Things calmed down somewhat but I don’t remember all the details.  We were to have a diabetes educator come in the next day to help us learn all we needed (to at least be able to go home).  Her initial level that day was 799 and I believe her A1C was 14.5 which meant she had been average 300-400 for the last 3 months.  This is all still new to be so please forgive me on terminology.

The next day the educator helped us to understand what was going on and we even started drawing the insulin and giving test shots on an injection cushion.  I actually started giving my daughter her shots that day too.  She gave herself one that evening.

We were moved out of PICU and into a regular room. The next day we learned how to use the pens instead on the syringes and we were discharged with some instructions.

Looking back (only about a week), I am still shocked how quickly things moved.  We only spoke to her diabetes endocrinologist once.

We are still working out dosages, I report them thru a website and the doctor/nurse can message me changes.  But my daughter is coping so amazingly well.  She likes to do her sticks and shots herself (I supervise and occasionally give one in the back of the arm). She like to figure out the counts and dosages, she loves math so that helps I’m sure.  She is just so brave and wonderful that it actually breaks my heart because this sucks.  She doesn’t deserve this and it’s forever.  I am scared for her but want her to live a live without the fear and with hope and it’s just so hard.  I pray for her and ask for others to pray for her.  I would take her place in a heartbeat but I can’t.

I had an evernote with all the issues she has had since Christmas…there were 12 items on it.

Someone posted a Diabetes awareness cartoon on Facebook, she had almost every symptom.

I was in denial.

I made her fast before the appointment anyway.

At the Dr. I showed him the list and the cartoon.  I asked for a test.  After the urine test, he said we should go to the hospital for better blood work.  He mumbled for me to stay close by because we might need to go to anther town later.  I thought he meant to see a specialist. After the blood work (and waiting too long), we went to the mall. I got my son a hair cut. My daughter ate Chinese (general tso).  I let work to know I would be late or not in depending.  An hour and a half later, I got the call – we need to go, she needed to be admitted to the hospital in the next town (children hospital with diabetes educators). It’s Type 1 Diabetes.

I drove with my daughter (my mom and son were in the car behind us).  On the way there we are crying, praying, calling family and friends, (she was texting too).  I knew I should be strong for her, I felt guilty and like it was my fault for being a lazy mom.  I knew nothing about diabetes and nothing about type 1.  At the hospital, it was a whirlwind, I don’t think they realized we knew nothing about diabetes for the first hour.  There were questions I could not answer and thing I just didn’t know.  She hating getting stuck with the iv, I was worried about how she was going to handle the shots – FOR THE REST OR HER LIFE!!!!