3 Things I Learned by Being a Mommy with Type 1 Diabetes

November is Diabetes awareness month. 

Go hug someone who has diabetes. Just go do it, unless they don't like hugs, then don't. 

I would like to clear up some misconceptions. 

And, I would like to also say that if what I'm about to say is a surprise to you, that's okay. 

Let me give you a little background. 

On June 4th, 2008, I felt like crap. It's true, I had been feeling AWFUL for about a week. 

I had to go to the bathroom all the time (like 8 times a night)

I couldn't drink enough water

I couldn't get enough to eat ever

I was just plain exhausted

And, I was super dizzy. 

I put all of these lovely symptoms into WebMD (Don't judge, you all have done it too), and it told me I had vertigo. Obviously. 

Later that day, my wise mommy told me she wanted to go to the Dr. to get it all checked out. 

I didn't want to go, WebMD Told me it would pass. 

But, I went because I learned at a very young age that one is not sassy to Sandy Clements. 

So I went to the Dr, and stepped on the scale and found out I lost 15 pounds in about a week. 

SCORE. 

(This was not the same reaction that the Dr. had.)

We talked about what was going on, and then they did some test... They poked my finger. I over reacted and acted like it was the end of the world, I'm sure. OH NO A NEEDLE. 

The nurse looked at the number on the meter and immediately left the room. 

The Doctor came back in and told me and my mom that I had Diabetes and that I needed to go straight to the hospital to get admitted. 

I then broke down and said (being totally naive), I'm not old or overweight how do I have diabetes. 

He then explained that what I had was Type one diabetes. 

Type one diabetes is different from type two diabetes(which is most common), it simply means that your pancreas has stopped working, and that in order for you to stay alive you have do the job of your pancreas. And, you do this with the needles that you have to constantly poke yourself with . 

Come to find out, I was in the late stages of DKA (this is a VERY bad thing). I got to take up a residence at the hospital for a week, before I was ready to go home and begin tackling this disease on my own (with the help of my incredibly supportive family, of course). 

Okay, I know great story. 

Things got interesting after Austin and I got married and  found out we were expecting twins. When we moved to Chicago and I told my endo that I had twins, she looked at me and said something to the extent of "Oh, gosh. I'm glad I wasn't your doctor." 

I got extremely lucky with my medical team while I was pregnant. But, it was a challenge. 

So, here are three things I learned by being a mommy with type 1. 

1. Don't be so judgmental. 

Some people can't nurse their babies. These moms still know its the best thing, and as a mom you do want the best for your kids, but for some people it's just not in the cards. If you hear that someone isn't nursing let's all just do one another a favor and assume that there is a reason. Don't be a hater. I gave it a shot, and it simply came down to the fact that it wasn't safe for me to be home alone nursing TWO babies. After I had the girls my blood sugars were all over the place (and still are some days). Austin and I were constantly afraid that I would go low and not be able to take care of the girls. 

There are definitely times that I need this reminder, maybe not about nursing but about another parenting issue. I'll say to Austin, "Can you believe that they are doing (insert any controversial parenting thing, ps everything in parenting is controversial)". I have to remember that I don't know their outside circumstances, and I need to stop being a hater. Nobody likes a hater. 

 

2. I have to put my health first. 

For me to be a good wife to Austin and a good mommy to Kate and Grace, I have to take care of my self first. There was a situation, not long after we moved to Chicago that I was admitted back into the hospital for DKA. It was bad news. My mom flew up from KC, everything seemed to stop. I couldn't take care of myself, and heavens knows I couldn't take care of my family. It was the worst, but it was a wake up call for me. 

3. Sometimes People Don't Understand, and That's Okay. 

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me (or someone so close to me and my disease that it hurts) why I didn't just exercise more (Austin and I just trained for and ran the Chicago marathon) or eat better (I am a soft Vegan, and eat a whole foods diet), I would be a rich rich woman.  

Sometimes, when I'm really stressed my blood sugar will just shoot up. And, being a mom of toddler twins is stressful business. 

I can't always control my blood sugar, but I am thankful for the advances in medical technology and my support system.

I have to realize that some people refuse to take time and learn about the disease, and that's okay. I know there are so many things that I don't know the first anything about. And, it is a constant reminder that i need to be full of patience and grace not only with others, but myself as well. 

If you want to learn more, I encourage you to try the Type One for a Day Challenge here. 

The Adventures Begin..

On March 2nd Austin and I (Sara) began one of the biggest adventures of our lives... we became parents to the two most beautiful girls in the word (we may be a little biased). Over the past month we have had a lot of struggles as well as a lot of wonderful moments. In the next months we will have a lot of big changes coming, and we want to share the good and bad moments with all of you no matter how near or far we are from you.

I had a challenging pregnancy to say the least. I think I probably solely funded my high risk doctors salary for the year with my co-pays (man, did this pregnancy make us thankful for health insurance!). But my pregnancy came to a culmination the last week of February. I was a hot mess to say the least. I was sleeping on the couch due to the fact I got stuck if I slept in our bed. If I would have been on fire, I wouldn't have been able to stop, drop and roll due to the fact that I had a speed bump for a belly. Through the latter part of my pregnancy I had developed pre-eclampsia. The last week of my pregnancy, my blood pressure shot up and began to wreak havoc on me. Once I was admitted to the hospital I went into preterm labor and shortly after we got to meet Grace Emery and Kate Sophia.

I was able to meet them briefly before they were whisked away to the NICU, where they spent the first 3 weeks of their lives. They spent time learning how to eat and remembering to breathe. Grace came home from the NICU on March 27th. We were so excited to have her home, but we missed Kate. It only took her two additional days to get to join us at home. Unfortunately, due to a bug and high fever Grace ended up being admitted to Children's Mercy hospital. The day she was discharged Kate was admitted for the same bug. Kate is still in the hospital due to the fact that since she is sick she keeps forgetting to breathe.

Austin and I have learned a lot about the difference between surviving and thriving in challenging circumstances over the last month. We have come to the realization that to thrive in hard times you have to just deal with what is in front of you at the moment and not get overwhelmed about everything else. We are called to be faithful with what God has set before us in that moment and not get overwhelmed with the 50 other things on our to do list.

We are so thankful for all the love and support we have received from all of those around us! Please continue to pray for our sweet girls as they are still growing and developing.