Where are you in your journey?

[Judy&Alli]

There are lots of new faces on cwd. It pains me when I read an introduction, to remember how it was early on living with diabetes. So I thought I would start a thread of hope for all newcomers to see that life is good even with d.

When Alli was first dx'd I was a lunatic. I used to set the kitchen timer every two hours to either check her, feed her, or give insulin. I could never relax.

Fast forward to today and my life does not even resemble those early days. Alli is a typical tweener with all the sassiness that goes with that. Why is that good? Because I can look at her without seeing d. She can wake up and I am again glad to see "HER", not d. It is not the first thing that comes out of my mouth anymore, that took training but it is nice. She is wonderfully healthy and I thank God for that everyday!!!!! She leaves the house to play with friends and I haven't self combusted. I actually enjoy seeing her be like the rest of the kids.

I love to celebrate her dx day. I know for most it isn't like that. But for me it is a celebration. I have read too many stories with not so favorable outcomes, and I am glad that she got the proper dx. I am not glad that she has d mind you, but glad that she is alive!!!!!!!!!!!! So dx day in our house is a celebration of life, her beautiful life!!!!

We still have bad days that I curse d, but those are few and far between now. Life is good even with d hanging around;)

D is now a footnote, nothing more. We won't give it more than that. It does not define her, and we will never again let it consume us!!!!

So to all you newbies big hugs!!!! It will get better I promise!!!

[Lee]

I second that - it DOES get better! You stop freaking out about a 60 or a 210 - you stop worrying about going a carb or two over or under - you stop blaming yourself - you stop looking for something to place the blame on...in other words - you accept! You accept that this is - as of right now - a lifelong disease - it can be a battle and it sucks - and you accept that a number is a number- and you accept that you did not cause this disease...and once you accept - well, then your life is just a brand new normal...

[Mom2Deacon]

Thank you for this thread Judy.

I, too, most often see D as a footnote with Deacon. There are the days following a scary low that it is not a foot note, but I get past them and D fades into the background once more. Right now, D is center stage with the pump training and calibrating everything. I know that slowly and surely it will fade into the background once more waiting to become the star of the show when I least expect it or want it.

Deacon seems to be at peace with the diabetes but I think that is because he was diagnosed at such an early age that he doesn't know any different. His brothers accepting him and not making a fuss about the D also helps.

It does get better after the initial shock in the beginning and life does go on.

--Sara

[Nancy in VA]

I can remember wondering how I would get through after Emma was diagnosed. And then when I talk to a new diagnosis, I'm reminded of how far I've come. What seems so natural for me, is so foreign and confusing for a new diagnosis.

Most days, I'm pretty calm about management - I just take it and go with it. I was reminded of that recently when speaking with another mother - a mother of a teen with a pump. She was venting about how they had so much trouble on vacation with her grazing and they were already struggling with puberty issues, and teenage issues - and the mother was beating herself up over the numbers for the week. I told her that sometimes she needs a vacation for diabetes too - that its ok to just keep them out of the stratsphere and let them be kids for a little while - and enjoy them just being kids and not being a number.

I couldn't say that when I first started (and there are some days I don't feel like that)

Reaching the point of not letting diabetes kick your butt on a regular basis is a hard place to reach.

[RosemaryCinNJ]

Amanda has had type 1 since she was 13 mos old..she is now 3..In the begining I was a mess..I didnt know ANYTHING about type 1 let alone taking care of a baby with it..I was on information overload..It does get easier, but I feel it is always changing as she gets older and grows..(it is)..but I am more relaxed and it is a routine for her and for me. This is all Amanda will know. She wont remember life before Dx..
I dont celebrate her dx day..that day was horrible..she almost died.
But yes it does get better..in a strange way..and thank goodness for this site or I would of been in the looney bin...:)

[Illinifan]

Pffftttt...this diabetes thing is a piece of cake. :cool:

I only hang out here for the political discussions. :rolleyes:

[Beach bum]

Well said Judy!

Abby was diagnosed 4 years ago, so it's been a long time for us, and it's easy to forget those early days. But important to stress to new families, that it does get better, we learn to live our new normal.

