08 May Through the Eyes of a Type 1 Mom
Stephanie Wiegand - Archer's Mom
The past few months have been a whirlwind, but I have learned so many things. One of the most important things is to always trust your gut. Since late fall, something had been off with my 7-year-old, Archer. While I couldn’t exactly pinpoint it, we did notice he was drinking a lot of water and using the bathroom frequently. A few people mentioned how tall and skinny he was getting. Not unusual, but all those things together set off alarm bells for me. I made an appointment with Archer’s pediatrician in January. It turns out my worries were justified. At his appointment, Archer had large ketones and his blood glucose was just reading “high.” We were sent directly to the ER and then transported by ambulance to Toledo ProMedica Children’s Hospital where Archer was officially diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Since then, there have been a lot of doctors, nurses, finger pokes, insulin shots, tears, and questions. But there have also been a lot of smiles, kind words, encouragement, hugs, sweet gifts, amazing support, laughter, and love. We have an incredible team helping us figure out our new normal and we are so lucky to have each other, too. As a mom, I have found a new purpose in educating others about diabetes and appropriate care, as well as making fun things to help make our lives a little easier and give myself a creative outlet. Archer is also a great advocate for himself and is helping others learn about diabetes as he navigates his own journey. There is never a dull moment and we have definitely learned that once you get used to something with diabetes, it will change. We are taking it day by day and are doing our best as we start our diabetes warrior era!
Danielle Walker - Gage's Mom
As a Type 1 Diabetic myself, my biggest fear has always been that one of my children would have it also. Unfortunately, that fear came true on September 16, 2023. Gage, my 10-year-old son, was showing all the signs. Excessive thirst, increased urination, and fatigue. A visit to urgent care because of course, it happened on a weekend, determined Gage was most likely a Type 1 Diabetic. We consider ourselves lucky because due to our experience and knowledge of type 1, we were able to catch it early. Gage spent three nights in the hospital while we got his blood sugars back under control and learned all about our new normal which consisted of a lot of sleepless nights, worry, and injections. Upon release from the hospital, Gage was put on a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), which allowed us to monitor his blood sugars without having to do a finger poke. This put us at ease a little because now we could see what his blood sugar was by following him on our phones. All-in-all, Gage has been a rockstar! He has taken everything in stride and is great at making sure he’s checking his numbers and counting his carbs. Although it’s been a big change and adjustment for our family, we are thankful for the devices and medications that allow him to live life almost as normally as non-T1D kids. The greatest impact this has had on me as Gage’s mom has been the emotions I’ve had during this process. Watching my son grow up so fast because he is forced to think about his health and his choices at 10 years old has been heartbreaking. I have had many sleepless nights watching his numbers and have been jolted out of bed by low alarms. I have tried to take on all the burdens, but this disease requires the child to be responsible as well. I feel all the emotions. Stress, worry, exhaustion, but most importantly PRIDE!
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