Our son was diagnosed at age 7 with type 1 diabetes. He is almost 14 years old now. In fact, this will be the birthday when he has lived with diabetes, just as long as he lived without it. It will be a tough one for me. However, he has come a long way since those early days...anyone who lives with or loves someone with type 1 knows what a roller coaster ride it can be.
We opted to get our son an insulin pump about 6 months after diagnosis. This decision was based on his age, responsibility, willingness to learn, and love. The pump is not for everyone, but we love it. It has made our son's life a little closer to "normal." Initially, we felt it gave him back some of the "freedom" diabetes took away.
I have read several diabetes blogs over the years and have admired how others can share their story so openly. For me, it has been difficult. I love to connect with other type 1 parents, but have never found the courage to write about it. Maybe now I have....the time seemed right to start at least this little page sharing our story. I have also found these sites to be helpful:
Children With Diabetes
The Princess and the Pump
Words of advice: 3 years ago my husband and I advocated that our son have a 504 in place for academic accommodations at school. The 504 states that our son can bring a water bottle to school, use the bathroom as needed, not be penalized for work that is late due to diabetes, can test BG as needed, etc. etc. If you have any concerns regarding your child's academic needs and diabetes, I would suggest getting a 504. I found it gave us a foundation and substantiated our requests for our son to retake a test (perhaps he felt low and did poorly) or not be penalized for absences related to diabetes. The ADA has sample 504 plans on their website.
