Life Lessons - 6 Months

Exactly 6 months ago, I was sitting in the hospital at Lima Memorial thinking that my world has come to an abrupt end and I couldn't possibly imagine how to deal with the news we were just handed.  6 months ago I scrambled for as much reading material as I could find from the library to prepare for a long hospitalization and tearfully called to tell my parents the devistation news.  But here we are... 6 months later... and we're still alive!

My motto as of about 5-6 years ago has been "Prepare for the Worse, Hope for the Best" and that has helped us pull through this.  I knew that if we could get past the first month, things would get easier.  Just like Elizabeth was first born, I knew that if I could get through that first month that things would get easier.  And just like with a child as you celebrate any of their birthdays, you look back in amasement at those first few months and are thankful that you some how survived it. Same thing with Type 1.

Don't get me wrong, T1D is a horrible disease.  It makes my skin craw just thinking that any child's immune system can attack their body while you have no idea that it's going on and even if you did, you are absolutely helpless to stop it.  At the same time, as we have learned to cope with it, I am thankful for T1D and that it wasn't something else, something that would not allow us to bring her home from the hospital. 

One of the wonderful moms from TheMomPack said a few words of encouragement that have stuck with me... "It seems like most Diabetics are overachievers".  As I see more and more people who have T1D, I believe that this is the case!  People who do not let this disease control them, but control the disease.  And that is my wish for Elizabeth, is that she learns to control this disease, turn the tables on it, and put it to good use.  I loved seeing so many of the nurses at Childrens who were Type 1s working with the newly diagnosed. This was comforting to see that it never slowed them down and that they are using their experience to help us newbies, not just going from second hand knowledge from a textbook at nursing school. 

I hate calling Ellee a Diabetic.  First and foremost, she is Elizabeth! Period... Plain and simple... Elizabeth!  Then secondly, just like a little side note in a book, she has diabetes.    But Ellee is so strong, easy going, and has done the best of taking this in stride.  She no longer fights us at meal times or complains when we tell her to check her sugar for what ever reason.  Occasionally she'll complain that the shot hurts, but as soon as we are done, she has already moved on and is back to playing.  My hope for her is that she continues on like this.  That she doesn't let it slow her down and that she continues to control the diabetes, not let the diabetes control her.