We knew we were Cherished Children
throughout our Type 1 Diabetes "initiation".
Joyful Monkey's Diagnosis Story...
We took Joyful Monkey to the doctor suspecting a urinary tract infection. She had been using the restroom a lot. The doctor gave her the little cup to urinate into. She wasn't sure what to think of that. ; ) After going back into the exam room, our pediatrician says something to the effect of: "Well, we need to talk because we found something. Why don't you go ahead and take a seat." She didn't say it in a foreboding way. I did as she asked, thinking that she did in fact find evidence of a UTI. She then went onto explain that there were sugars spilling into her urine. That's when she told us that the finding indicated Type 1 Diabetes. I was shocked! We were told that we should immediately head to the nearby children's hospital to have her admitted. This would allow the doctors and hospital staff to care for JM while we learned how to care for her.
Honestly, the next fifteen minutes are a blur. I believe that she let us go out to the waiting area while she arranged our "visit", so the hospital would be expecting us. All I know is that I found myself in the waiting area calling my hubby and my Mom while trying to maintain a positive voice and hold back my tears so that I wouldn't scare Joyful Monkey. I asked my Mom to come immediately. She came quickly. My grandma showed up a short while later. I was still numb from the news when they arrived.
The pediatrician called me back in to give me the details. She gave me a hug and sent us on our way. I kept my tears in check for fear of scaring JM. My hubby met me at the house and we packed quickly for a few nights at the hospital. It was in the privacy of our room, that I fell into my husband's arms and let the tears pour down.
On our way, a song kept playing through my mind. It's an old song that I hadn't heard in about a decade, but here it was (You'll find it on my playlist at the bottom of my blog). It is called "Sometimes He Calms the Storm" by Scott Krippayne. Never before had such a huge storm blown through our lives. The catch is the second phrase..."and other times He calms His child." It was by His strength alone that I was able to walk into that hospital with the attitude of "conqueror". We knew that whatever we needed to do, God would give us the strength & grace it took to do it.
I could feel the Lord giving me peace in the midst of the storm, but I could have never expected the amazing way in which He was walking with JM throughout this time. You have to realize that JM is one of those rare people who exude JOY. I was worried that this diagnosis would zap that. I couldn't have been more wrong. Her attitude throughout the diagnosis and diabetes "initiation" was a-maz-ing. She wasn't thrilled with the new shots that were to become a daily part of her life, but she was BRAVE. That girl has more courage than anyone I have ever met. Her courage (divinely gifted) & His strength carried us through. We
could praise Him in this storm!
Needless to say, we learned a LOT and were put in contact with our fabulous Pediatric Diabetes Team. To learn more about what T1D is and how it affects our lives, see the tab T1D.
Here are a few pics of our time in the hospital following the diagnosis (JM called it a "vacation")...
