My brother-in-law organizes a walk here in Idaho Falls, Idaho. It is a Walk to Cure Diabetes for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF). I believe it is evidence of the Lord's tender mercies. I don't believe that is a coincidence that my family has become so involved in such an important cause.....

The Diagnosis

I don't think I'll ever forget March 25, 2010. That was the day my Saylor was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We were lucky. We caught it early. I've heard stories of how sick kids have gotten before they were diagnosed. I can't even imagine. We did know that something was off. She was definately not herself.

It started with a a chest cold. She had a pretty bad cough that just wouldn't go away. Then she started becoming extremely thirsty. This was no ordinary thirst. She was like a junkie needing to get her fix. She would wake up thirsty crying for water. It was such strange behavior. I mentioned to Cory that maybe we should take her to see the doctor. He's big on waiting things out. "It'll probably go away in a few days." I remember talking to my sister at the kitchen table about her strange thirst. I knew that extreme thirst and peeing a lot was a symptom of Diabetes. I felt silly and over dramatic even thinking it. I told my sister about it and she advised taking Saylor to the doctor. She said even if it's not that it is something. There is definately a reason for her behavior. Anything out of the ordinary with kids should be looked at. After that I put it out of my mind and decided to wait a few more days and see what would happen. Cory was set to go visit with friends in Las Vegas on March 25th. The day before he called me from work and said I think we should make an appointment for Saylor. I want to take her in before my trip. So that next day we went in to see the doctor.

Saylor was so tempermental at the doctor's office. She was having fit after fit. We were there for a very long time. First he examined her and said she had a virus. Then he sent us down to the lab to test her blood sugar. By this time she was screaming and out of control. Looking back she had been extremely emotional lately. Needless to say that poking her finger did not help her mood. Her blood sugar was literally off the charts. It was too high for the meter to read. We then went back to the doctor. He said to us very matter of fact "your daughter is Diabetic." It is hard to put into words what I was feeling when I heard that. I couldn't believe that was it. No further testing, nothing. She was diabetic. He then threw a lot of information at us that I can't recall. I was very much in shock. Not to mention both of our girls had had it with the doctor's office by now. We were then sent to the hospital. Saylor wanted to ride in daddy's truck. That left me to cry my eyes out in the car on the way over to the hospital. That was the only time I cried. I got to the hospital, wiped my eyes, and then I was numb.

Once we were there Cory offered to take our screaming child to the lab and I could take Sydney to registration. I was very thankful for that. I need the time to pull myself together. I thought I was going to lose it. I then met up with Cory and we went to Pediatrics. Later we found out from her initial bloodwork that her blood sugar was in the 700's. It was so overwhelming. We had tons of Diabetes education and facts thrown at us. The doctor told us we were taking things very well. I believe that was shock he was seeing. Fortunately she did very well and we were able to go home in a couple of days. Of course going home everything would be different.

Day to day we manage. Sometimes I feel like this is my disease. That is just because she is so young and her dad and I manage it for her right now. But, I know that someday she'll be responsible for it and that scares the heck out of me. Talk about having no control. Of course with this disease I'm finding that control goes out the window anyways. It's strange to think that on Wednesday March 24th Saylor was just an average 2 1/2 year old little girl just like any other toddler, but the very next day everything changed for her. In an instant her life was literally turned upside down. Or so it would seem. I remember reading in another D-mom's blog this disease never goes away. I don't think I've ever had anything hit me quite so hard. Ever since March 25, 2010 I carry that weight with me every day and so does my Saylor. If I had one wish it would be for a cure.