This story, my story, is not an easy one to tell. My son Gabe was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was five years old. Gabe is now twelve. I could easily tell you his story, I have told his story to family, friends, teachers and colleagues many many times. My story is harder to tell because Im not just his mom. Im his primary care giver, nutritionist and advocate. I am always on ready to face whatever this disease has to throw at him. Keeping him healthy and providing a somewhat carefree childhood is a constant challenge. When Gabe was born I think I felt what many people feel. Youd do anything to protect your child. You become selfless when you are a parent. Its hard to find the words to explain what I felt when I became the parent of a child with Type 1 diabetes. I would take this disease from him and into my body if I could. Id do anything to spare him from the physical, emotional and social aspects of this disease that often trouble him. If you know Gabe he doesnt show it easily, he doesnt talk about it, but I see the fear and exhaustion in his eyes and it halts me. When Gabe was diagnosed with Type1 diabetes it was a traumatic experience for all of us. After a long hospital stay we were sent home with tons of medical paraphernalia, a strict insulin formula to follow for an equally strict carbohydrate diet. We had to check in daily with an endocrinology team while poking fingers 6-10 times a day and injecting insulin 5-6 times a day. Thats just the structure. The reality was that if we werent diligent he could die, plain and simple. After another week we sent Gabe back to school and have never stopped worrying. Ive gone on every field trip, every party and if there was any complication I ran to the school. The same goes for outside of school. Weve only just gotten comfortable letting him go bike riding with friends, to parties and sleepovers without us. Of course we are always checking in. Friends have seen us relax over the years and every once and a while I think, we got this. But the truth is, Im always scared and without those little vials of insulin in our fridge Gabe would have died before his 6th birthday. Its never simple. The relentless weight of tragedy waiting around the corner keeps me constantly planning and double checking myself. Coping with this disease keeps me always on alert, a little bit broken and constantly aware of how precariously balanced Gabes life is. I can only hope that as he gets older and more independent that Ive equipped him with the tools he needs to stay on top of this disease. However, what I really hope for is that when that day comes, he wont have to. We have ridden for the cure two years in a row. Through the great generosity of family and friends Gabe has raised over $5000. Thank You!! This year Ive been asked to be the Team Red Rider Captain. Despite being pushed very far outside of my comfort zone Im honored to take on this challenge. My task is simply to communicate with veteran Team Red Riders, recruit new riders, and work to hopefully knit all of our lives a little bit closer. If you are able please donate to myself or Gabe. I transfer all my donations to his total. Or even better join us on this ride!! Help us make something positive happen! Wed love to spend the day with you riding our bikes with the hope that our efforts will bring us and so many other families closer to a cure. Thank you so much for listening to my story. With best intentions, Sherry
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:21:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015