The Rise of the D Mom
When you're a mom you are called many things, mommy, mama, mom, mother. When your child is diagnosed with type one diabetes you are called a D mom. It makes it easy to refer to others as "D mom" too. I used to think that was weird at first, but now I wear it with pride. No mom wants to be a "D mom", but here we are. A new world of type one and new and foreign words are now a part of your daily vocabulary. What does it mean to be a D mom exactly?
To be a D mom you need to be strong, determined, and packed with enough empathy to run over a mack truck. You must remain unfazed when you inject your screaming or wiggly child with a needle over and over....and over again. You cannot freak out over the site of blood and you must posses a poker face to things like your child asking why they have to be different and not like everyone else. You wear your heart on your sleeve but if you fall apart so will your child.
To be a D mom you must be able to function as if you are 20 again. You will be up all night and yet still have to go to work. The days of a good nights sleep are gone. Through sleepy eyes you will change a pump site at 3am in less than 5 minutes like a single handed pit crew of the Nascar 500. Without waking your sleeping child? A true pro.
You must be able to jump out of bed at the first alarm (okay maybe second) from your child's blaring CGM to deal with low or high blood sugars without falling down the stairs or falling asleep while holding a juicebox to the lips of a sleeping child. Your sleepiness is less important and the welfare of your child is all that's important.
You must be able to deal with the ignorance of others ridiculous questions or worse, stories of horror about so and so's aunt or grandma's diabetes. You must be able to look your coworker in the face and not donkey punch them when they ask if you have tried giving your child cinnamon or whatever dumbass thing they read online. That also goes for teachers who tell your child they ate too much sugar and that's why they have diabetes. (True story)
The D mom is resilient much like your own child. We will accidentally be stabbed with needles, run ourselves ragged with worry, function while exhausted, and fight to the death with insurance companies, medical suppliers and doctor offices.
You thought being a mom was tough? Try being a mom of a type one child. Though through it all you will find an inner strength and courage you never knew you possessed. You will find others and you will bond tighter than skin tac to a pump site. You may start off unsure or scared in the beginning but along the way you will rise to the call of superhero. So get those capes out, you're gonna need it.
To be a D mom you need to be strong, determined, and packed with enough empathy to run over a mack truck. You must remain unfazed when you inject your screaming or wiggly child with a needle over and over....and over again. You cannot freak out over the site of blood and you must posses a poker face to things like your child asking why they have to be different and not like everyone else. You wear your heart on your sleeve but if you fall apart so will your child.
To be a D mom you must be able to function as if you are 20 again. You will be up all night and yet still have to go to work. The days of a good nights sleep are gone. Through sleepy eyes you will change a pump site at 3am in less than 5 minutes like a single handed pit crew of the Nascar 500. Without waking your sleeping child? A true pro.
You must be able to jump out of bed at the first alarm (okay maybe second) from your child's blaring CGM to deal with low or high blood sugars without falling down the stairs or falling asleep while holding a juicebox to the lips of a sleeping child. Your sleepiness is less important and the welfare of your child is all that's important.
You must be able to deal with the ignorance of others ridiculous questions or worse, stories of horror about so and so's aunt or grandma's diabetes. You must be able to look your coworker in the face and not donkey punch them when they ask if you have tried giving your child cinnamon or whatever dumbass thing they read online. That also goes for teachers who tell your child they ate too much sugar and that's why they have diabetes. (True story)
The D mom is resilient much like your own child. We will accidentally be stabbed with needles, run ourselves ragged with worry, function while exhausted, and fight to the death with insurance companies, medical suppliers and doctor offices.
You thought being a mom was tough? Try being a mom of a type one child. Though through it all you will find an inner strength and courage you never knew you possessed. You will find others and you will bond tighter than skin tac to a pump site. You may start off unsure or scared in the beginning but along the way you will rise to the call of superhero. So get those capes out, you're gonna need it.
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