Everyone knows about Diabetes!... Do they?
This week I took a lot of heat over my stance on Diabetics treating their disease in public places. I had no idea people could be so opinionated on the silliest of topics. I was told that "Everyone knows about Diabetes!" Implying that I can stop trying to "educate" them on the topic. It broke my heart the world my Diabetic son will grow up in. He has no idea the ignorance he will face. Luckily there is so much more good in the world than not. I hope to raise him with the confidence to brush the negative off and move on. I had many emotional moments throughout this process and afterwords. I did a lot of praying and pondering about what the right thing was to do. I have no doubt the answer I got was revelation from a very loving Heavenly Father who knows me and my thoughts and my feelings very well!! I had the thought to post a picture of Parker and to explain what type 1 diabetes is. As I typed, the words to write entered my mind, no doubt from Heavenly Father. I posted this post not knowing if I would receive support or more opposition, but it didn't matter. Sometimes in life, you have to be willing to stand alone when doing the right thing. Luckily this time, it was all love and support. But here is the greatest part that came from it all!!!!\
I had a woman contact me about my post. Her son had just recently been diagnosed and she was afraid to make it public. She had not told her family and friends out of fear of judgment, and she wasn't prepared as to what to say to them. Her son is 12 years old. He was drinking literally gallons of water a day! He was going to the bathroom all the time! He had lost weight, had blurry vision, his teachers were worried about his "attitude" at school. They had reasons for every symptom! Puberty, mood swings, thirst brings potty breaks, and potty breaks create more thirst which will end with losing some weight... The reasons go on and on. This woman's other son ended up calling 911 one day because her 12 year old was going into what they later found out was a diabetic coma! He was life flighted to a hospital and they were able to save his life.
Because of my sons post about his diabetes, she was given the courage to tell people about her experience. She now wants to educate other families about what happened to her and how they can see the symptoms and avoid going through what she and so many others go through. She was a lucky one too. Every year, so many children die because their diabetes go's undiagnosed!!
Now I don't write this boasting in myself. I know that every word I wrote was my Heavenly Fathers words. He was aware of this woman and her struggles, and he used me as a mouthpiece to speak to her. I realize not everyone is religious, they may see this differently than I, but this is what I believe. If everyone "knows about diabetes', then why every day across the world, stories like mine, or this womans happen over and over and over again! You want to know who "knew about diabetes?" ME!! I lived my entire life with a type 1 father. Who should have known more than me? I knew the symptoms, and I did recognize them too, that is why I asked my dad to come test him. But i waited a week to do so, and even when he came I was 99% confident that it was nothing.
If for no one else, my post was worth it! I am so glad to be able to have helped 1 person to not be ashamed, and to have the confidence and education needed to help someone else.
Here is my post from facebook:
I had a woman contact me about my post. Her son had just recently been diagnosed and she was afraid to make it public. She had not told her family and friends out of fear of judgment, and she wasn't prepared as to what to say to them. Her son is 12 years old. He was drinking literally gallons of water a day! He was going to the bathroom all the time! He had lost weight, had blurry vision, his teachers were worried about his "attitude" at school. They had reasons for every symptom! Puberty, mood swings, thirst brings potty breaks, and potty breaks create more thirst which will end with losing some weight... The reasons go on and on. This woman's other son ended up calling 911 one day because her 12 year old was going into what they later found out was a diabetic coma! He was life flighted to a hospital and they were able to save his life.
Because of my sons post about his diabetes, she was given the courage to tell people about her experience. She now wants to educate other families about what happened to her and how they can see the symptoms and avoid going through what she and so many others go through. She was a lucky one too. Every year, so many children die because their diabetes go's undiagnosed!!
Now I don't write this boasting in myself. I know that every word I wrote was my Heavenly Fathers words. He was aware of this woman and her struggles, and he used me as a mouthpiece to speak to her. I realize not everyone is religious, they may see this differently than I, but this is what I believe. If everyone "knows about diabetes', then why every day across the world, stories like mine, or this womans happen over and over and over again! You want to know who "knew about diabetes?" ME!! I lived my entire life with a type 1 father. Who should have known more than me? I knew the symptoms, and I did recognize them too, that is why I asked my dad to come test him. But i waited a week to do so, and even when he came I was 99% confident that it was nothing.
If for no one else, my post was worth it! I am so glad to be able to have helped 1 person to not be ashamed, and to have the confidence and education needed to help someone else.
Here is my post from facebook:
I want to introduce you to someone very special to me! This is my 4 year old son, Parker. He is my whole world!! In March of this year, Parker was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. (not to be confused with type 2) When you look at him, you don't see diabetes, and neither do I, but it is there! Nothing we did caused this disease, He didn't eat to much sugar, he isn't obese. No lifestyle caused this disease!! Nothing we do will make it go away either. In a healthy persons body, the pancreas produces insulin every time you eat something to regulate your blood sugar. In a type one diabetics body, the pancreas is dead, it no longer functions. Without life saving insulin injections several times a day to bring his sugar levels down, Parker would die. When Parker has to much insulin, his sugar levels drop and he acts confused and foggy because his brain is only functioning around 50%. We have to act fast and give him something with sugar in it to bring it up. When he doesn't have enough insulin, his sugar levels are high and he can be grouchy and aggressive. This is because his body detects a problem and releases hormones to try and fight the problem. He has no control over his moods when he is high. Parker checks his blood sugar with a finger prick blood test every 2 hours every day. He has insulin injections with every meal, snack, and to fix high blood sugars in between. This will be Parker's life for the rest of his life, until they find a cure. I will move heaven and earth to care for and protect my son! I will do my best to make him feel just like every other kid out there. I hope this helps even 1 of you to understand better and to show compassion for those who fight the fight every day for their kids.
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