As a parent, you never stop worrying about your children. No matter how old they are. It's something my Mother always told me, but I never understood it until I became a parent myself. I just dropped off my BIG girl this morning at 6:30 to catch a charter bus for her Senior Class trip to Magic Mountain.
I'm a worry wort. I admit it, but I probably wouldn't worry as much, but I do for good reason. Some of my close friends know that Jenna is Type 1 Diabetic. I hate that word actually. Whenever I say it, the first syllable sticks in my mind. I just try to remember what her doctor told us the first day we were at Children's Hospital. She was 8 years old and he told us, "Jenna can live a long normal life as long as she has good control and takes care of herself." She's dealt with this for 10 years now, and it's been a long 10 years. It's all she knows actually. For the first 8 years, she gave her own injections and she pricked her finger 5-6 times a day. A real trooper. Never complaining except for the first couple of months. She now wears an insulin pump which delivers a constant drip of insulin, much like a normal healthy pancreas does. It makes living with it much easier, but having something attached to her body under her clothing is a constant reminder of what she has. Anyone out there dealing with it knows, it's always a struggle. Like this morning. I hand her a juice box, a few packaged cracker snacks for her to take, and she rolls her eyes. She needs to have these with her at all times. If she has a low blood sugar, she has to act FAST. She can't afford to have to wait in a line to get something. I understand she wants to fit in and just be a normal teen, but it's extremely difficult at times. She never wants to wear her medical alert necklace or bracelet, but last night, she came to me and asked me if I would like her to wear it on the trip. A sign of maturity I suppose, and I was very relieved that I didn't have to ask her to please wear it. Whenever I start feeling down about all of this, I take a look around. I see so many others dealing with so much more than this. You have to stay positive and just do the best you can with the cards you've been dealt.
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7 comments:
aww:( my closest friend here is also type one bud...she does not use the pump tho but has a real good handle on on her numbers (she checks them every hour or so (especially if we're having cocktails:) ...and is controlling it well. I have known Jenna to handle this so well for her age...even when she was younger..and who would not worry... I think she should never be without that necklace or bracelet on, she needs to in case God forbid she is in an emergency...they need to know she is diabetic so they can treat her properly if something were to happen....xo
My cousin has type 1. My aunt has worried the same way, always carrying peanut crackers in the console of the car, her purse, anywhere else she could think of. Emily is grown and married now, takes good care of herself and married a man who carries crackers as well. :) Thought you could use a 'good' story to cheer you up. She'll be fine, and one day she'll love you all the more for all your worrying.
Oh Gosh, Nancy ~ I don't think we EVER EVER stop worrying, do we??! Yep, our Moms were right!
It is so hard to have a perfect child, but what we learn of our disease makes us strong. My daughter has asthma and allergies. Her early childhood was a nightmare of sleepless nights and trips to the ER, but we survive and become proud parents of children who have learned to cope with what life deals them.
Chin-up Ma, you've done a great job!!!
sharon
Worrying is a rite of motherhood I suppose! One of my boys was invited to go to the mock UN Summit in NYC with other kids from all over the globe - such a fantastic opportunity, but you KNOW I worried like a nut for 3 days! lol Your daughter sounds very mature for her age! There were two or three young boys in my sons' karate class who used the insulin pump - when they start at such a young age it becomes second nature I guess.
Hi Donna - Thanks for your note. If you would like to contact me via email, you can go to my website and use the contact link to email me directly. :) Nancy
I completely understand that you would be scared to let her go. Parenting is soooooo hard. Like wearing your heart outside of your body. As Moms I guess we will always worry about our babies - no matter how old they are....
:)
Joy
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