It is not the latest and greatest mobile device but is my most treasured electronic for it keeps my son alive. In addition to keeping him alive it allows him to live as close as he can to a normal life of a teenage boy which includes eating much of what he wants and when he wants. I realized after blogging about Cody that I had not even touched on his Diabetes.
Well, Diabetes and teenagers go together about as good as oil and water. Combine ravenous appetites, raging hormones, massive growth spurts and the desire for independence and life can been pretty volatile and blood sugar numbers a crazy roller coaster ride. Fortunately, Cody's insulin pump has helped prevent any emergency visits to the hospital but we certainly haven't been free from our share of frustration and anger over the fact that we deal with this beast every minute of every day. It can really be a pain and for a teenage boy difficult to face the reality that he is not like all his friends and that this won't go away but will be with him forever. My heart has ached for Cody as I have watched him struggle with the emotions of having this disease. He has questioned God and frankly I have too but in the end I have tried to encourage him to see that God may open doors in the future for him to help others who may have this disease. That is really hard for him to see right now when he has to stick his finger 6-8 times a day and feels pretty yucky most of the time and hates having to count every carb that goes in his mouth. So this year hasn't been the greatest on the Diabetes front but I am thankful that we are surrounded with extremely loving and supportive doctors, nurses, diabetes educators and friends who make Cody feel like any other teenager and encourage me when I feel like I am a terrible mom. Cody spent the night with a friend for the first time a few weeks ago and had such a great time. We know that it can be super scary for the parents of Cody's friends to take on an overnight stay and were so grateful that we are blessed with friends who are willing to allow our son the opportunity to do something as simple as have a sleep over.
2 comments:
You poor thing! I have had Type 1 diabetes since I was 20 years old and I also wear an insulin pump, which saved my life. Diabetes is such a hard disease to control as an adult and I can't even imagine having a child with it. The worst part is -- you never get a break from it. You are constantly testing, adjusting insulin and problem solving. The holidays are especially hard! In fact, I was a mess just yesterday!
So happy to hear about the first sleepover! That is sooo exciting!
It is really nice to know someone competent and willing to take on (not Cody) but Diabetes! So thankful too!!
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