[susan]

It's amazing how far we've come in 3 years...Most days I am pretty calm about all of it, I have forgotten to check him before he ate once or twice because I got caught up in feeding everyone that it just slipped my mind..In the beginning I would have freaked out but now not so much..Of course I do have my days where I want to cry because he has to go through all of this but they are fewer than before..

[StillMamamia]

Perfect Judy!

In our LIFE journey with D tagging along;), we have let our boy go on an all-day field trip to another country, we have let him sleep overnight at school, we have survived trips to the pool, we have gone on long-car trips (which included getting blocked in the middle of the highway and having BGs in the 500s:eek:, and having to do an injection, while stuck in traffic (mind you, DH was driving, and I did the injection)), and going out to the restaurant many times.

Life has continued for us. The "stillness of time" felt at dx and the early months is no longer.

[Judy&Alli]

Life has continued for us. The "stillness of time" felt at dx and the early months is no longer.

I love this Paula!!!!

[Christopher]

Nice thread, Judy. I hope it brings some comfort to those who are newly dx. :cwds:

[StillMamamia]

I love this Paula!!!!

Thank you:cwds:
If you read my blog, it's the title of the post about dx day, "The Stillness of Time".

[Emmas Mom]

Thanks for this post!

We are 4 months in with a 14 month old so barely just beginning the journey. However, I'm surprised how well the whole family has adjusted to the 'new normal'. In my opinion the settling in greatly has to do with the pump -- there just aren't many swings anymore so I'm not consumed and anxious all the time. Sure counting carbs, bg checks, site changes, and seeing your baby attached to a machine is far from normal, however, we just live day-to-day as if it is. This will be changing in a few weeks though because I'm going back to work and have to relinquish the daytime care and that's causing quite a bit of stress, however, I have faith that in time that will also be normal and we will continue on along the journey.

Where I still have issues is I don't think a day has gone by that I don't re-live the day she was diagnosed and how close we came to losing her. I replay that day and the couple days following over and over again in my head. It doesn't consume me but it is always with me. I guess I kinda understand post traumatic stress syndrome to a degree. I'm thinking in time those memories will also fade but for now I am just so thankful to have her here that doing the day-to-day d care is part of the reward for having her with us and for that I am eternally grateful.

[Judy&Alli]

I dont celebrate her dx day..that day was horrible..she almost died.


I hear ya, Alli wasn't in dka and that is probably why it is easier for me to celebrate it:cwds: At the time of Alli's dx I would have said it was the worse day of my life. A very dark, sad, and scary place. Now I look at is thank God her pedi caught it early, Thank God I took her in, Thank God she is alive! And so we celebrate her life, not her dx day if that makes sense. Not to discount what you or many others went through. Big hugs to all of you that had an experience like Rosemary, and little Amanda.

[sam1nat2]

Our dx was so different that I really didn't get too upset over it.
Sam wasn't sick, hadn't yet had any symptoms and wasn't hospitalized.
I had known FIL for years who also is type 1, so we just went with it.

I'm pretty relaxed about things now---I was then too, but at that point it was a case of ignorance is bliss.

We're over 3 years in to this and have only had ketones of .9 once which went away within the hour, never have had to use glucagon either.

[Tigerlilly's mom]

Really great thread Judy!

Where are we in our journey? We are where diabetes just is, it doesn't change our plans, it doesn't factor in decisions of whether Tyler can or cannot do something. Diabetes is just another part of who Tyler is, it isn't a bad part or a good part, it is just a part of him. We have accepted diabetes into our lives and I think once you accept it then you can be at peace with it.

[Tresstonsmom]

Oh Judy...I needed this thread today...

