A Mothers Anthem

[Adrienne]

Mother's Anthem

I am the mother of a diabetic child.
I don't know what it's like to go to sleep at night and know for certain my child will wake up in the morning.
I don't know what it's like to sleep the whole night through without waking up to do blood tests on my sleeping child.
I don't know what it's like to prepare a meal without a calculator, measuring cups, and a gram scale.
I don't know what it's like to drop my child off at school and know she will always be in the charge of someone who knows how to take care of her.


I do know what it's like to force feed sugar in the middle of the night knowing I am sacrificing my child's teeth to save her life.
I do know what it's like to draw up insulin at 2 A.M. and pray to God I'm not too sleepy to make a fatal error in judgement, technique, or calculation.
I do know what it's like to sit underneath the dining room table holding my sobbing child, explaining to her, "No, we can't take a break just this one time," while I inject insulin into her already bruised arm.
I do know what it's like to walk away from the pharmacy counter with an armload of supplies and realise I've just gone through another box of 200 syringes.
I do know what it's like to help my child march bravely past the juice and cookies at the school reception that was supposed to be her reward for achieving Student of the Month.
I do know what it's like to look into my child's eyes and tell her she has an incurable disease and explain to her what that means, And then to be comforted by her when I'm the one who can't stop sobbing.
I do know what it's like to love and cherish my child every minute of every day, To know that I may someday donate a kidney to her, And that if she were in need of a heart, mine would be out of the question, Because it broke a long time ago.

I am the mother of a diabetic child.

Linda Kaniasty 9/22/00

 

[am64]

thank you addrienne for posting this xxx🙂 i feel very humble tonight 🙂

 

[Adrienne]

No need to be. Diabetes is diabetes and we all share some sort of bond in whatever form it may be. Diabetes hits us all hard in different ways. Today has been an awful and sad day.

 

[am64]

what i mean is that i feel very humble in life x😱

 

[Adrienne]

In that case I agree wholeheartedly. x

 

[Caroline]

Thank you for posting. Both the poems posted made me feel very weepy and very glad the children in my care don't have the dreaded D!

 

[Steff]

Very sweet thx for posting

 

[am64]

i am bumping this so more people will see it x

 

[Shelly1959]

Brighter side

I have just read the story, " I am the mum of a diabetic child", I don't wish to sound harsh, but really if you think this situation is so bad, please give me a call you are doing it all wrong.
Don't give sugar in the middle of the night, give a small glass of Lucozade, and a stick of kitkat, kids can eat while they sleep trust me.
And be gratefull for the arm full of medicine that keeps your child alive, in India they have to let their children die because the cost is way beyond them.
Life throws us lemons, make lemonade, you attitude to this is the problem, not the diabetes itself.
There is far worst out there.
Kind regards,
Michelle🙂

 

[Adrienne]

I have just read the story, " I am the mum of a diabetic child", I don't wish to sound harsh, but really if you think this situation is so bad, please give me a call you are doing it all wrong.
Don't give sugar in the middle of the night, give a small glass of Lucozade, and a stick of kitkat, kids can eat while they sleep trust me.
And be gratefull for the arm full of medicine that keeps your child alive, in India they have to let their children die because the cost is way beyond them.
Life throws us lemons, make lemonade, you attitude to this is the problem, not the diabetes itself.
There is far worst out there.
Kind regards,
Michelle🙂

I'm not sure I'm reading this message right.

Do you have a child with type 1?

If you are using chocolate to treat your hypos, then you are doing it wrong?

Not one of us parents have ever asked for sympathy and we don't ever intend to. We are not stupid and we know there are worse things, we have our children others are not so lucky.

So before you come on this forum and post your first ever message, I suggest you take a chill pill and come down from your high horse and get to know us before you judge us !

 

[bev]

I have just read the story, " I am the mum of a diabetic child", I don't wish to sound harsh, but really if you think this situation is so bad, please give me a call you are doing it all wrong.
Don't give sugar in the middle of the night, give a small glass of Lucozade, and a stick of kitkat, kids can eat while they sleep trust me.
And be gratefull for the arm full of medicine that keeps your child alive, in India they have to let their children die because the cost is way beyond them.
Life throws us lemons, make lemonade, you attitude to this is the problem, not the diabetes itself.
There is far worst out there.
Kind regards,
Michelle🙂

Welcome to the forum.
That is a rather explosive entrance! Perhaps it might be best for you to tell us why you are on this site - do you have a diabetic child or are you diabetic yourself? Bev

 

[Steff]

Goodness one of the more vocal entrances we have had but anyway just wanted to welcome you to the forum .

 

[Becca]

I have just read the story, " I am the mum of a diabetic child", I don't wish to sound harsh, but really if you think this situation is so bad, please give me a call you are doing it all wrong.
Don't give sugar in the middle of the night, give a small glass of Lucozade, and a stick of kitkat, kids can eat while they sleep trust me.
And be gratefull for the arm full of medicine that keeps your child alive, in India they have to let their children die because the cost is way beyond them.
Life throws us lemons, make lemonade, you attitude to this is the problem, not the diabetes itself.
There is far worst out there.
Kind regards,
Michelle🙂

LOL! I shouldn't laugh but if i don't i will explode...are you for real? I'm sorry but to come on here, with your first post and judge like that is pretty amazing. Are you really who you say you are???

