type one diabetes, one year mark for Tae tae

This is my sweet baby girl…who, let’s be honest, it not really a baby anymore. One year ago today, I took her into the doctor because I had a gut feeling she had Type 1 diabetes. She had been drinking non stop and peeing all day (literally) and even waking up in the night because she was thirsty and needed to go to the bathroom…again.
Unfortunately I was right. Or rather, the spirit that keep quietly nudging me towards thinking it was Type 1, was right. We went striaght from the doctors office to the hospital for three days. She was so brave. I remember sitting in the car, talking to Jasper on the phone, telling him they wanted to keep her at the hospital. She became so terrified because she thought they wanted to keep her forever. It was so sad. We pulled into my driveway before going to the hospital crying. We were entering such an unknown world. Four year old Tae climbed onto my lap in the drivers seat and we cried together. A tender moment for me.
Most people think Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes are the same. I’m here to tell you- they are NOT. 🙂 Type 1 or Juvenile Diabetes is incurable. The kids are insulin dependent for the rest of their lives. They don’t have to stay away from carbs or sugar like Type 2. They just have to be dosed with insulin whenever they eat carbs.
Up to date, Tae has had over 1,475 shots, and 2,390 finger pokes. That’s only ONE years worth of the many years ahead of her. She has been simply amazing. She cried and cried at every finger poke (to check her blood sugar) and each shot in the hospital. As soon as we got home, never again did she cry. Prayers were surely answered on her behalf, especially on my mental state. I don’t know if I could have dealt well with crying 4-6 times a day. 🙂
To celebrate her victory over the 365 day stretch to her one year mark we decided to do a photo shoot just for her. We only had 15 minutes and it was really cold, but we did it.
I decided a year ago after reading numerous diabetes blogs that I wouldn’t let this stop our family in any way. That it wouldn’t take over our life, or make us bitter. I’ve had many hard days that were accompanied by tears, but I’ve done my best to make it just another hurtle in our lives that we can simply jump each day. I don’t ever want Tae to feel like her spirit is broken like her pancreas. I want her spirit to make up for the broken body. I can say, so far, it certainly has. She can do hard things.
Today I’m thankful for her health, and for the health of my four other children who have also worked so hard to help her and learn to take care of her. I’m thankful for the many people who have helped and given support to us this past year, it has been humbling in so many ways. People are so good. So full of love and compassion. Thank you. Thank you.

My Tae Tae…