Today...we are a little over 21 months into this life...D included. I was a total basket case when I got the call at work form the Peds., but I'm still alive..and so is Tresston. Tresston is a Tweener...and a smart mouth to boot...:rolleyes: BUT....he is more than that...he is a very dedicated basketball player at school (He wouldn't let D come in the way of that for NOTHING), he is a beginner with Track at school (D didn't slow him down there), and he is a great kid.
I survived the countless sleepless nights, yup I have more gray hairs....but Ms. Clariol #42 takes care of that monthly;), and I am strong now than i was before D came into our lives. I can say as a mom....D has made me open my eyes more. I realize that yes...life is short....But I'm sure as heck not gonna let a little speed bump like D stop my family from enjoying it. Do I still have days that I hate D for being here....yup....but I am too busy to dwell on it. I know in time....I will get to the "no-stress too much phase", cause I see the mom's on here that are there....just give me time..:)

[Connie(BC)Type 1]

I've been diabetic since the early 70's, pretty much on my own(moved out) in 1977. I'm 50 now, in my 51st year and as healthy as can be. Diabetes has never stopped me from anything. I was on MDI from the beginning and never on a schedule.(mum never believed in that with 5 kids each going their own way) Mum has truly had nothing to do with my diabetes since I left home, nor does she worry about it. She knows she taught me right. She doesn't understand the MMOL numbers.
I've been on a pump since 1998 and would never go back to shots. I very occasionally use the CGMS, I don't trust it but use it as a guide, when my body decides to do it's own thing. Like when I started Menopause at xmas. I might wear it 1x every couple of months now.

Diabetes doesn't depress me or hold me back, I just deal with it. It does worry my husband more, but that's because he's a worrier!

[Mom2Kathy]

Where are we in our journey? We are where diabetes just is, it doesn't change our plans, it doesn't factor in decisions of whether Tyler can or cannot do something. Diabetes is just another part of who Tyler is, it isn't a bad part or a good part, it is just a part of him. We have accepted diabetes into our lives and I think once you accept it then you can be at peace with it.

Amen! My thoughts exactly! :)

[grantsmom]

I agree that is does get a lot easier and just seems second nature at times now. My son has had D for 16 months.

I still have bad days...but they are few and far between.

I encourage all "newbees" to post ANY question here. I posted a lot of simple (maybe boardline stupid) questions here and have always received supportive and informative answers.

This board has been my life line.....;)

[Illinifan]

Since my last comment didn't generate a response, I'll repeat what we've said about Zach since his dx:

Zach's diabetes is the least interesting thing about him.

There is no diabetes journey for us. There's life. We live it to the fullest we can. We laugh, we cry, we argue, we make up...just like everyone else.

[Tigerlilly's mom]

Zach's diabetes is the least interesting thing about him.




I really like this quote and may have borrow it on occasion;)

[StillMamamia]

Since my last comment didn't generate a response, I'll repeat what we've said about Zach since his dx:

Zach's diabetes is the least interesting thing about him.

There is no diabetes journey for us. There's life. We live it to the fullest we can. We laugh, we cry, we argue, we make up...just like everyone else.


Actually your last post left me a bit, hmmm, :confused:
I wasn't sure if you were being ironic, in stating that D is a piece of cake, in a thread geared to "provide hope" for the newbies on board and maybe you felt we were all being overlly optimistic, or if you really meant it is really not a big deal in the greater scheme of things.

Glad you sorted this out.

Goes to show you that tone is highly misunderstood around here.

[Becky Stevens mom]

I really do feel comfortable with d these days and Steven does too. In the beginning I was very obsessive about every stinkin thing, measuring out Teddy Grahams (oops cant give you an extra!:rolleyes:) Now Im more like " Yep looks good from my house" and Steven's A1Cs are still under 7.5 he's still enjoying life having a great time. All of us are on the same journey in here, up that mountain, at the top lies the cure for d. Those of us further up reach back and give a hand to the ones following further down. When we all get to the top we will turn around and throw all that cr** over the side!!!!!!

[sisterbeth43]

Reann just had her 11th anniversary of dx day. She is off at a Youth Leadership Forum for disabled teens and young adults (she is a counselor there). She was just about to start 8th grade when she was dx'd, and she played volleyball, basketball, and softball all with D. She didn't let it run her life, but accomadated D into her lifestyle. She is now a college grad and is married. She is hoping to start a family in a few years. Yes, she was near death when she was dx'd and also 600 miles away from me, but she is alive now and doing very well. I think D was just an inconvenience to her most of the time. And as was said before, "D is the least interesting thing about her."

