Clay's Diagnosis Story

I don't have the words or the eloquence to do it justice, and it's not just my story.  But it is mine also.  Clay was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes today too.  : (  And yes, we are surviving.
It began so simply after I picked the kids up from school.  After I'd spent all afternoon delivering team shirts for Mary Claire's 2013 Walk to Cure Type 1 Diabetes team.  He told me he'd been going to bathroom a lot.  And not number 2. haha.  (My wheels were already spinning.)  He said he was thirsty a lot too, and water tasted soo sweet.  He told me he had an accident while he was sleeping last night.  And what do we all do when our non-D kids pee a lot?  Check them.

He resisted.  He hates needles. (who doesn't?)  He gave me grief, and I asked if he was scared of the needle poke or scared of what the number might be and what it might mean.  He said both.

He asked if we could wait until we got home.  I told him we HAD to check now.  If he was high, we needed to go to the doctor right away.  He let me check him, squirmy and all.  He was 562. : (

I boohoo'd like a baby, and hugged him for so very long and told him how sorry I was.  Over and over.  And over again.  Mary Claire looked at me, and I whispered high, and she cried.  Carter cried.  It was a big ol' pity party.  We deserve to have one now and then, and this was the right time for us.

I texted our endocrinologist and told him Clay was 562, and we needed to come in.  When he didn't answer in two minutes (like he has doesn't have patients!), I called the office.  It was after four and getting late. (Office Hours Late)  They told us to come on in.  Small bit of relief that we had an "in", and that we'd done this before.

Clay told me he was really thirsty, so we stopped to get drinks.  Mary Claire kept telling me she had to call Alyssa since they were supposed to be working on a project together, like now.  She called her and couldn't really talk.  I got the phone, tried to tell her what was going on, and lost it again.  She got off the phone, and her mom called back. : )  She said she'd meet us at the doctor's office and watch the other kids.  Sweet providence.

I just said okay.  I couldn't say anything else.  I didn't have words.  Or the time. Or the brainpower.  I was in a fog.  And I had to be careful since Clay was sitting next to me.  Like, I couldn't lose it again, you know?

We got back on the highway, and made it up there pretty quickly.  Jana and the girls were already there.  Bless their hearts.  I could just say thank you.  We got all the paperwork filled out (for a new patient!), had to talk to the admitting department (it's a part of the hospital, technically), and then we waited to be called back.

The sweet nurse, said it hadn't been long since he'd seen me, but now a different child?!  Yeah, my thoughts too.  We did the weigh-in, height, pulse, etc.  Then the a1c check.  Of course, it was a ten.  That made it a sure thing. : (  More sadness.

So, it's pretty likely that he's had it for maybe two months.  I just remember the hand-foot-mouth disease (Coxsackie) virus he had the first week of school.  August 20 he missed school.  Oh good grief..is that when his body started attacking itself?

So, long story longer..we were retrained, new insulins, new meters, new food to insulin ratio.  Whole new child, whole new set of rules.  

I'm breathing more normally now.  He was 90 at about nine pm.  Not bad.  Doesn't mean my job is done, or I will sleep easily tonight.  He still has small amounts of ketones.  He still has a long night and a few longer days in front of him.  Learning to check his blood and give shots.  He is not excited. (that's an understatement actually)  He has checked himself once and given one of his shots.  We'll get there.

So, if you see him, reassure him.  This is a game-changer for him, and he just wants to know why.  The question we all want answered.

Send some prayers our way, please.  For good to come of this.  For our family to continue to look up and be faith-filled.  For patience in the rocky beginning.  For emotional stability (for all of us).  For no one else to get it.  For Clay's health.

Praying your house is healthy and D-free.  If it's not, I pray that no one else gets it.  That gross club no one wants to join.   
Welcome, baby boy.

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