Remember the day your child was diagnosed with diabetes? It was a nightmare, right? But lately I have been reading very careful of the plight other families deal with additional diagnosis to diabetes; and it surely can be very, very rough.
Can you imagine dealing with diabetes and also having to deal with another disease from a long list of culprits. My heart goes out to those who either have diabetes and another disease (or more) with one child, or diabetes in one chid and other diseases with other children.
And I am definitely including mental health issues in this mix.
Having two kids with T1D, I know the difficulties, the heart aches, the frustrations; but I have no clue what it is like to run from one room dealing with a night-time glycemic reaction and having to tend to another child in another room with the pain from crohns disease. Can you imagine?
There is some-sort of balance having two kids with diabetes (did I just say that?–remind me I said that at a later date). Do parents dealing with multiple disease states find the balance as we have dealing with two kids with T1?
Someone once stated to me that God gives no one more than they can handle; I say—wanna bet? How any of us get through the day and the stories I read and hear about when kids are just so amazing are incredibly inspirational, and sometimes heart breaking.
When I know, I mean I KNOW, that there are parents out there dealing with more than one hardship, and life almost seems to be cruel, I look at my life and say; “Yeah, we got this.”
And you want to know the most interesting point about these families with many hardships; many of us would never know it. They take what life has, they deal with it, they share when they need help, they are strong when they need to be, and above all……they do their ‘damnest’ to get their children ‘back into life’.
We can learn a lot from these parents/families……..I know I surely have; and they have my highest and deepest respect; and thank you for inspiring us daily—-we may not talk about it much but don’t think for one second we are not aware. And if you are not aware….KNOW that it exist more than you think.
God bless all of you.
I am a diabetes dad.
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21 replies on “When Other Diseases Move-in Side-by-side with Diabetes.”
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 on 2/13/13 and we are now waiting on a biopsy scheduled for 12/12/13 to confirm she has Celiac. I rage at the unfairness that she has had to make so many changes to her life and now she is starimg down the barrel of another life alterig condition. She has matured far past her 13 years but is now facing both anxiety and depression as she awaits the conformation of the diagnosis. When is enough, enough? I don’t know what to say to help others, but appreciate any help people can offer me to share with her.
Hopefully people will respond with something that might help you Sarah.
My daughter was diagnosed T1 in October of last year, and celiac a few weeks later. It was quite a change, but our whole family went gluten free and we ALL feel so much better!!!!! It can be a little inconvenient but there are so many options out there!!! Do not despair. My girl is still healthy, happy and thriving!!!
Thank you Kim and it is GREAT to read a story that moves the dial forward…….you are all an inspiration.
Our son is on the autism spectrum (has been since birth) and was diagnosed with diabetes in 2010. Makes caring for his diabetes a LOT harder when he won’t cooperate with what I need to do. I’m not completely confidant he can ever live on his own without help from someone else because of these two conditions. Just the autism, I think he would be ok, as he is high functioning. But add in the diabetes and I worry he will end up killing himself.
Oh my—we all so hope that NEVER happens. Horrible to feel that way and AM SORRY you deal with it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
It is difficult. My 10 y/o was just dx’d with T1 back in March of this year. It was by far the hardest diagnosis to date for her, but there was a very real part of me that kind of handled the news like “Of course something else is wrong*. We don’t handle enough already.” Which is also part of the reason that the phrase “At least it’s not cancer” quite frankly makes me very angry. No, it’s not cancer. It’s multiple things that all have a million and twelve different things that we have to incorporate into her every day life, and a lot of the best case scenario treatments for one condition totally contradict every known way to handle a different condition. I literally feel like I am juggling every. single. day. Thank goodness I decided to only have one child! And, to top it off, I have bipolar disorder and have been on disability because of it for almost 5 years. Life is hard. I don’t think any of us did anything to “deserve” all of this, but it happened. So now, we do the best we can and hope for the best!
I honestly believe that any family that deals with a disease are NOT the ones that use that ‘cancer’ line and i hate it as well. No disease is a comparative topic to me. I also believe that those who have indeed lost children to diabetes would have an opinion if ever they were pressed but like I said, most families just ‘deal’ with what they have.
