Caleb

From his mom, Robin:

My oldest son, Caleb, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 9 years old. Nine is that tender age just between child and pre-teen. The height of childhood perhaps, just old enough to glean enough freedom to roam the neighborhood with friends and start to understand how the world works, but still young enough to line your bed with stuffies to ward off the things that go bump in the night. It was at this age my young son started to display signs of diabetes. His thirst was unquenchable, his hunger ravenous, and then the nighttime bathroom trips began. As a pediatric nurse, I feared the worse. “He has type 1 diabetes” I told my husband with disbelief in my own voice. I heard the words coming out but the deepest part of me wanted to believe I was wrong. Yet, it was at that moment my brain confirmed what my mouth was speaking and it hit me all at once “He has type 1 diabetes.” My husband was not so certain and I asked that we pick up a glucometer, him being the more laid back of the two of us asked we make a pediatrician appointment the following day. I agreed but that night my head and my heart combined forces and I kept vigil over my sleeping boy all night because as someone who had worked in the Peds ER, I knew DKA could come on fast if I was right. All night I sat awake next to him watching and worrying and hoping I was wrong. The following morning we sped to the pediatrician’s office where my son’s blood sugar proved to be near 300 after having not had anything to eat or drink since dinner the night before. My fears were confirmed and we were sent to the local children’s hospital for three days of inpatient diabetes education. The educators were compassionate, brilliant, and full of ideas for how to make life easier with all of the new challenges that laid ahead of us. We walked out of the hospital knowing how to count carbs, how to use an insulin:carb ratio and what was a correction factor. We were taught about hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Our educator said it was like walking on a tightrope and trying not to fall off of either side. As a pediatric nurse, my knowledge of diabetes had so far been simplistic, mostly concerning types of insulin and signs of low blood sugar. I needed the education as much as any other parent/child and I learned a lot. My son’s job at the time, was to emotionally process this new life, to accept the finger pokes and insulin needles around the clock. A sticker chart posted on the wall by child life (Her name was Hillary and we will never forget her kindness) and Legos, saved the day and made this new reality more palatable. Hillary sent us home with several more coveted Lego packages to use in the following weeks which made the change of life more palatable and I truly believe eased the transition for my child in ways that effected his outlook for years to come. Thank you, Hillary. Our next friend we met was Dexcom, a few months later. My son affectionately nicknamed him “Dex” and he has loyally been by his side every day since, for the last 10 years. Dex stands guard 24/7 and for that we will always have the greatest love and appreciation for this member of family. A few months after we met dex, we were joined by omnipod. For my son who hated needle sticks and finger pokes, we now had solutions for both of these things. The constant calculations in our heads started to dissolve as we leaned into pump life. We gave all of our math to omnipod and life got easier. We celebrated unicorn “100s” on dexcom with a dollar. We played guessing games on carb counts and whoever got closest to the right amount would “win”. It became a fun family game and everyone joined in. “How many carbs do you think is in that milkshake?” My son “130!” Me “200!” My husband “40!” My daughter “2!” ….”And the answer is….. 110!” Over the years my son got better and better at the game and now he’s the winner every time, we can’t even play with him anymore because he’s just the carb master. Over time my son took over putting on his own dexcom and omnipod and then he started taking over being the controller of his devices. It felt the way growing up feels, a little bit at first, and then all at once. My job of helping him navigate this world started to fade away. He didn’t need me anymore. He knew best how to deal with the highs after pizza or nachos. He knew best how to prevent the lows before skating or running. My job was done, but we soon realized his was only beginning. My son has done a tremendous job of managing the relentless job that is type 1 diabetes. He maintains an excellent A1C. He takes care of himself and for that I am so thankful. The technology continues to evolve and improve and we remain optimistic and excited for the advances that are still to come. My son has his tenth diaversary this year and I am so proud of him for rising up to the challenge every single day. His journey inspired me to become a diabetes educator for other children and he continues to inspire me every day of my life. I love you, Caleb, and I’m so proud of you. Congratulations on ten years of a job well done. I can’t wait to see the other amazing things you’ll do in this life. Love, mom