D-Day

April 21, 2010 - Ellee's one year anniversary from her diagnosis date.  I know it sounds odd to celebrate it, but I've heard of others doing just this and I think that it's a pretty good idea!  We have to celebrate the small victories, and one big victory - that we still have our Ellee!!! A year ago, two hospitals and an ambulance ride later, we still have our Ellee!!!

Our nightly ritual is to try to read at least one book before the girls go to bed.  Some times it gets too late and we don't have time, and other nights we'll read for an hour!  Thursday night Dani had fell asleep so it was just El and I to read.  We crawled into my bed and chatted for a little bit before I started the book.  I was pretty emotional, for many reasons, this week.  While I usually try not to cry around the girls, some times I can't help it!  Monday was 11 years since my grandpa passed away, Tuesday was Ellee's 5th birthday (wow, 5 years!), and Wednesday was her 1 year diagnosis day.  With all of that, on Thursday night as Ellee and I laid in bed, I told her "you know, you've had diabetes for a whole year now!  I am so proud of you for being so strong and cooperating so well!  I really appreciate that you handle this as well as you do!"  I started to tear up and couldn't say anything else, but she got this big smile on her face and shook her head yes (like she does when she gets really excited about something).  It brought a huge smile to my face, I said thank you and she gave me a great big hug! 

That is what is so amazing about all of this... she is such a strong person and has taken it all in stride and not let any of it phase her!  Why can't everyone be like that?!  It's funny that most people look up to an older person to model themselves off of, but after living with and seeing other Type 1 kids, I admire them so much!  Sure, I still have to fight her every once in a while to do a shot, or she doesn't like that I make her do a leg instead of an arm, but she's over it very quickly! 

Things we've learned in the past year:
1.  Type 1 Diabetes is still kind of a tabo thing, but many, many people have it and get it.
2.  After Ellee's diagnosis, I am finding that more and more people I know have it and I didn't even realize it.
3.  The cause of T1D is unknown, but learning the symptoms of it for early detection are important.
4.  Getting the word out can help others, 2 other people close to us have been diagnosed since, and the one has credited us with helping her get her son to the hospital as early as she did!
5.  This disease sucks!  And while the first couple of months are rough, even horrible, things do get better.
6.  Younger siblings do get jealous of the attention, and are often very curious of all the supplies!
7.  A younger sibling will always want to check their sugar too, and usually at an in-opportune time!
8.  There are terms associated with T1D that when said out in public can raise eyebrows (see this post!)
9.  You find yourself saying things with out thinking and realize that never in a million years you'd ever think that you'd be saying it to your child, let alone a 4 year old, such as "Lets do shots!" or "come on and poke yourself, your meter's running!"
10.  Kids are very resilient. As an adult, you can't imagine giving yourself a shot, let along multiple times a day, yet these kids do it 3-5 times a day and think nothing of it!

The biggest thing that I've learned from all of this, and the thing that I think has pulled us through all of this the most is that we have to control the T1D, not let it control us!  I'm very proud of how well we are doing in this aspect!  It is a few extra steps we have to take in our lives.  One day I hope that Isolet Transplants will come to the fore-front so that these kids get relief. Knowing how strong as these kids are, I believe that they will push and strive for it, even if they are the ones who go into the medical field and develop it themselves!

Happy D-Day Ellee!!!