Test strips, shots, and lots of attitude (the life of a Type 1 Diabetic)

With November being Diabetes awareness month, I thought I would share some of our journey with Type 1 diabetes. Many have called Type 1 Diabetes Juvenile or Insulin dependant diabetes.  It is different that Type 2 diabetes which gets mentioned tons in the news and on TV.  There is a big difference. Type 1 is not curable, it isn't because they ate too much sugar or are overweight, it has nothing to do with lifestyle.  Type 1 is an autoimmune disorder, which means the body's immune system attacked the pancreas and killed off the Beta Cells which produce insulin.  Most commonly it happens in families, but not always.  In our family there is no Type 1 diabetics but there are other autoimmune disorders like Celiac Disease, psoriasis, and others.

This was a few days later as she
was starting to feel better and
 got to go play in the playroom.

This was when she was first
 in Arkansas Children's
Hospital, she still felt bad and
 was swollen from the
first bit of insulin.

My daughter Sophie was diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes when she was 3yrs old.  As a matter of fact she was diagnosed on April 8, 2012. Which was Easter that year and also John and I's 10th wedding anniversary.  Well everybody wants to remember their 10th anniversary and it is guaranteed I will never forget it. One of the hardest things in my life was watching the helicopter take off with my daughter in it heading for Arkansas Children's Hospital.   She stayed in the hospital to stabilize her and diabetic education for 5 days.  Mom and Dad had to learn about diet, exercise, and how to give shots.  At first she was angry, she didn't understand why she had to have so many shots.  This was all hard to explain to a 3 yr old.  Play therapy helped her a lot with that, although she still had her moments. We kept saying, at least this will be all she knows, she won't remember life before.

Sophie's  first soccer game

Fast forward almost 5 years, Sophie is doing fine.  She is in second grade and thriving.  She even played soccer this year.  She runs and plays, has birthday cake, jumps on the trampoline, and acts like every other kid.  She goes to school and church activities.  She played soccer this year.  She really loved playing with the other kids. She had to have her bow in her hair and her ribbons on her shirt.  She also had hot pink soccer cleats. There is only one difference she has to check her blood sugar and get shots.

 I tell her all the time there is nothing she can't do.  Every time I hear of an actor, musician, pro athlete, or high powered professional with Type 1 diabetes we talk about it.  If you know of any let us know in the comments.   We still have our ups and downs, but for the most part she is just like any other kid.

This represents the finger sticks and
shots per day.

I thought I would give you a idea of her day.  Sophie wakes up at 6:45am every morning and checks her blood sugar.  Then eats her breakfast and gets a shot of insulin calculated to counteract the carbs (not sugar) in her food. Then about 10 am we check her sugar again and she may need a snack.  At lunch she checks her sugar again then eats lunch.  When she is done at lunch you guessed it another shot of insulin.  She checks her sugar when she gets home from school and has a snack.  At dinner she checks her sugar again, eats, and has a shot of insulin.  One final time at bed time, she checks her sugar, possibly a snack because she can't go to sleep unless her sugar is at least 125, then she gets a shot of her long acting insulin which is different from the one she gets at meals.  If she is sick or had a day of ups or downs I get up and check her check her sugar to make sure she is okay at 2 am.  Then we repeat the next morning.  She does this everyday for the rest of her life.  Insulin isn't a medicine it is life support.

So if you counted, that is a minimum of 4 shots a day and 7 finger sticks a day.  Many people are afraid of needles and many more are just nervous about shots and needles.  Think about  what Sophie or any type 1 diabetic endures in a day, week, month, year, or lifetime.   Just like the picture says, She is my super hero. She is extremely strong and awesomely brave.  She is a super hero!!!!  Just like all Type 1 Diabetics.