[Becky Stevens mom]

Since my last comment didn't generate a response, I'll repeat what we've said about Zach since his dx:

Zach's diabetes is the least interesting thing about him.

There is no diabetes journey for us. There's life. We live it to the fullest we can. We laugh, we cry, we argue, we make up...just like everyone else.

Sorry Brian I missed this post, hope you dont mind if I use it too. Steven is not a diabetic but a person who happens to have diabetes like Im a person who needs to wear glasses. Steven and Zach and all our kids are so much more than diabetes

[bisous]

When DS was first diagnosed, I never cracked or cried even a tear. I still don't understand exactly why. My mother and husband cried like babies. Not that diagnosis wasn't difficult or all consuming but that I finally felt like I understood what was going on with DS and I was so happy to have answers and protocols and doctors who could help us and make it better. I will never forget the CDE that portrayed such a positive message for us. I'm so grateful for it.

That said, three years later D management is "easier" and less stressful in some respects but I also have moments where the true sadness of diagnosis comes through in pieces for almost the first time. I'm grateful to take the small pieces though having never had an overwhelming crash. I mostly feel a great sense of gratitude for where we are now, I feel luck that DS survived and was such a happy little camper at the hospital. I also feel like I can do anything having gone through an ordeal and I am grateful for that sense of strength that I never sought. I am awed and overwhelmed at DS' courage to face his daily trials with a smile.

I am not sad about D. It just is what it is. I sometimes cry when I consider a cure and what that would mean for our family. I do anticipate and hope for a cure still. But for now we are in a good place and are surprisingly grateful for the journey!

[mrs081608]

Haley was diagnosed 21 months ago. It was the worst day of my life. The doctors told us that they never saw anyone have a bg as high as her that was not in a coma. It took a full day of treatment before her bg would even register at the hospital. Her A1c was over 19. She was in the hospital for a total of 4 days. They also said that they never saw anyone bounce right back the way that Haley did.

The first couple of weeks I was a mess. I did not sleep. I couldn't stop crying and all I could think was that she would never live a normal life. Haley was so strong right from the beginning. She is my hero.

Now her numbers are under control and she is a normal 6 year old little girl. She is always out riding bike and playing with her friends just like all the other children. She plays soccer and is in cheerleading.

We just started the pump this week and everything is going great.

Haley is a wonderful, normal 6 year old girl and has bright future ahead of her. I am so proud of her.

[Ellen]

So.... at diagnosis, I felt medical professionals in the hospital were speaking to me through a cloud/fog - I couldn't comprehend what I needed to learn or frankly wrap my head around the diagnosis. One week after admission, I wasn't ready to take my baby home - how could I do it? I wasn't skilled, or educated in diabetes. In a nutshell, my mental health took a nose dive and the emotional pain for me in 1989 was all encompassing, and I was pregnant. Fast forward to 2009; 20 years since diagnosis of my now 21 year old son. I've never felt more positive, joyous, optimistic, focused, enthused and alive than I do today. My son is thriving - his health is excellent (bli kina hara). I've met some of the most amazing people on the planet as a result of my son having diabetes and I am so grateful to all who paid it forward before me and all the researchers who continue paving a beautiful path for our children's lives. Carpe diem.

[joy orz]

Pffftttt...this diabetes thing is a piece of cake. :cool:

I only hang out here for the political discussions. :rolleyes:

Ha, ha. Thanks for the giggle! :p
(was waiting to read all the threads before replying, but this needed a comment!)

When I first joined the forum the O/T thread didn't exist yet. And I wasn't in the place where I could laugh about diabetes. By nature, I'm a goofy upbeat person, but after 6 months of dealing with D, my friends were worried about me and said that I had lost my sense of humor.

Telling an over worried, stressed to the max and sleep deprived mother of a toddler that she has lost her sense of humor, does not really go over well. Particularly since I had in fact lost my sense of humor. :(

But now I am in a place where I can laugh. I tell funny stories about our daily trials. Here's one.

