Skip to main content

Short Stories: Type 1/Diagnosed at C.H.O.P. :)

November 11, 2005. 
Lynda’s hospital room was small, and the floor, which I found myself staring at constantly, was tiled in blue. Purple and pink curtains were hanging over the vertical blinds across the large window. Her room was down a long hallway in 3 South, which is located on the 3rd floor of Children’s Hospital. This room wasn’t as cold as the room in the Emergency Department, but it wasn’t warm enough to call it cozy either. My daughter was watching, Ella Enchanted. Halfway through the movie the nurse walked in with syringes in one hand and insulin in the other. “Hello,” she said with a smile. “Time for insulin,” she pulled two latex gloves out of a box on the counter.

“I’m sure you’ve seen this done a few times today,” she said while filling the syringe with clear liquid from the little glass bottle. “Now it’s your turn to give it a try.”  “Here we go,” she said while holding the syringe out to me.

It was a small needle with a thin point. As I took the needle from her I asked, “How many times a day does she have to use this again?”

“This one is only given once a day at bedtime,” she replied.

“Well, what about the other one? How many times does she have to use that one?” I asked.

“The Novolog is used whenever she eats or her glucose is too high.”

“Okay.” I paused and then continued “How long is she supposed to be on insulin?”

"The doctor didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Well unless a cure is found, she’ll be on insulin for the rest of her life.”

“But, don’t some people control it with pills?”

“That’s Type 2, your daughter has Type 1 Diabetes. She has to take insulin by injections or through an insulin pump. Right now there is no other method available to control her Diabetes.”

“Oh." I whispered as I stared down at the tiles on the floor. Perfect squares leading out of the room and into the hall. Earlier that day there must have been at least 3 doctors who asked, “Do you have any questions?” and I couldn’t think of any, not one. Now here I was pouring questions out of my mouth to the nurse, the same way the tiles poured into the hallway, one after the other. The nurse’s smile was gone. “The doctor will be here in the morning and I’m sure he can give you a better understanding of her condition.”

dn’t say anything.
“Are you okay” she asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.” I gave her a half smile and asked, “What do I have to do?”
“I’ve already wiped off this area of her arm with alcohol,” she pointed to the back of my daughter’s right arm. “Just pinch her skin up and insert the needle. Push the insulin in and count to seven before removing the needle.”
I looked at Lynda and told her not worry, it would only take a few seconds and then it would be over. She didn’t cry, wine or fidget. She was being a big girl. When the nurse left the room, I laid down on the bed with my daughter. She fell asleep within minutes. Her thin, four year old body looked so small. I got back up and tucked her in snugly. On the TV, Ella’s journey to find her Fairy Godmother continued. I sat in a chair and wrote down questions on the back of an envelope that I’d been carrying in my purse. There were a lot of questions. My knowledge of Juvenile Diabetes did not extend past the Mary Tyler Moore commercials that I’d seen on television and I couldn’t even remember what she was saying in them. I felt a little embarrassed about that. How could I have paid so little attention to something that affects so many children each year?

November 12, 2005
The doctor came early in the morning. He answered little of my questions. The questions he did not answer, he assured would be answered in diabetes management courses that I would be taking at the hospital. This didn’t make me feel any better. Besides, none of them could answer the most important question of all which was, “Why did this happen?” Juvenile Diabetes doesn’t even run in our family. I sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. According to the menu on Lynda’s bedside table, breakfast would be coming soon, which meant that I would have to check her glucose and give her insulin. I looked down at the floor. The tiles were made of two blue tones and they had a cream color lightly streaming through them. They looked like marble. Cold, hard marble that ended at the door, which was closed.

Classes started in the afternoon and there were three other families attending. I had a lot to learn. First off, I was told that Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack and destroy insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Because she has Type 1 Diabetes, my daughter’s pancreas would not be able to produce any insulin at all. If she had Type 2, her pancreas would still produce some insulin, but not enough. There is no cure for either type.

