Julie Shares her Son’s Type 1 Story
Exactly ten years ago today I carried my lifeless little boy into the Children’s Hospital Emergency Department, about to start our new lives as a Type 1 family.
Like so many others, we had no knowledge of Type 1 Diabetes. No family history, no clue of the insidious nature of this disease. I still remember the look on the doctor's face as she relayed the news. I kept questioning if they could have the diagnosis wrong but with a blood glucose level of 44.7, it didn't leave much room for interpretation.
In those early days it seemed like everyone had an opinion. On our first trip to the pharmacy to gather supplies, the pharmacist was quick to say we were lucky it was just diabetes because it's so easy to manage (LOL). Friends relayed that their grandma/cat/neighbour had diabetes. Another openly asked how much sugar he was eating for that to happen. It was just the start of building a thick skin and a library of responses to dish out to the uneducated.
The Social Worker at the Hospital told us not to make any big life decisions while we were adjusting to this new reality. So of course we put our house on the market and decided to move out of Sydney to the South Coast, where we knew absolutely no one! Our newfound bravery put the wind in our sails to chase this new life in a small town where we could focus all our energy on what really mattered.
My son starting school two years later was undoubtedly one the the hardest parts of our Type 1 journey. It felt like literal torture handing him over every day. It still does in some ways, even now he's in Year 8.
We've never let diabetes stop him from doing anything but just did what it took to make it safe for him. From stalking school excursions to pacing the sports field sidelines with a pocketful of sugar, there's not much us Type 1 parents won't do for our kids.
But for me the absolute hardest and most gut-wrenching part is knowing I can't carry it all for him forever. Parents of children who are very young when diagnosed know how difficult it is to learn every single aspect of diabetes care for yourself and then painstakingly transfer all of that knowledge back to them. I realise now I had been subconsciously downplaying the effort and energy involved in Type 1 to him over time, unrealistically hoping I could carry this for him forever, never having to fully let on the unrelenting nature of this beast.
Despite all of this my boy is truly thriving. He turned 13 late last year and has loads of friends, plays sport at a high representative level and has a casual job. He has a new bike and rides endlessly around our small town living the (almost) carefree life we dreamed of for him. He's already 6 foot 2 but somehow still looks like that little boy we nearly lost a decade ago as I feed him juice in his sleep.
My gosh it's hard at times but there's little about our journey I would change. Courage and resilience are muscles that get stronger the more you use them.🩷
Type 1 Mum - Julie
