I remember being so very scared. Not really understanding what we were up against. She was the bravest of brave. Immediately started doing her own shots, pricking her own finger. Never, and I mean never, complaining once.
It hasn't been an easy road for her. Low blood sugar, high blood sugar, sometimes a very scary roller coaster of ups and downs. She deals with this all daily, taking it in stride.
My two other children run to get her juice when she's low, or grab her meter for her when she needs to take insulin. They both know how to give her a shot of glucagon is she ever passed out from low blood sugar. In a sense it is a family disease. She knows we always have her back.
Six months after diagnosis, we were at a class to learn how to use an insulin pump. The instructor had this picture hanging on her wall. This is a picture of a child with Type 1 diabetes right around the time insulin was discovered. The look on the mothers face says it all. This child was dying. The picture on the right is the same child after insulin. I wish there was an after picture of the mom. I'm sure it would clearly show relief, gratitude, and joy that she has her little boy around when only months before he would have died.
I, like that mother, am so grateful for insulin. I am forever grateful to Dr. Frederick Banting. Without him, I wouldn't have my daughter now. Today we celebrate her life!
If you have a few minutes, please read this blog. It is one of the most touching and well written tributes to Dr. Banting I've ever read. Even if you don't have a child with diabetes, I think you'll be touched by the beauty of this post:
meeting-in-absentia
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Left untreated, this is a very serious, life threatening disease. Most people are admitted to the hospital at diagnosis with Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) which can lead to coma and then death. So please never brush off these symptoms. A person does not have to have all of them.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes:
Increased thirst and frequent urination
Extreme hunger
Weight loss
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Sweet smelling breath
