Tea party alone

This was a big weekend. Once again I find that something that is no big deal to the parents of a child without diabetes is a milestone for our family. S was invited to an American Girl tea party at a friends house and wanted to go to the party alone. The house is only about 2 miles from my own home, but regardless this was tough. S and I are very close. I am with her all the time. In addition to being her mom I am a teacher in her school, so I think it is very normal that she is looking for some independence. She is very responsible for the most part. In school she checks her own blood sugar and delivers insulin through her pump. I am in the building if she needs help and I label the carbs in all her food. Anyway, It is hard for me to send her to a party and put the responsibility of diabetes on other people. I asked the grandmother of the girl hosting the party to help S keep track of what she ate and then have her call me and I would calculate carbs and make sure she gets the right amount of insulin. It all worked out. I was really proud of S and each time we do something new I feel we are all stronger for it. I was also very thankful for the grandmother who was more than willing to help and very understanding.

I have a hard time leaving S with anyone, but we do have family members that watch her. I have no problem explaining to family members what could happen if she has too much insulin, doesn't eat for awhile, or what can happen if she doesn't get insulin. The difficulty I have is telling people like the grandmother of the little girl hosting the party. I think there is a fine line between informing people and scaring the life out of them!
I try to set up a safe situation and make sure I am easy to reach, but anyone living with diabetes knows anything can happen. S and I were both very happy at the end of the day. She had time alone with her friends and I was happy all went well with diabetes. Someday she will take this disease on alone and I have a very hard time understanding how anyone can manage this disease alone. Again, I pray for strength, I pray for technology, I pray for a cure, and I pray that she will forever be surrounded by good people that love her.