In nutrition class I learned that the amount of sugar in her food would not determine how much insulin my daughter would receive. Just because a product is labeled, “Sugar Free,” doesn’t mean she can eat it without taking insulin. It’s about the carbohydrates and many sugar free foods still have “carbs.” When giving my daughter insulin, I was told to combine the amount of units for her carb. intake, with the amount of units for her correction dose, if her glucose was too high. If her blood glucose was too low, I would have to give her 15 grams of carbohydrates to bring it up to a normal level. If it was too low for her to take the 15 grams by eating or drinking, I was told to put cake icing in her cheeks. If her blood sugar was so low that she passed out, I would have to use a special injection that came in the Glucagon Emergency Kit.

When her blood sugar is extremely low, it’s called hypoglycemic. When extremely high, it’s called, hyperglycemic. I learned about Ketoacidosis, rapid-acting insulin and long-acting insulin. I was told that I would need to buy a scale and measuring cups to weigh and measure her food. I learned that every restaurant and fast food establishment is supposed to supply their guests with nutrition facts for the food they sell, if the person asks for it. I would later have to ask every place we ate out at, from Chucky Cheese’s to Applebee’s. The only place that labels their food is McDonalds. They label the wrappers and Kid’s meals.

I learned that schools, private or public would have to accommodate my daughter as they do any other child with a serious medical condition or disability. She is protected under the Disabilities Act; however, don’t mistake this as a reason for receiving Supplemental Security Benefits for a disability, because she would not be eligible for that.

November 13, 2005
On the 13th, I had a full day of classes. There was another nutrition class, and a class about sick days and how to treat ketones. I also had a couple of one-on-one sessions which I really liked. They were about simple things, like how to code her glucometer. The more I was educated, the better I felt. At the end of the day, the hospital gave me a multiple choice test on what I had learned. I did well.


November 14, 2005
Before my daughter was discharged, the hospital gave her a teddy bear named, Rufus, as a gift. He’s the official Diabetic Bear and he has patches sown on the spots where he gets his insulin shots. They also gave me a white binder. On the front cover it said, Managing Your Diabetes and on the first sheet of paper inside, there was a heading that read, “The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia® Hope lives here.” I smiled and flipped through the book. It was full of instructions, information, charts and phone numbers. I felt confident. The hospital staff had done everything they needed to do to prepare us for our new life, and they did it within a matter of days. As I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for her discharge papers, I looked down at the floor. The tiles had a baby blue and aquamarine mix of colors flowing through them. It looked kind of like cool blue water flowing toward the hallway, where white tiles met their edges, the same way white sand meets the waves of the Caribbean Sea. I felt relieved and thanked the staff repeatedly on the way out.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Weak Man Hates Anything that Challenges Him to Be Better

We all come across weak men who blame others for their shortcomings. These men struggle with accountability and reject anything that challenges them to be better. In essence, they are narcissistic and self-centered. It is not easy to deal with such men, especially if you are in a relationship with them. Weak men often have fragile egos, and anything that threatens their fragile sense of self is perceived as a threat. We have to understand that these men are not secure within themselves, and they rely on external validation to feel good about themselves. Therefore, when you try to challenge them to be better, they feel like you are attacking them, and they become defensive. They cannot handle criticism, and they struggle with personal growth. One of the reasons why weak men struggle with personal growth is that they are afraid of change. They are comfortable in their current ways, and they are not willing to step out of their comfort zones. They fear the unknown, and they do not want to

Invest in Men Who Invest in Themselves

Many women fall into the trap of settling for men who are not growing emotionally or mentally. So, today we're exploring the importance of investing in a partner who invests in themselves. We will look at the five warning signs that a man is not growing and why settling for less can be detrimental to your happiness. If you are ready to prioritize your own growth and fulfillment in a relationship, keep reading. Unwilling to be accountable A man who is not willing to take responsibility for his actions or mistakes is not growing. He may blame others for his problems, make excuses, or refuse to admit when he's wrong. This lack of accountability can cause major problems in a relationship, leading to mistrust, resentment, and emotional distance. If your partner is unwilling to be accountable, it's essential to have an honest conversation about how you feel and set clear boundaries. Unaware of his faults A man who doesn't recognize his faults and limitations is not growing. H

