Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Diabetes in the Capital!

The small young girl, looked younger in the face than her height might make you assume. I was pale and shaky and maybe I even cried a little. I wasn't sure about these feelings, they were still new and unfamiliar territory. I did know what they meant though,
 "Mom I think I am low."  The busy capital building was buzzing with people.
 " Are you sure honey?" she questioned "lets check it real quick"
The meter red back a lovely 60. The intern giving us a tour left to find some candy and came back with a box of milk duds and smarties. I swallowed them and my grandfather carried me around the capital for about thirty  minutes. It did take a while for that sugar to come up and then it dropped again that day and my grandmother tried to bring it up with a fourth of a chocolate bar. I don't remember that working real well.

     I remember my first trip with diabetes clearly. And only a few incident that called for emergency care (aka lows but not severe). I went to Washington D.C. with my mom and grandparents; the original plan had been without my mom but I was only diagnosed three months before the trip so she came too. My grandparents weren't and still aren't very well versed in the care for a child with diabetes so it was a life saver that my mom came. Their trip required tons of walking and riding on the bus or taxi, some days we would walk several blocks without stopping for food. My mom of course had plenty of stuff to take care of me but I was still on my strict diabetic diet and had to eat at certain times, one bus tour lasted all night and interfered with my dinner time causing me to go low and no where to stop and rest till it came up. But overall I just remember how much I loved the Smithsonian museum, seeing the monuments and my first plane trip. I don't remember the shots, checking constantly, and being forced to eat thirty carbs for a midnight snack when all I wanted to do is sleep. I remember my papa giving me my first pair of wings and the freezing temperatures at Arlington cemetery but not my mothers constant concerns of my well being. Diabetes might seem overwhelming at times and yes some of the lows, highs, and strange foods might stick out but we will always have the surrounding memories. I was only nine so maybe the thought that I could die from this disease never crossed my mind.
     Diabetes isn't your life, memories, thoughts, and dreams; it is just something you have to squeeze into it all because eventually POD'S (Parents Of Diabetics) we(pwd's) will have our lives, memories, thoughts, and dreams but not diabetes.And those things like that trip to D.C. soon after diagnosis will be things you can smile at. Me and mom still laugh at the way my mom gave me a fourth of a candy bar to bring up a forty blood sugar. Oh the early days....

Soon I will be posting my first vlog! 

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