I thank you for responding.
My heart goes out to those families. We keep an eye on Audrey because she keeps having symptoms of Celiac, she had the biopsy, but it was negative. Thanks for shedding light on this topic.
Thanks Tim, it is always a better day when you chime in. It was not an easy ‘write’ but I felt important enough to share.
My little boy was diagnosed age 2 with type one diabetes. He is gluten intolerant, as am I, though because we eat gluten free, tests do not come up + for coeliac. Recently I was diagnosed with progressive lung disease caused by being severe Alpha1 Antitrypsin deficient. Have just found out my son is also, as it is genetic he was immediately tested. Still reeling from finding this out and trying to negotiate how this will play out with him, as it is an even more lacking in joined up care than type 1. His words when he found out: that is most unfortunate. He is 5!
5 going on 40 it seems. Let’s hope that remarkable mind can see him thorugh all of this; as I know in my house, our kids are so much better at ‘this stuff’ than I could ever dream to be.
Thanks for sharing.
My 3 year old has T1D and a rare genetic disorder called Tuberous Sclerosis Complex which causes her to have epilepsy and behavioural and learning issues. We certainly don’t have it easy but because she’s on the mild end of the spectrum of TSC, I can certainly think of many things that could be worse. I just need to think about those families with TSC that are dealing with children having 100’s of seizures a day, or my neighbour across the street whose 1 year was just diagnosed with Rett’s Syndrome, or my neighbour 2 doors down whose son is severely autistic and delayed or my bosses son who is schizophrenic or my friend whose been trying desperately for years to have a child but has experienced miscarriage after miscarriage. Everyone has struggles. You just learn to deal with what’s in front of you. So yes it sucks to have to deal with T1D and I certainly feel like T1D is much harder to deal with than my daughter’s other issues but the thought that it could be worse is enough for me to be thankful for what I have.
Thank you for the perspective of someone ‘in the trenches’. The answer seems to be unified—-to just keep moving forward no matter the cards that are dealt. Thank you for adding your thoughts.
Yes Tom! I appreciate your awareness and the fact that you recognize these parents’ daily struggles. It IS tough. Austin is now 15 and has T1D. Cace (one of my twins) has epileptic seizures! Yes, I say God must have BIG plans for us!…..BIG plans! Thanks Tom!
no argument here—–thanks my friend, I so appreciate your words.
On March 27, 2013 we were given the news that my 13 year old son was a Type 1 diabetic, on March 30 we were then told that he has Hoshimotos disease as well. I cant tell you how many people have said to us ” Well at least it is not cancer” My now 14 year olds reply is usually while would never wish that on anyone, some tumors can be removed, you can have treatments that can put cancer patients in remission. I will have this disease and all of its complications everyday of my life. I will not get a break from testing, injections, counting carbs worrying about highs and lows, concerns of all ofher complications. So until you walk in my shoes Please do not make a comment like that.
……so until you walk in my shoes…….
Out of the mouth of our youth…..what a powerful statement from, what seems like, one extremely bright young man. Thank you for sharing…..well….all of this.
Just wonderful.
I think what a lot of people fail to realize is that there just is no comparison. It’s not a contest about who has it worse. And even if there is a ranking of bad, worse, and worst conditions to have everyone handles things differently. Some people get a cancer diagnosis and handle it with unwavering positivity. Some people get an ear infection diagnosis and are devastated, lol. We all handle and process things differently and no one gets to decide that for us. Also, mostly why I replied to this comment is that my daughter was diagnosed March 28, 2013 so we’re about the same point in this diagnosis.
Hi Tom, I really enjoy reading your articles. My daughter is 19, diagnosed Type 1 at age 5. My son coeliac diagnosed a few years later and I have hashimoto’s found out couple of years ago. I remember when my kids were young, people looking at me with sympathy and asking how I do it. I mean, there is really no other alternative is there. It is amazing what you can actually do. To the Mum’s and Dad’s struggling with multiple diagnoses, just keep on doing the best you can. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
When asked that about having 2 kids with T1 I always say that I did not have time to think about it……it was get on, get off, or get run over……..we just try to stay in fornt of the train.