If you are a parent to a child recently diagnosed with T1D, pull up a chair. I know ‘recently’ is a relative term, but if you’re wondering/worried/concerned, what can the future hold for your child; let me share some hope.
I have been where you are. In fact, with two children living with this disease diagnosed at age 2 and 13 respectively, I’ve been there twice. I get it. No other word for it—it sucks. But let me tell you where I am at this moment, I’m sitting in a doctor’s office in one of the largest health systems in the state where I live. I’m waiting for my Doctor of Nurse Practice (DNP) in this health system. In an educational setting they would call her ‘Dr. X’, but here they call her by just her first name, she wants it that way. Not so formal. DNP’s treat, diagnose, prescribe meds, and have become the future of medicine as we know it today.
I am sitting in a waiting room with 7 other patients and watching as they are called one at a time. The chairs are all neatly spaced, and an assistant comes out from time to time and escorts the next person in. I, like my DNP, not so formal unless needed. But then again, perhaps, she gets a little of it from me. Because I’m not merely her patient……..I’m her dad.
A huge smile comes across my face as I get up from my chair and turn toward her office. I’m not sure if her staff knows I‘m her dad, but I will not be the one to let the cat out of the bag. I am treated very professionally and right before she leaves, she smiles at me and says, “I know who you are and just want you to know your daughter is amazing to work with.” I smiled and said thank you and as I continued my waiting, yes a tear rolled down my cheek. The world has no idea what has transpired these 30+ years for her to get here. Her mother does. I do. She walks in and kisses me hello, she looks at me.
“Were you crying? D—a—-a—-d I knew you would be.”
Proud.
You know what I mean by that ‘proud’ because either you have been there, or you are looking forward to the day you are there. Your child will be there. It doesn’t matter the goal; it only matters that the goal is achieved. I have written articles about our children living life with an asterisk that only you and I know, or can even begin to understand. No matter what others do, achieve, land—–ours did while dealing with type 1 diabetes. Every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day——-our kids lived it.
And more times than not, the goals they set for themselves are achieved………with room to spare. Because that’s how they live. You taught them that. They listened. They grew. They achieved, And hopefully they too will arrive to where they set their destination. I hope that for them and for you. I really do.
I am a diabetes dad. Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like.’
Tagged diabetes, diabetes dad, diabetes inspiration