Dating After 40: Why You Deserve a Man Who's Done the Work

Women in their 40s should have a different outlook on dating than those in their younger years. As we age, our priorities should change. What once seemed like an exciting project or a new endeavor may now feel like a waste of time. We reach a point where we no longer have time for "projects." And that includes men who don't have their shit together. A man must be stable, both financially and emotionally. We've invested time and energy building ourselves up and we deserve a partner who has done the same.  Once you reach a certain age, you can no longer afford to invest your time and energy into someone who isn't on the same page as you.  You've spent years working on yourself and improving your life. You've invested time and money into your education, career, and personal growth. You've learned the importance of taking care of your physical and mental health. So why should you settle for a man who hasn't done the same? A man who has done the work is

When He Wants Your Body and Not Your Heart

There's nothing wrong with being physical with your partner, whether it's holding hands, cuddling, or kissing. However, when a man is only after your body and not your heart, he will show signs that can be easy to miss. It's important to recognize these signs to protect ourselves from being used and giving ourselves to the wrong people. If he's doing these things he may be using your for sex.  His touch is always sexual When you're in the company of a man who is only after your body, his touch will always have a sexual undertone. He'll initiate physical contact with the sole purpose of getting you into bed. You'll notice that his hand on your thigh or your shoulder will linger longer than necessary. If you're not comfortable with this type of physical contact, it's best to set boundaries with him sooner rather than later. He's not interested in intimate conversations A man who's interested in your heart will want to get to know you on a deepe

STOP Recycling Men: Here's Why You Deserve Better!

Have you ever found yourself in a relationship with a man who keeps revisiting his past, unable to detach from his old ways? Do you often feel like you're with someone who is not truly committed to growing and evolving themselves? If so, then it's time to put an end to it. Ladies, stop recycling men! Recycling is when you take an old, outdated thing, and make a new use of it. You deserve a man who is continually evolving and reinventing himself—a man who is letting go of his past, his soul ties, and his youthful mindset.  In this post, we'll explore why you deserve better and how to avoid the pitfalls of recycling men who are stuck in their old ways. You deserve a man who is ready and willing to create a completely new version of himself. Someone who is committed to shedding his old ways, letting go of soul ties, and breaking free from younger mentalities. Recycled men often come with baggage that prevents them from truly growing and evolving. And if you're with someone

Don't Date Him if He's Broke - Here's Why!

As a society, we've been taught that love knows no boundaries - not even financial ones. And while it's true that money isn't everything, it's important to recognize the impact that financial instability can have on a relationship. If you're considering dating a man who is currently broke, but still trying to date, you may want to think twice. Here are the reasons why you shouldn't date him if he's broke, and what negative effects it can have on your relationship. He's Going to Transfer Those Bad Priorities into a Relationship with You When someone is broke and still trying to date, it's a clear indication that their priorities aren't in order. If he's struggling to take care of himself financially, he's likely to prioritize instant gratification over long-term goals. This means that he may not understand the importance of saving money, setting financial goals, or investing in a shared future. If you're in a relationship with a man wh

Dating After 40: How To Approach It Differently

Age is just a number, and you're never too old to find love. But let's be real: dating after 40 can be a bit daunting. If you're single and dating in your 40s, you know that your patience, intuition, and emotional needs have changed over time, and so should your dating approach. It's important to take a step back and reevaluate your priorities before jumping back into the dating scene. Here are some tips on how to approach dating after 40. Create A List Of Priorities And Deal Breakers Before starting to look for a partner, make sure you have a clear idea of what you're looking for. Take some time to think about your priorities in a relationship. What are the qualities you want in a partner? What are your deal breakers? Things like being a cat or dog person, smoking preferences, or having kids can be important factors that determine the compatibility with a potential partner. Having a clear idea of what you want from a relationship will help you navigate the dating s

Three Reasons He Takes You For Granted: Understanding His Mindset

Sometimes we often find ourselves in situations where we feel undervalued by our significant other. We give all our love, care, and attention to make our partner happy, but sometimes, they don't reciprocate our efforts. It can be a frustrating and hurtful experience, leaving us feeling unappreciated and unwanted. But why does this happen? Why do some men take their partners for granted? Let's explore three common reasons why this could be happening and what we can do about it. Photo by Alex Green His value system makes him ignorant to your value. One of the main reasons why men take their partners for granted is that their value system differs from ours. For them, emotional support, care, and attention may not hold the same importance as it does for us. They may prioritize other aspects of life, such as their career, hobbies, or friends. They may not realize the effort that goes into maintaining a healthy relationship and undervalue the importance of emotional support. This cou