Chloe’s mums story
I will never forget the day that we had the news that our daughter has Type 1 Diabetes. I remember sitting in hospital with my little girl, trying to listen to people, but not wanting to hear them. I remember looking at boxes of needles, testing kits, leaflets, record books, and wondering how any of this could be happening. Then leaving the hospital armed with almost more medical equipment than I could have imagined and trying to find a place for it to fit in the house, and of course our life. Then of course the anxiety kicked in and worry about keeping our child safe. I began feeling lost and alone and mourning the future that I had planned and hoped for and feeling very very tired.
There are no right and wrong feelings about any of this, and I think any parent or anyone with T1D will say that it is an unpredictable rollercoaster. A rollercoaster that any of us would gladly never have boarded but that becomes tolerable over time. A new kind of normal starts to emerge at some point and life, with all its ups and downs, continues with a few changes here and there.
Chloe’s story
On 27th August I found myself in hospital with Type 1 Diabetes. I was shocked and scared and my life suddenly looked very different. I found out that I had to prick my finger and test my blood sugar every time I eat anything and every time I feel funny, (which was a lot). I was told I would have to have insulin every time I eat, which was not good news for me because I have always been very scared of needles. I now have a pump, which gives me insulin through a tiny cannula, but I still have to add up all the carbohydrates of everything I eat and drink and make sure that my sugar levels are good so that I can be healthy.
Even when I was in hospital, though, I decided that I would be ok. I would overcome my needle phobia and make sure that my life would not be ruled by diabetes. I want to do the same things as everyone else and I won’t let T1 D stop me. It’s hard but it does get easier.