Diabetic Pages

The first year of Brandon's life was pretty fast. He was such a wonderful child. I was so happy being a mother. My family was great. Then my nightmare began...the day came when he first got sick.. he was 12 months and 6 days old.. he started throwing up. He was very slow in doing anything. He didn't want to walk..didn't want to crawl. He just sat there. He didn't respond to me or anyone else. For 5 long days and nights my husband and I watched him like a hawk. We tried to get him to play his favorite games...but he wouldn't. We tried to feed him anything he would take..but he didn't want anything. We tried to get him to drink.. but he drank very little. I remember waking up one night and finding my husband standing over his crib watching him sleeping. I silently made my way back to our bed. On Monday night my husband sat on the couch holding our son telling him that Daddy had to go away for a few days but he would be back soon and to get better and he kept saying over and over that he loved him. The next morning I took my husband to the base and he left for 2 weeks. I came back home and called the nurse's line and made an appointment for my son. They didn't even think he needed to be seen..they thought he had a flu. I told her that I didn't care if it was the flu or not that he needed to be seen and I was going to bring him in. They looked him over and all seemed fine so they did bloodwork. The doctor came in and said, "Mrs... I don't want to scare you but we are going to have to draw more blood and get a clean urine sample." I asked,"What do you think it is Doctor?" He looked at me and said,"Honestly I think that his tests were messed up somehow because the results show him as a possible diabetic and children his age don't have Diabetes." I told him to do what he had to do. Then 20 mintutes later he walked back in and gave me that look... all you parents..you know the look I am talking about. It is a look of "oh dear, I have to tell you bad news and I don't know how". The doctor explained to me that his sugar test came back and he was sitting over 600 the first time. When the retest came in it was up over 700. They started an IV and placed us in an ambulance to take us to the hospital since we were at the clinic. I just kept praying for God to let my son be okay.. and not to take him away from me. He looked so small and fragile. By the time we got to the ER he was in a comatose state. They rechecked his sugar and he was sitting at 981. They gave him his first shot of insulin. They put him in ICU for the night and waited to transport him to another hospital in the morning. While he was not really responding to me, I walked down stairs and looked up in the sky and said,"God..please do not take my son from me. He is my life...he is my soul..he is my inspiration. If you take him from me I won't be able to survive. I will die inside. You chose me to be his mother.. now give me a chance to take care of him with the Diabetes. I know that things will be hard but I don't mind. I just want him to stay with me." I walked back upstairs and sat by his bedside. A short while later he woke up hungry. I just sat there and cried. Cried tears of happiness, joy, sadness, and even anger. I didn't understand how this could happen to my child. My little angel would never again be the same and I was angry. I was happy cause he was still with me.

In the next two weeks my husband and I learned everything we could about taking care of him properly. My husband was able to come home the day after his diagnosis. The day he was dismissed I was too afraid to make the 6 hour trip home so we stayed there by the hospital. I was afraid that something would happen as soon as we were away from the hospital. I couldn't sleep that night. It was the first night he was with us alone since his diagnosis. I wanted to take him back to the hospital where I knew he would be safe. They were trained to take care of sick children. The next morning came and he was okay so we finally brought him home and started our new routine at home. I was afraid to take him anywhere. I didn't want anyone to see anything that he had to go through. I didn't want anything to hurt him. I was afraid dearly that if I took him somewhere then it would hurt him.

My husband left shortly after my son's diagnosis for a six month deployment. He got home almost a year ago and my son couldn't be happier. I know that I feel so much better with him here. The little things like hand squeezes and unexpected hugs are the best. Brandon is so strong and courageous. I thank God everyday for the fact that I have him in my life. He is my everything and I would be nothing without him. I was so close to loosing him and I don't ever want to feel that way again. If this story has taught you anything at all.. let it teach you that you take each day and live it to it's best potential. Let it teach you that your children or any child for that matter is definately a gift from God. They are miracles in themselves. I know mine is and I will never forget that. If I am having a bad day for any reason I look at my child and realize how lucky I am. I have an angel with me all the time. I must be the luckiest woman in the world.

Listed below you will find some links which I have found very resourceful since my son, Brandon, was diagnosed in August of 1997. There are a few chat rooms where I have found some really good advice and even vented my frustrations. These people are wonderful caring individuals who understand what you are going through. A great big thanks to you all. Please stop by and visit Vicki's Diabetes Page. It is a wonderful page that reveals to you the other side of Diabetes.. being the diabetic. She is one of my best friends. She is always readily available to answer any of my questions at to what Brandon might be feeling..or thinking. Her page is absolutely wonderful. Insulin is not a cure but it allows each of us another day with the one we love that has this disease. Let's fight for the cure together!

My Favorite Diabetic Links...

Children With Diabetes*	Melissa's Diabetic Chat*	Juvenile Diabetes Association	The American Diabetes Association	The Diabetes Mall
Kids R Pumping	Informed Patient "Dr's Visit"	Diabetes Info	Vicki's Diabetes *Dweebmom's*	National Library of Medicine
Fast Food Calculator	Diabetes Well	The Cookbook	Diabetic Gourmet Magazine	Amputation Prevention
Diabetes Scene	Insulin-Free World Foundation	Islet Foundation	Diabetic Lifestyle Online	Center of Disease Control
Diabetes Monitor	Diabetes.com	Mediconsult	The Healing Handbook	Living with Diabetes
Mark Fitzsimmon's HomePage	Diabetes Corner	The Family's Guide	Diabetes Education and Research	Diabetes Miscellany
Diabetes Memorial Quilt	Endocrine Web	Education Center	Melissa's Diabetic Pages	MiniMed Pump

The two links above with the "*" have chat rooms.
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This midi isCandle In The Wind by Elton John. Don't let the candle for diabetic research be blown out by the wind. Keep it burning strong.

Last updated on April 15, 1999


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