"?
My daughter was at soccer practice when I wrote the above. She came home a few minutes ago and I asked her if she knew what today was. She had no idea where I was going with this. When I told her that it was one year ago today that she was diagnosed with diabetes she looked up at me and said, "We made it through the first year, we need to cha-cha!!!!" I have to explain the cha-cha a little here. Any time her blood sugar comes up 123 she gets excited and makes who ever is around cha-cha dance with her. It is her her way of celebrating not only a good BS number, but, also a celebration of "hitting" the sequence of 1-2-3. It's goofy, I know, but we have all had to cha-cha with her, including the school nurse.
If my beautiful 8 year old can cha-cha dance to celebrate her one year anniversary of having diabetes then, I will cha-cha right along with her. And so we cha-cha'd around the kitchen with a little more exuberance than usual and I sucked back the tears that were stinging my eyes. They were happy tears though!
I know exactly how you feel. I was in a state of shock on my daughter's 1 year D-Day. However, my whole thought was... OMG we made it through the first year without any trips to the hospital, no major issues, and I now know I can face anything that this might throw at me. She also celebrated by receiving her insulin pump on her 1 year date. She started the OmniPod a week later. That has also made a big difference.
Celebrate the good, and let the bad be a lesson, but don't dwell on it too long, or else it will completely engulf you and you will not be able to focus on how well she (and yourself) really are doing. That was actually advise from our Endo .... she has told us that multiple times.
Congrats on making it through your first year with this, and may you and your daughter have many more reasons to Cha-Cha throughout the next year!
I am so happy for you and your daughter and what an inspiring story of her being so independent with her diabetes. The first year for us just passed in March and although from day to day I can't recall the exact date she was diagnosed, I know it was the last Saturday of our March break and I definitely felt the pressure this past March break. However our one year anniversary of being on the pump is quickly approaching, the end of this week, I am thrilled. It has been a year of up and down and trial and error but like you we made it. Chasey is happy and healthy and we are finally starting to get her A1C level back down to 8. She is independent, checks her own sugar and operates the pump. She can recall that she doesn't require insulin for veggies and she can remember the card count of some of her fav snacks. So although I am sad that she has diabetes, I am happy that she just continues on her merry way.
My daughter and I celebrate her Diaversary, as we call it. She was 3 when diagnosed and just turned 6. Every May we buy cupcakes and the family makes a party out of it. Then in December we do it again to mark my Diaversary. I know it is kind of sick, but it lightens the mood and the feelings. i feel extremely guilty over her getting the disease, and this just helps a bit. I make it exciting and enjoyable and she loves it. She asked if she can bring cookies to her class next year.
My daughter does everything herself as well and yes you should be very proud!!! From day 1 Courtney has checked her own blood sugars and about 8 months ago she wanted to learn to fill her pump and do it herself and I let her. She is very proud when she does it and so am I. This is a burden to live with, so I figure the better it is for her to deal with then why not. She still struggles to count the carbs, but is getting pretty good at it.
I know it is a serious disease, but for me I love to just have fun with it!
"THE ANNIVERSARY" is a tricky thing. No matter if you try to forget about it - that date will always remain permanently etched in your mind. Our daughter was diagnosed two and a half years ago - when she was 17months old. I decided that we would always pause on that day - not to "celebrate", but to give it the attention it would get anyway - I don't talk about it with my daughter as the date she got diabetes - but I make sure we do something fun as a family - to take back the day in a way - and to celebrate our strength in taking hold of this devastating disease and not letting it rob us of our ability to love life as much as we always did.
LOVE it. Riley's is coming up and I have no idea if we will do anything. The other day I was talking about something and she thought she had already been diabetic for over a year lol in a way that is good cause it just feels I guess normal to her now. She doesnt think about it nearly as much as I do but I dont obsess over it either.