It’s been one year. This time last year we were driving to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, scared out of our minds, not knowing what “she probably has Type 1 Diabetes” meant for our sweet daughter, or how this would change all of our lives.  With all I know about diabetes now, I feel extremely lucky looking back on this day last year.  I feel lucky that we were paying attention to her and not dismissing her symptoms.  I feel lucky that she wasn’t in DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis), in a coma in the ICU for days, or worse, much worse.

When I start feeling sorry for our family, I tell myself to be grateful, after all, it could ALWAYS be worse.  But to get real and put it bluntly, Type 1 Diabetes sucks.  Amelia will never be able to put a bite of food in her mouth without thinking about how it’s going to make her feel, how many carbs it is, or how much insulin she needs so she doesn’t feel like absolute crap.  She will always have to make sure to eat a few carbs before she goes to sleep so she doesn’t have dangerously low hypoglycemia.  We think about diabetes every single hour of every single day.  It never stops.  I think that’s the hardest part of a chronic disease, right?  It NEVER. STOPS.  There are NO breaks.  It’s exhausting.  And if you DO stop being diligent and aware, you end up in DKA with the potential to leave this earth, or your blood sugar goes so low that your brain is damaged and you never wake up.  It’s literally a life or death situation, every single day.  Is it manageable?  YES, thank GOD.  Just 40 some years ago, personal glucometers, the devices used to test blood sugar with a finger prick of blood, didn’t even exist. People had to test their urine for ketones and basically guess if they were high or low.  We are lucky to live in a time when a diabetes diagnosis is not a death sentence.  

I must brag on our girl though.  Every parent is proud, I know that, but we are exponentially proud of Amelia.  This last year she has adapted to her new normal almost flawlessly.  Have there been hard times?  Yes times a hundred, but she is responsible, conscientious and rarely throws herself a pity party. It doesn’t define her, but diabetes is part of who she is and she isn’t afraid to teach others about the disease. I hope we are teaching her that she can and will lead a long, healthy life because she is fully conscious of her body, what fuels it and how she is affected by food, exercise, stress, sickness and more.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if anyone is able to deal with this lifelong disease, it’s Amelia.  She is the most special of the special, truly a gift. As cliche as it sounds, everything happens for a reason.  Even if we don’t know what that is, we still have to believe our situation is for the greater good in some way.

One thing I have learned, well, I’ve learned a million things, but one very important aspect of living with diabetes is “support."  Without it, it’s really really hard to thrive with the disease. Support comes from all directions… from parents to siblings to grandparents to friends to teachers to the doctors.  We all, you guys included, are an integral part of a successful journey.  We can’t thank you enough for loving and supporting our family!  Thank you for learning about diabetes as well, because knowing the signs and speaking up could literally save someone’s life one day.

Happy “Diaversary” Amelia!  You’ve totally rocked the last year and I know you’ll continue to be awesome, always!  We are so thankful for you!

To learn a little more about Type 1 Diabetes and the warning signs, please hop over HERE. You could save someone’s life!