'Your baby has Type 1 diabetes and will need insulin for the rest of his life'
It was at this moment that I knew our lives had changed forever.
It was a hard pill to swallow, hearing these words, and we were in complete shock with what was unfolding in front of our eyes.
As the doctors piled in they worked frantically, pumping our son full of fluids as they were worried he might fall into a coma since he was in a full blown Diabetic Ketoacidosis episode. We felt shocked, devastated and confused... how could they know so quickly and so confidently that his diagnosis was even correct?
We had (what we thought) a perfectly healthy boy a few days ago, we only came into the hospital to get his breathing seen to, not to get this life altering life sentence.
For those that don’t know, T1 is an autoimmune disease where your body starts to attack the beta cells in your pancreas that produce insulin thinking they’re an invader from outer space. His body no longer makes insulin, so we now need to inject him with it multiple times a day, every single day,
FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
So as my wife Megan and I get used to our new normal, I can’t help but reflect on the last 2 weeks and how it’s all impacted on the way we see the world.
Here’s what I now know;
- Life is cruel, hard, unfair and uncertain, and no one is immune to this, so you better get used to dealing with hardship, it’s inevitable.
- No parent should ever have to see their 11 month old with multiple tubes coming out of them in the ICU
- Why is it that we always question the way we live and see the world only in times of crisis? Why can’t we already be living in a way that truly make us happy?
- Why can’t we see how precious and fragile life is all is all the time, and not just when we, or someone close to us is sick?
- Time is the most precious resource we have, especially when it comes to our kids, make sure we spend it in the way we truly want, or it will eat you up inside, slowly but surely.
- Kids don’t see your pain, they feel then reflect it (this has been very true for our older 2 boys)
- If you truly want to live your life in a different way that’s more family oriented, do it now, and make the sacrifices to make it all happen! This all can be taken away at a moments notice (you will always regret this if you don’t)
- All the money, status & fame accumulated during our life’s path means sweet F all if you don’t have you and your families health, love, and admiration at the end of it all
- Do what ever you need to do to make sure you and your family grow and thrive in the happiest & healthiest environment possible, this will always repay you back in spades
This has been one of the most eye opening and challenging weeks of our lives, but like all hardships, if you look and approach them with the right mindset and questions, you will be able to take a lot away from these experiences!
Until next time