The other day Ava was high and she wanted a cookie. So I told her that she could have a cookie, but she had to jump on the couch for 10 minutes first. How many of your non D friends bribe their children TO JUMP ON the couch and then give them a cookie for doing it? C'mon it's funny! :D

[staciebco]

Pffftttt...this diabetes thing is a piece of cake. :cool:

I only hang out here for the political discussions. :rolleyes:

Truly, this is a LOL moment! That just cracked me up! :D

Diabetes for us just is. We don't factor it into our decision making about what we can or can't do as a family or what Caleb can or can't do as a kid. Jeff has said many times, in many threads "if Marisa would have been allowed to do it without diabetes, we make a way for her with diabetes." I always thought that was a beautiful sentiment and the way we wanted to live our lives. Sometimes, it takes extra planning, but everything is doable.

I have a great respect for the people on this board. Lots of knowledgeable and kind-hearted folks. I feel privileged to know you and don't take for granted that not for D in our lives our paths would have most likely never have crossed. This is a wonderful place for friendship and support.

[Tresstonsmom]

So.... at diagnosis, I felt medical professionals in the hospital were speaking to me through a cloud/fog - I couldn't comprehend what I needed to learn or frankly wrap my head around the diagnosis. One week after admission, I wasn't ready to take my baby home - how could I do it? I wasn't skilled, or educated in diabetes. In a nutshell, my mental health took a nose dive.....

Ellen this was me a little over 21 months ago....I was so scared to drive away from the hospital....it was 2 hoours from home. And yes, I was a mental basket case....I cried for about a week....but was hiding it from all around me....when I finally broke down to my family...I felt a little better....but never did get any help other than from Dh.....oh well...Tresston, Dh, and I are doing a good job manageing it now.:)

[austin_calebs_mom]

Only being 3 months into this, I am still far from being confident about my ability to care for Caleb 50% of the time. I was so afraid when they told me after his dx and 5 days in the hospital that I could take him home. I was so afraid that I'd mess up and do something to hurt him. I remember that first trip to the grocery store..that's when it really hit me. I cried in the store and didn't care if anyone saw me. Although I'm better now than I was at his dx, I still have to remind myself that I can do this. I just keep telling myself that his life depends on me so much more now than before and that gives me the courage to face things. I have many, many moments where I curse D and wish it had never come into our lives, but I know that there's nothing I can do to change it. We just have to deal with it and move on. All the while thanking that I still have my beautiful little boy here with me.

[Mimi]

This is a great thread. Thank you.

I actually had to count it out to figure out how far into this we are...6 and a half months.

I guess I was a mess for the first month after dx. It was December, leading up to Christmas and the last thing I wanted to do was celebrate anything! Bureaucratic red tape prevented Amanda from getting back to school for a while and it was just her and I at home during the days. I was not a good mommy during that time. :o:( We watched tv all day and I slept off and on on the couch between bg checks. :o I was functioning but I was not there. Once I had my big cry, it was very cathartic and I got on with life again. Catching up to Amanda who was already busy living life.

Now d is just there with us. We have our good days and bad days. My goal is to have Amanda live her life just as my other 3 children do...except we count carbs, finger poke and give insulin. :cwds:

I am truly grateful to have CWD to come and read, learn and share. And I'm following the lead of my biggest hero, Amanda, who amazes me every day.

[Noel]

In our house with a combined total of 42 years of diabetes (Keith 34 years and Aidan 8 years) Diabetes just is.....we don't really know life without it.

This is actually my husbands quote, "It is what you make it". This has been his motto for dealing with D.

When Aidan was asked about his diabetes recently in a little interview he replied, "Diabetes makes me like Daddy. Austin has his hair and I have Diabetes" Austin is a tow head just like my DH was when he was little. It is nice for me to know that Aidan just sees it like that, something that makes him like Dad. He doesn't feel as though he "got it" from Dad just something that they have in common.

Don't get me wrong there are days that it just plain sucks but tomorrow is a new day and we go on. We try not to get wrapped up in making it worse we just carry on with our lives. It just is...

