Posted on by Lorraine

I Used to Wonder | from preschool to 8th grade

fullsizeoutput_14ec6Caleb was diagnosed with type 1 at the age of three. He’s currently thirteen. There have been many struggles over the years, and managing diabetes at school is among the biggest. It is inherently complex, and it requires intense attention as it is ever-evolving with new participants each and every year.

Our range of experiences has been extreme. We’ve had remarkably helpful, caring and interested people offering to do whatever it took to keep Caleb safe, and we’ve had to take legal action resulting in staff members being removed because they were not able or willing to keep Caleb out of danger.

Caleb is currently in eighth grade. Diabetes has become such a small part of his school day, I’m not sure we did much of anything to prepare for it this year. This is a monumental difference to the documents and instructions and meetings and supplies that I coordinated when he was in preschool and early elementary school. It’s also a significant change from where we were just a couple of years ago when he started middle school.

I remember looking for these types of stories when Caleb was little, and not finding them. I wanted to know what it would be like. I needed to know whether we would be living this way for the rest of our lives. Although I knew Caleb would mature and become more autonomous, I couldn’t picture what that would be.

Now I know.

It’s a young man. He’s capable and responsible. He carries a bag with him wherever he goes without reminder because it’s become so natural to do so. He’s focused on his schoolwork and his friends and is excited about his varied after school activities. Diabetes is still there, but it’s so much less of a monster than it once was.

As parents, we teach and prepare our children to care for themselves. Just like Caleb has learned to dress himself, make his own meals, do his schoolwork independently, and countless other things I take for granted, so too has he learned to manage his diabetes independently.

8 Replies to “I Used to Wonder | from preschool to 8th grade”

  2. I’m so glad that I found your blog while googling “infected Dexcom site”! I have a 9 year old son that was diagnosed with T1D in June of this year while we were on vacation. 😦 It’s been a roller coaster of emotions and life has forever changed. While it’s gotten easier there are still times that it’s overwhelming and unfair and frustrating – like when his Dexcom sensor comes off after only a few days because he is an active football-and-baseball playing boy! Thanks to your blog we’ve tried the double adhesive method and it’s helped tremendously! Your posts gives me hope and right now, that’s what I need.
    Thanks.

    1. Hi Jeana! I’m so sorry about your son’s diagnosis. Overwhelming, unfair, and frustrating – yes, indeed. I agree wholeheartedly. I’m glad double adhesive works. Some others things if you haven’t already considered them – sometimes adhesive sticks better when the skin is just cleaned and not prepped with anything. Also, I soak the adhesive with a SkinTac wipe and let it set before applying the sensor. That seems to help with adhesion. Nevertheless, they wear the sensors for so long, there’s a good chance it will need reinforcement before it’s time to replace it. Check out Neil after 88 days – he uses a special sports tape.

  3. Ty has only had it half the time Caleb has. He was dx in kindergarten and is, currently, in 6th grade. We have seen some similar progressions over the past 5 years. He’s not as independent as Caleb is, yet. But, he’s getting there. Thanks for being a calmer voice in this storm that is T1. It helps. Really.

    .. I still find it funny that one of the people whose blog posts I look most forward to lives in my hometown and I don’t. It always strikes me funny when I think about it. ☺️

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