Type 1 Diabetes surprised our family one summer. Within hours of diagnosis, we realized life permanently and dramatically changed. We desperately needed a plan to set in motion.
Our family needed HOPE!
Research began immediately on everything! Information overload quickly overwhelmed our brains. Within two hours, life as we knew it had changed. We quickly understood that a Type 1 diagnosis meant we needed new systems to manage life more easily.
- Learning new ways to think about food, much less actually preparing it!
- Managing time with brand new considerations
- Rethinking basic needs like sleep and food
- Embracing a new reality…even if it meant tears and frustration
- Learning to analyze carb counts, fiber, proteins and fats
Our family needed JOY!
Keeping the fun of childhood and family life despite dealing with a chronic illness became the new goal!
- Finding food free ways to celebrate with silly decorations
- Adapting traditional food centered celebrations into new ways to celebrate
- Crafting and playing our way through the holidays
- Seeking joy in the midst of a normal day with diabetes
Why us?
With no prior history of Type 1 Diabetes anywhere in our family trees, we truly had no idea where to begin in tackling this T1D monster in our midst. Terrified in PICU, overwhelmed with new lingo, mathematic problems before every bite, the mental toil of dealing with the emotions of the whole family, the newfound fear of sleep: things never considered gained importance in ways we never imagined!
What was the truth our family faced? We may never know why Type One entered our life. A new reality simply began. As we looked through the past, we noticed hints that seemed insignificant at the time but revealed the diagnosis that had loomed in our future. Whether prepared or not, a new way of life and a new diabetic was born in the pediatric emergency room of the nearest children’s hospital.
Why not us?
The reasons didn’t really matter at all. As professional educators, research and learning to educate ourselves and others was already a passion. Now, a new research project spun into our minds, and it was the most important project our family ever pursued. The results multiplied daily! Our studies created new ways of dealing with old habits, gave us new ideas to try, enabled hope for life moving forward, and even helped rule out suggestions that we knew would not fit with our family’s lifestyle.
Because of our natural tendency to teach, discussions led to more questions and extra nights surfing the internet for the information to make informed decisions. Sometimes these questions and decisions even baffled our diabetic counselors, and we dutifully reported our successes and failures to members of this new diabetic family to which we now belonged.
Suddenly…
Our new knowledge began to benefit those around us as well. As we dove into food research and sought new answers, the knowledge we acquired began to help some family members with Type 2 diabetes. Simple hacks to keep blood sugar stable proved effective for weight maintenance and other issues that people we care about found in their own lives. Understanding the basics of blood sugar regulation helped us improve the health of our entire family!
Another friend experienced hypoglycemia without a diabetic diagnosis. Learning how to balance Milly’s blood sugar levels revealed some interesting information about how to prevent some of those pesky lows. A brother suddenly told to reduce carbs asked for advice. A sister wondered how she could eat low carb AND regular carb while reducing cholesterol. The questions kept coming.
Sweet T1D is our continuing journal as our family adapts to life with Type 1 Diabetes and all the things that work for us along the way. The only thing certain about life with diabetes is that each day will have moments of uncertainty, but we can grow and learn together. Every day we choose to balance the highs and lows of life together!
Welcome to our adventure!
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