[ScottB]

The very moment the ER Dr informed us that Justin had T1, I accepted the fact and immediately began my search for information. There was no crying, no sobbing, we were stunned to say the least but Sharon and I knew at that very moment that even though life had dealt Justin a bad hand of cards, denial was not an option and we knew that in order to move forward we had to accept it. The first couple months were a bit rough especially for Justin but being he was 16 at the time of dx, Sharon and I as parents had it easy because Justin is very mature for his age and even though it was a very bitter pill for him to swallow, he quickly realized he had to get his head out of his a** in order to move forward.

Justin is now 18, graduated from HS earlier this summer and will be starting college this fall, he has loads of friends and I'm quite sure that if any of you were to meet him you'd like him too because he was and more importantly still is a fun loving person with eyes that are still full of dreams and ambitions. D was no doubt a bump in the road for him but once he figured out what he had to do and realized why he had to do it, he then took it on the chin and simply did and still does what he has to do and D has become just a normal daily routine for him. 18 or not he's still our baby and Sharon and I love him dearly and are extraordinarily proud of him.

[dqmomof3]

Where am I in this journey?

Honestly...I'm angry. It isn't where I want to be, but that's where I am. We are eighteen months in. I am past the crisis stage, past the "how are we going to do this" stage, we're just into doing it. We're at the "diabetes is here to stay" place, and I don't like it.

That just about sums it up.

Hopefully, by the time this thread rolls around again, I'll be in a better place.

[Brensdad]

After 9/11, Oprah talked about the "new normal." I guess that's where we are, but everytime Emma hits a new milestone: starting school, dance lessons, learning to swim, etc. there's a whole new "new normal" to learn.

[joy orz]

If this were a roadtrip movie, this song would be on the soundtrack.

Nellie from South Pacific

When the skies are brighter canary yellow
I forget ev'ry cloud I've ever seen,
So they called me a cockeyed optimist
Immature and incurably green.

I have heard people rant and rave and bellow
That we're done and we might as well be dead,
But I'm only a cockeyed optimist
And I can't get it into my head.

I hear the human race
Is fallin' on its face
And hasn't very far to go,
But ev'ry whippoorwill
Is sellin' me a bill,
And tellin' me it just ain't so.

I could say life is just a bowl of Jello
And appear more intelligent and smart,
But I'm stuck like a dope
With a thing called hope,
And I can't get it out of my heart!
Not this heart...

[BeerMargaritaMom]

Ha, ha. Thanks for the giggle! :p
(was waiting to read all the threads before replying, but this needed a comment!)

When I first joined the forum the O/T thread didn't exist yet. And I wasn't in the place where I could laugh about diabetes. By nature, I'm a goofy upbeat person, but after 6 months of dealing with D, my friends were worried about me and said that I had lost my sense of humor.

Telling an over worried, stressed to the max and sleep deprived mother of a toddler that she has lost her sense of humor, does not really go over well. Particularly since I had in fact lost my sense of humor. :(

But now I am in a place where I can laugh. I tell funny stories about our daily trials. Here's one.

The other day Ava was high and she wanted a cookie. So I told her that she could have a cookie, but she had to jump on the couch for 10 minutes first. How many of your non D friends bribe their children TO JUMP ON the couch and then give them a cookie for doing it? C'mon it's funny! :D

I am only on page 3 of the thread but this post gets a comment now becuase I make mine run laps. I am not really serious about it lowing the BG enough for the extra cookie/cracker/ice-cream/etc. but I use it as a diversion or learning oportunity. My youngest D kiddo is 5 and I think having him use physical exercise might sink in as a lesson for him in future, or in other cases he gets so wrapped up in running laps either outside or in the house that he forgets why he is doing it and gets distracted by something else and no seconds are needed. Thing is he is on the pump and really doesn't need to do the activity cus i could just dose him again. (He doesn't realize that though);)

[Illinifan]

The other day Ava was high and she wanted a cookie. So I told her that she could have a cookie, but she had to jump on the couch for 10 minutes first. How many of your non D friends bribe their children TO JUMP ON the couch and then give them a cookie for doing it? C'mon it's funny! :D

Espcecially when you realize that she was jumping for Joy.:rolleyes:

[BeerMargaritaMom]

After 9/11, Oprah talked about the "new normal." I guess that's where we are, but everytime Emma hits a new milestone: starting school, dance lessons, learning to swim, etc. there's a whole new "new normal" to learn.

