There's some days that you can't forget EVER... and this is one of them. It's the day our lives changed FOREVER.
It was Thursday, August 28, 2014. School had just started for the year; Paige was 12 years old and entering 7th grade and Aiden was 3 years old and going to Preschool (at this time we already had an appointment set to have him tested for Autism Spectrum Disorder - read more about that here).
Paige had one symptom that we couldn't figure out why it was happening - but to get in to see the Pediatrician at this time you really needed to make an appointment at least one month in advance, so of course there was nothing available when I called earlier in the week. However, Aiden had an appointment for August 28th and the office said it would be ok to bring her along to Aiden's visit for his school physical and we could chat with his doctor about Paige.
My hubby had worked nights the evening before this, and was fast asleep, so I had both kids at the doc by myself (no biggie - I do it all the time). After Aiden's physical, I asked his doctor (she's amazing - find her HERE) about Paige's symptom. She rightfully could have refused, made us make a separate appointment for Paige, and gone about her VERY busy day.... but she didn't. She gave us her full attention [like she always does] and ordered a urine test. A few minutes later the nurse came back in and said that there was protein in the urine test and needed a finger stick test now. We had no idea that a bomb was about to be dropped on us (or else I would have brought hubby along)... so when they came back and told us that Paige's blood glucose level was 418 [normal range is 70-120] & she probably had Diabetes, I was stunned.
Because of the shock of the news, I can only really remember two things: the staff telling us she's got diabetes, and them asking which hospital we'd prefer to go to: Columbus or Cincinnati. It seemed like our room there in the doctor's office was now the hub of a LOT of activity, staff bustling in and out very hurriedly and concerned. Here I am with both kids who have NO IDEA what is going on (nor did I really) and I'm freaking out inside but yet trying to hold it together the best I can for the two faces staring at me trying to figure out what to do. I attempt to call hubby and wake him up, but he sleeps LIKE THE DEAD and leaves his phone in another room, so I have to get ahold of my father in law to go over to the house and wake hubby up - and I am so upset that I start crying on the phone while trying to get my words out (I don't think he'd seen or heard me cry in person before this point). The kids are very hyper aware of my words and actions at this point.
We don't need to take the ambulance, so we can go home and pack a bag, but we need to head to the hospital ASAP as they are expecting us. Directions in hand, the kids and I rush to the house. This is all a blur to me too - I know we packed things at our house and hubby was awake when we got there, and we dropped Aiden off to either my in-laws or my sister in law so they could watch him for a couple days while we were gone, but I don't remember which order or anything. I do remember at least thinking ahead that we needed to have family watch Aiden so we could focus on Paige. I also remember my FIL giving us a $50 or $100 bill [we don't usually keep cash on us] - normally I would be too proud or too stubborn to take it, but I took it because I had NO IDEA what the heck was going to happen, and cash can be used dang near everywhere.
At Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus (which is 1.5 hrs away) we waited to be checked in; it was well over an hour and may have been closer to the 2-3 hr mark. Aiden's doctor appointment had been at about 9-10am, so by this point its after 1pm and we are all starving but going on adrenaline. Paige wanted to eat but the check in staff said she had to wait until we got up to the room (we still weren't completely sure what the heck we were dealing with at this point).
We got settled into the hospital room and things started to seem to calm down. I remember asking if she really did have Diabetes (because the staff at the doctor's appt had said she COULD have it) - and in my mind it wasn't definitive, there was still a glimmer of hope/uncertainty.... and the staff was quick to confirm that she did. With a blood glucose level as high as she had, it wasn't anything else [I'm sure there are other things that cause surges in blood glucose levels - but in our case it couldn't have been anything else, she had a lot of the trademark symptoms that go along with Type 1 Diabetes]. And just like that, the hope of something else was gone, even though we weren't completely sure of what Type 1 Diabetes was.
Paige could eat, but the nurses had to give her a shot of insulin - and not only that, but they had to calculate what the dose would be AND have ANOTHER NURSE come in and do the calculation also and see if they got the same number. The check and balance system. We would soon enough know how to do all that, they kept telling us. The first day seemed to be a just "we got you, let us take care of you, you're in good hands" kind of comforting hug. That made us calm. We were okay, things were going to be okay.
We were about to get a CRASH COURSE in Type 1 Diabetes. There is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much that we had to learn on how to manage her T1D.... from foods to exercise, applications for BCMH [program through the state of Ohio to help pay for this visit, which I'm sure would have cost tens of thousands of dollars], and the whole kit and caboodle. I was really impressed on how Nationwide works with their patients and families - we as the parents were truly part of the care team. When the big group of staff would come in each day on rounds, they would ALL listen to our questions and concerns and it truly seemed like we were equals in the care team (even though they were the ones with all of the knowledge). I really appreciated that.
Again, I don't remember a whole lot about the rest of the stay - I remember Paige getting to chat on the phone with some friends; I remember being very intentional and making sure that hubby & I got out of the room for a little bit each day to eat meals, for our mental sanity and to allow us to talk freely and break down if needed; I remember cards and gifts coming in and how happy that made Paige feel; I remember hearing about this famous Fish Tank in the hospital that was on some sort of TV show, and walking to the other side of the hospital just to find it; I remember my bestie making the trip all the way down from MI to visit us for a short time before we were discharged; I remember looking out the window at the busy city at night on the first evening and trying to prepare myself as best I could, because the world that we had known until that point was no longer going to exist.
We learned A LOT in the hospital, to the point of exploding our heads lol. They sent us home with a binder filled with info and how-to's, and with a management plan that involved logging ALL food and numbers and faxing them in to the office once a week, and a nurse would contact us with any changes to the insulin dose. Slowly but surely we began to understand how things worked, and we never felt alone, because there was someone at Nationwide Children's Hospital that we could contact 24/7, and additionally there were Facebook groups filled with T1D parents like us who were a HUGE help.
We still continue to learn more and more, even 4 years post diagnosis. We still manage and tweak and stay on our toes, even to this day.... you can NEVER be lazy with Diabetes, or it can have serious consequences, including fatality. I refuse to live my life past the point of fearing that my child will die. Yes, its a lot more of a reality for her that she could unexpectedly pass away, but I am not crippled by that fact... and I won't have her be either. As long as we do what we need to do and manage her Diabetes to the best of our abilities, she will have a long full life.
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