How We Knew the Worst Was True

I have told you all about my two little angels that have juvenile diabetes. The oldest angel is 8 and my little one is 6. I thought it would be important to share how we came to know that my daughters had a potentially deadly disease.
My oldest daughter started wetting the bed at the age of 5 and a half , just every once in a while so we didn't think anything of it. Over the course of that year she had severe mood swings, at the end of the day particularly. She was in grade one so I figured that she was just having a hard time going to school every day and she was just tired and hungry. I would give her a snack and she would be right as rain afterwards, so I figured I was right. She just needed something to eat.
Just after her seventh birthday she got a severe sinus infection and was vomiting all night one night. She had black circles under her eyes and looked awful. She lost a pound that week and looked frail. My girlfriend took one look at her and said "She looks awful." I just thought that she looked awful from the sinus infection. I told myself once she put the weight back on she would be fine.
About a week later the bed wetting became so severe that we were having to wake her nightly and she would still wet the bed. I thought she had a sleep/bed wetting disorder as she was also sleepwalking and bed wetting ran in our family so it was no surprise. I started looking into bed wetting treatments and read that I should rule out bladder infections or diabetes. I still had not clued into this possibility. It was too terrible to even consider. As you know the test did come back positive for diabetes. It only takes one little test to discover that your child will need medical care for the rest of their lives. I was numb from shock and kicking myself that I didn't clue in sooner. I have three cousins that have diabetes so I should have known, I felt. There are no other direct genetic links though so I just thought it would be highly unlikely that my daughter would be at risk. No aunts, grandparent, parents or siblings had this disease so why my child? The doctors and nurses assured me I had nothing to feel bad about. Most children fall into a coma before the parents realize something is wrong. My daughter was just at the beginnings of her disease and was not presenting key tones in her urine yet.
We went home feeling shocked and scared to death. We new very little and were sent home after a few hours of training. She wasn't ill and they said that children fair better if they go home where they feel safe and secure. They were right. She had no lows and her sugars were responding well to the insulin.
Three months later in June 2009, my little one was getting up in the night to go to bathroom which was highly unusual for her. She usually slept like a rock. I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and as all mothers know, you have to listen to that feeling and do something about it. After a week of me noticing her getting up I took it upon myself to check her blood. The meter read her blood sugars at 11.1. I didn't know if that qualified her as a diabetic or not so I called the hospital crying my head off, barely being able to speak. I asked the nurse what the number was to qualify as diabetic and she wasn't sure. She called the doctor and she said 11.1! There was still hope. She had us come in and do some tests and said it could be a bladder infection and not to worry just yet. We took her home and were told to check her sugars two hours after lunch to see where she was at. Her sugars were 22.1. Then I knew and couldn't believe my eyes. It was too much for anyone to bare. I was angry, sad, shocked and numb all at the same time.
But you know, we are all stronger than we know we are. When you have to do something you never even considered a possibility, some how you gather the strength to go on. It gives you a feeling of hope that you never thought possible. We always have hope no one can ever take that away from us.
A year later my daughters are doing their own pokes and my older daughter occasionally does her own shot. They are the ambassadors for the juvenile walk-a-thon and my daughter got up in front of 200 people and presented a speech to everyone without hesitation. I am proud beaond words and I know they will be just fine.

Sally