First I don't watch Oprah - I know I am the only one.
The "new normal" phrase was used a number of times in this thread. I guess I am not as original as I thought I was - see I just wrote my JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes fundraising letter and used that term like three times - once when my first kid was diagnosed, then again when he started pumping, then again when my second kid was diagnosed.
I used that term because original or not - it is true. Our normals are always changing and D must really really reallly suck for someone that doesn't take kindly to change. Yes it really really really sucks for us all but if a person is not able to adapt easily to changes - i would think that D would be even more difficult.
I am not an very organized individual, I am late for things a lot, my house is cluttered, I forget things easily, and I get distraced easily but I like to think of my life as organized chaos - and I am mostly ok with it. Twenty years from i doubt I will say, "I wish I would have spent more time labeling things, I wish I would have been on time for more playdates or appointments, or I wish I would have dusted more" I will not regret taking my kids to the pool when there was laundry to do, I will not regret playing two more games of Zingo when I could have scrubbed toilets or organized our tax documents from years past. When it comes from D, I hope I can have the same thoughts. I hope that I continue doing my best and teaching my kids the best practices but I also hope that in 20 years I won't be beating myself up thinking - I wish I would have......
I still get angry and I still cry but now I am ok with getting angry and crying because it is Normal.

Life just keeps happening regardless of how much thought we put into it.

[StillMamamia]

Espcecially when you realize that she was jumping for Joy.:rolleyes:

:rolleyes::p

[Illinifan]

If this were a roadtrip movie, this song would be on the soundtrack.

Nellie from South Pacific

When the skies are brighter canary yellow
I forget ev'ry cloud I've ever seen,
So they called me a cockeyed optimist
Immature and incurably green.

I have heard people rant and rave and bellow
That we're done and we might as well be dead,
But I'm only a cockeyed optimist
And I can't get it into my head.

I hear the human race
Is fallin' on its face
And hasn't very far to go,
But ev'ry whippoorwill
Is sellin' me a bill,
And tellin' me it just ain't so.

I could say life is just a bowl of Jello
And appear more intelligent and smart,
But I'm stuck like a dope
With a thing called hope,
And I can't get it out of my heart!
Not this heart...

It just so happens that Zach has the role of Billis in South Pacific for his high school's Summer on Stage presentation of South Pacific on July 30, 31 and Aug 1.

Tickets are available. :cool:

[Charlotte'sMom]

After the first weeks of non-stop crying, I'm doing much better. I feel like I'm handling things well now that I have a decent grasp on diabetes management. Diabetes hasn't stopped us from doing much.

However, I still can't respond to newbies posts on here. Reading through their first posts about how overwhelming and scary it all is brings back those horrid memories from the hospital and the shock I went through. I hate to relive those moments in my memory, so I tend to avoid the newbies. Terrible, I know.

[Lance]

However, I still can't respond to newbies posts on here. Reading through their first posts about how overwhelming and scary it all is brings back those horrid memories from the hospital and the shock I went through. I hate to relive those moments in my memory, so I tend to avoid the newbies. Terrible, I know.

Not terrible at all. Everyone learns to react to dx stories in their own way. While I don't have much to offer newbies (since I don't live with this 24/7), I read every one of their stories. And cry every time. It starts with sadness over the new dx, but then serves to remind me how fortunate we all are to still have our beautiful little ones.

I've always approached Zane's d with the attitude that it is what it is. It doesn't change who he is, or the things I would do with him. I won't let it.

[Judy&Alli]

Thank you for all your beautiful posts!

The place where I am now was not an easy place to get. Before d I was not a cryer. When d came into our lives I cried a lot, still can get a good cry now and then which is not like the "old" me. I think at some point I should have gotten some professional help, but didn't think I was so bad at the time.

I guess the best thing that has happened is I can once again experience joy, something that had evaded me for so long. What I wish for the newbies is that I could give you a crystal ball so that you can see into the future. You will not always feel the way you feel right now. The grief, guilt, and saddness will dissipate. Life will be wonderful and beautiful again.