 

[Emmal31]

Thank you for posting that adrienne made me feel quite emotional. It's bad enough having diabetes ourseleves I can't imagine what it's like to have a child with it. I know that I'd rather have it myself than my jessica and I think all you mum's on here are so strong I don't think I would be in the same situation I have so much respect for you all xx

 

[Carynb]

Maybe Michelle didn't mean things the way they came out???????? Messaging can be interpreted the wrong way, I know we've all seen that happen on here before.
Let's hope it just came across the wrong way.
C 🙄

 

[dylansmummy]

kitkat for treating a night time hypo in a child?! the fat in the chocolate will slow down the absorption of the lucozade, so not the best advice michelle!

I assume from your post you don't have a diabetic child then?

 

[Northerner]

kitkat for treating a night time hypo in a child?! the fat in the chocolate will slow down the absorption of the lucozade, so not the best advice michelle!

I assume from your post you don't have a diabetic child then?

I'm an adult, and wouldn't have kitkat. I might have the lucozade, wait, then test and have some chocolate in order to stay up through the night. I think your post rather missed the point of the original post Michelle. There is always someone worse off than you - most people on this forum are probably worse off than me - but it doesn't mean you can just brush it off as an incidental inconvenience.

 

[ZoZo]

I have just read the story, " I am the mum of a diabetic child", I don't wish to sound harsh, but really if you think this situation is so bad, please give me a call you are doing it all wrong.
Don't give sugar in the middle of the night, give a small glass of Lucozade, and a stick of kitkat, kids can eat while they sleep trust me.
And be gratefull for the arm full of medicine that keeps your child alive, in India they have to let their children die because the cost is way beyond them.
Life throws us lemons, make lemonade, you attitude to this is the problem, not the diabetes itself.
There is far worst out there.
Kind regards,
Michelle🙂

HI All,

As you can see, Michelle is T1 herself, so while not the parent of a child with diabetes, she is herself living with the condition and seems to have a pretty down to earth attitude which is quite refreshing actually, as I read a lot of the gloom and doom on this forum, but little in the way of positive outlook?
I feel that I want to defend what Michelle has said here. I am a parent and I do obviously relate to a lot of the things in the original post.
Its is heartbreaking seeing your child upset about the thing they have to live with every day.
Like every other parent, I get tired, upset, emotional, defensive, protective and lots of other feelings on a daily basis. My son is the first thing I'm thinking about in the morning and the last thing at night. Like all other parents I ''grieved'' for the 'healthy' child I had for 11 years.

HOWEVER... Like Michelle has said, there is far worse out there,. I thank God every day that we live in a country where the drug to keep my son well is readily available. I thank him for the fact that my son can run, play, study, and all the other things that kids do.
I, like all other parents I'm sure, am determined that this will NOT ruin his life, and I am determined that he will grow up thinking the same way. My son is not a victim and I will never allow him to feel that way, so I reflect that in the way I act and the things I say to him about diabetes. Diabtetes is a huge thing in our lives, but its not the only thing. I work full time, he goes to school, we both have very busy social lives, and he is is happy and healthy and importantly, his levels are brilliant!!
This is a forum for free speech, and Michelle was only offering her opinion on something posted. We dont shoot people down in flames because they dont agree with us.
PS...I do think chocolate is not the best way to treat hypo, but that obviously works for Michelle!! 😉

 

[Northerner]

...as I read a lot of the gloom and doom on this forum, but little in the way of positive outlook? ...

We really aren't all about doom and gloom Zozo, far from it - I'm sorry if you get that impression. I write a lot of poetry about diabetes and it is all humorous - I'm not a fan of gloomy, heart-rending poetry (on any topic!). Hopefully, you will come to see that we have, on the whole a positive approach and a lot of good humour 🙂

 

[ZoZo]

I have just read the story, " I am the mum of a diabetic child", I don't wish to sound harsh, but really if you think this situation is so bad, please give me a call you are doing it all wrong.
Don't give sugar in the middle of the night, give a small glass of Lucozade, and a stick of kitkat, kids can eat while they sleep trust me.
And be gratefull for the arm full of medicine that keeps your child alive, in India they have to let their children die because the cost is way beyond them.
Life throws us lemons, make lemonade, you attitude to this is the problem, not the diabetes itself.
There is far worst out there.
Kind regards,
Michelle🙂

We really aren't all about doom and gloom Zozo, far from it - I'm sorry if you get that impression. I write a lot of poetry about diabetes and it is all humorous - I'm not a fan of gloomy, heart-rending poetry (on any topic!). Hopefully, you will come to see that we have, on the whole a positive approach and a lot of good humour 🙂

Oh I know that, Northerner and actually you always come across very postive!! There are some fabulous people on here but sometimes it seems a little negative, and yes, I know its very difficult and of course this is a place where people feel free to get things off their chests and have a rant, but I'd love to see some real positive things people are doing living with diabetes.