Today is the day our website finally launches and I couldn't be more excited! I've been working on our website and our support network "Maddy's Network" since May (almost 6 months ago) when we found out Madison had Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 12 months old.
She is now 18 months old and is doing amazingly well. She's a tough kid for sure. I'm amazed by her strength everyday but still can't help but wish it were me and not her.
The truth is I was angry in the beginning, I understood completely how people that had gone through horrible experiences lost their faith and I definitely lost mine. Those first few weeks I was full of hate, anger and pain but I learned quickly that I had to let that go if my daughter was ever going to have a chance at a happy life. Those feelings aside, my first instinct was to find her a cure, I mean how hard could it be?
To make a long story short (and I will go into greater detail of our journey in segments on this blog) I am surprised by how much we have grown as a family in 6 short months. We are different people today than we were then. The amount of knowledge I've gained has been incredibly valuable to my daughter's health and hopefully I can share that information and my resources here with you to help you find your way.
Some days it seemed like we would never feel normal or laugh again, there was not much light at the end this tunnel and my husband and I were lost. We were still just learning to be parents to our first child we couldn't fathom having to give her injections and blood glucose tests. We often joked before her diagnosis that we were surprised we had managed to keep her alive as well as bathed, fed and well dressed as long as we did, we thought she was so fragile. This Diabetes thing was a real life or death situation, it was up to us to learn how to manage this disease based on a 1 hour hospital crash course and a few books and still manage our everyday struggles of life and parenting.
Knowing that her blood sugar could drop in the middle of the night while I was sleeping and she could go into a coma or die terrified me, I didn't sleep the first 3 months. I tested her every two hours, it was so unpredictable and unmanageable at first. Then one day it just got easier.
I started focusing on why this happened to us and what we were supposed to learn from it. I knew that there had to be other Mom's like me going through this searching for answers and alternatives and I knew that there were other Moms like I was in the beginning, completely lost with nowhere to turn. I networked with everyone I could find online I traveled to multiple Naturopaths, Nutritionists and Endocrinologists and I found that there was an alternative to insulin injections. More on this later.
My point is that it is always terrifying to feel out of control when it comes to your child's life and health but there are ways you can regain control. Most importantly you have to stay positive, remember this is a lesson, we are here to help each other through, you are not alone in this fight and it is a fight we will one day win. Until then we'll continue to search for the answers, the cause and the cure and try to educate the people who think we just fed our kids too much cake.
Thank you for your blog. My daughter was diagnosed ten months ago and the emotions that you describe are the same ones we have been through at our home. Though your daughter is a toddler, my pumpkin is six, I will be an avid reader of your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteHello maddy's mom.
ReplyDeleteWell, I can honestly say that I know very well how you fell. When I was five yrs old, my two year old brother was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The news obviously affected both my parents, personally I think I was affected a bit more. Everything changed completely. We had no knowledge of such illness, it was extremely difficult to adapt to new eating habits, the constant shots, but mainly to accept the idea that this was really happening to Andy. My mom admits to us now that for a very long time, shed rather stay home and avoid all the questions and comments she'd receive from people, even family members. I honestly don't know what else to say. I mean, you'd probably be more glad to read that my brother Andy turned 17 last week. I am turning 19 next month, and as his older sister, it has been extremely difficult to overcome..everything. I mean, its been though, but it has been done. Andy has maintained his life as normal as possible. He's the strongest person I know. Until we get answers, the cause and the cure, I'm glad enough to know that Type 1 Diabetes can be controlled and that these kids can stay with us for a very long time if diagnosed and treated.
I definetly understand what you mean and feel. instead of starting off sharing my story and experinces, id like to let you know something that might make you feel a lot better. When I was almost five years old, my younger brother Andy was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, he was 2. Andy turned 17 last week and he is honestly the strongest person I know!. Until we find answers, the cause and the cure, I am glad to know that this illness can be controlled and we can keep our loved ones around for many, many years living as normal as possible.
ReplyDeleteClaudia: Thank you for following my blog. Please feel free to contact me privately if you ever want to talk. Hang in there and please join Maddy's Community www.maddyshope.com and keep me posted on how you and your family are coping! BIG HUGS!
ReplyDeleteYamileth: Thank you for your encouragement! Everytime I meet someone with Type1 or a family member that tells me how it doesn't hold them back in the least it gives me hope. I hope that we will soon have Madison's diabetes "controlled" because she is so small and is not on a pump it has been unpredictable and frightening to say the least but each day brings us closer to better management, understanding and answers to all of this! :)