Once diabetes is diagnosed, there is no time to dwell on the "why me" or "why did this have to happen to my child". You must learn to test blood glucose, dose insulin and give shots. You learn there are different insulins that are given at different times and doses. All food must be counted by the number of carbs so that insulin can be calculated correctly. You meet the diabetes doctor and staff that will now be a part of your child's healthcare management. Survival training. This is the actual term used by the health care professionals after diagnosis. My head was spinning. Most of this was explained before Madeline had even received her first meal since diagnosis. The crazy thing is, I should have had a greater understanding of all this information with Rick being a Type 1 diabetic.
Rick has always been very private when it comes to his diabetes. He absolutely hated testing his blood glucose before meals, and more or less gave up keeping track. Privacy was a must for insulin shots. Even after 12 years of living with a diabetic, I had no idea how to manage diabetes.
Because Madeline's dad was diabetic, we would be released from the hospital after only 1 full day. We would need to come back to the hospital early the next morning for another survival class, but at least we could go home. It wasn't until 10:00pm that Madeline was tucked nice and safe in her own bed. We were instructed to test her blood glucose at 12:00am and 3:00am to be sure she was in a safe range. Rick volunteered to get up to test, so after 40 hours, I was finally able to get some sleep.
To say I was a mess by the morning is an understatement. The reality of our new way of life had started to set in, and I wasn't sure I could handle all the responsibilities that came with it. I was sleep deprived, had a family that needed my love and attention, and most importantly, I had to be my child's pancreas.
Thank God for coffee.
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