My name is Jennifer, and I live in Southern California with my husband, Craig, and our two boys. Our oldest son James has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I’m thankful for this opportunity — along with my sister-in-law Kim and her daughter Kaitlyn, who also has type 1 diabetes — to share our struggles and triumphs with our friends in the diabetes community.
by Jen M., Real Moms Talk Type 1
Our first CDE scolded me for my mistake. Our second took a different approach — and became a model for how I parent my teenage son.
Here’s what I’d like to say to the general population about how to deal with food around my child with type 1 diabetes.
During James’ last year at his middle school before moving up to high school, one small act by the health tech confirmed what I had known for years.
We try to be vigilant. But James and I both know that incidents will happen. And we’re okay with that.
Diabetes isn’t something that I would ever seek. But there have been some quantifiably wonderful things that have happened to us since James’s diagnosis.
The beach requires a lot of stuff, and diabetes management requires a lot of stuff. And that adds up to just too much stuff! But lately I’ve found a more minimalist system that works for us.
And to think that initially I doubted the necessity of yet another thing to carry at the airport!
As a natural disaster bore down on our home, we were surrounded by darkness — except for the light of one little life-saving device.
It’s a lovely thing that people can do for each other, and it’s almost universally helpful.
“Okay, so in the best-case scenario, how many times do I have to poke his finger or give him a shot in the course of a day?”
