Bitter Sweet Life of Chesi

When Chesi was diagnosed in March 2016 with Type 1 Diabetes, it was quite a shock.  We ended up in the emergency room before she was given insulin and her body was in DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis), a serious condition that can lead to diabetic coma or even death.  She was hospitalized for days and life completely changed for all of us.

I was curious how that related to ketones because I had recently heard of a diet which puts your body into ketosis.  What I learned was shocking!  When our cells are deprived of glucose, our body burns fat for energy which produces ketones.  That didn’t sound too bad, but ketones are chemicals our bodies create and becomes our body’s source of energy.  When ketones build up in the blood, they make it acidic.  High levels are poisonous to the body and can lead to DKA.  The best decription I was given is when your body goes through this process, it eats the fat, then muscles and continues to eat away at your insides like having acetone in the body.  Scary, right?  I was also naïve to the different types of diabetes.  Type 2 is quite common.  With type 2, your body isn’t using the insulin correctly creating resistance.  It can be controlled and you are not insulin-dependent.  On the other hand, with type 1 diabetes, your body’s immune system destroys the cells that release insulin eventually eliminating insulin production.  This means your pancreas no longer works and you are insulin-dependent for the rest of your life.  It is an auto-immune disease.

Now that you understand what the body is doing to Chesi, can you imagine what that would be like to suddenly have to stick yourself with needles forever?!?  She has to prick her finger 3-6 times a day (sometimes more) to check her sugar levels.  She has to take a long-lasting insulin shot at night and 3 or more fast-acting insulin shots throughout the day!  Eventually, it will become second nature, but for now it’s crazy!  We don’t want her to end up in the hospital in DKA again!

Type 1 isn’t uncommon, but it does change life dramatically.  While in the hospital learning how life would change for us, I began thinking back to a childhood friend of mine.  I loved her so much and we were best friends for years.  I spent weekends with her, had her in classes, clubs and after school programs.  She was always going to the nurse.  I went with her most days, because she had to have someone go with her (I didn’t understand that at the time) and I even got a snack with her while in there.  I had no idea what was going on with her.  I just enjoyed leaving class, being with my friend and getting juice & cookies!  Later, I would see her poking herself and messing with a machine then began watching her give herself shots in the belly.  I had no idea what she was doing.  It was normal behavior for her so I didn’t think anything different of her.  Back then it was way more complicated and taboo than it is today.  Our little school alone has 8 diabetic kids!  I can only imagine how my friend felt back then.  I wonder if she felt like an outcast.  Maybe she felt like she was weird, different from everyone else or even hated her life.  If she did, I never noticed!  She was a trooper!!  My memories of her are so vivid that one night her parents weren’t home yet and we had to order pizza, she was constantly checking her sugar and I helped her with her little glass bottle and syringe (later we discovered they borrowed lights from her parents business for the Yolanda Saldívar standoff – Selena’s death).  As I sat in the hospital with Chesi, I was reminded of so many things that I remembered with my friend.  She was so strong, it never bothered her & she adapted to her lifestyle quite well.  I am so thankful God placed her in my life.  I look back now and understand what was going on and I can offer words of encouragement to my daughter in this crazy time.

When diagnosed, life as she knew it was over.  It’s not as easy to grab movie popcorn and candy or veg out and watch TV.  And her secret Dr. Pepper habit had to end!  She can still do these things, but she has to pay special attention to her sugar levels, carb counts, etc.  It isn’t like the rest of us who can eat whatever, whenever.  It’s planned.  It’s monitored.  It’s intentional.  I know many other parents struggle with their children and Type 1 Diabetes.  I know I am not alone, but sometimes I feel helpless.  She is not 5!  She is 16.  She’s a rebellious teenager who doesn’t want to check her sugar, tell me what her sugar is and certainly doesn’t like her mom asking her about it or “checking up on her.”  She thinks she can handle herself.  If you have a teenager, you know this attitude!  How do I make her see that this is a life or death situation?  How do I make her understand that the sooner this becomes a routine, the easier it gets and less drama is involved?  Sigh.  The only thing I can say is I sure am glad I work from home, because keeping up with her is rough.  I get calls almost daily from the school.  She feels great then feels horrible.  She is up and then she’s down.  I recently made her a shirt that said “I am sorry for what I said when I was low…and high!”  This is absolute reality!  Her moods are all over the place and I am beginning to recognize the signs of low or high blood sugar levels in her.  Now, if we could only adapt to this new lifestyle!

If your child has Type 1 Diabetes, I’d love to connect with you!  I need to know this gets easier and we need all the support we can get!  Prayers for my sweet Chesi would be much appreciated!!  You can also pray her momma survives this transition!  LOL  Do you have a diabetic story?  Please message me.  I’d love to hear from you!