The phrase, “you make it all look so easy,” in reference to how we handle Type 1 diabetes is always met with mixed emotions.
While on the outside, “you make it all look so easy,” is a definite compliment, it does stir up some mixed emotions inside of me. I am proud that I have done what I have claimed to do since diagnosis day almost 2 years ago. I incorporated diabetes into OUR life as opposed to rearranging our lives around diabetes. Diabetes just became something that we dealt with. It didn’t determine if we went to the beach for the day, it just came along. Diabetes didn’t decide that we couldn’t go on playdates anymore, diabetes was just going to have to tag along. We did this, my son and me, and I am proud of both of us.
On the flip side of ‘you make it all look so easy,” I feel like my son is not getting the credit he deserves for living with this disease 24 hours a day every day of his life since diagnosis day. He does get his finger checked 10 times a day. He does have to stop playing in the pool even though he feels fine because sometimes lows can sneak up on you faster than you can say, “Mommy, I’m shaky.” He does have to wait to eat every single time he’s hungry to see if I need to check his sugar or to make sure all the carbs are counted already.
My son deserves credit for withstanding numerous blood glucose checks while he is sleeping, and then sometimes eating full snacks at 3:00am to raise his blood sugar, all with his eyes closed.
My son deserves credit for all the things he does to live with Type 1 diabetes. He withstands numerous questions about his pump, his meter, his candy that he carries for lows. While it’s nice that people are interested, some are not really interested, just intrusive, yet my son answers them all equally.
My daughter deserves credit for living with her brother’s chronic illness too. She has learned at a very young age that when her brother says he is low that mama has to run. She has learned that even during our quiet times together mama may be needed to go tend to something diabetes-related for the safety of her brother.
My parents, my son’s grandparents, deserve credit for learning all over again how to care for their grandson. They chose to go to Caregivers Camp to learn about how to handle diabetes during outings and sleepovers at Nannie and Papa’s house. My brother, my son’s Uncle, deserves the same credit. He has given up a few nights of his life to sleep over with my son at Nannie and Papa’s house to ensure there is one more adult there that can help if any issues arise.
My husband, my son’s daddy, deserves credit for giving up time with me. There are many times when we are out and about remembering why we fell in love over 17 years ago, when our ‘date’ is cut short because my son needs something that only I can provide.
I don’t say any of this for people to feel pity on us. That is why when someone says, “You make it all look so easy,” I smile and say thank you. No one needs to know the behind the scenes when it is not all so easy. We chose everyday to live our life exactly how we would live it if diabetes never reared it’s ugly head. We chose to ‘make it all look so easy’ so that we can go on living our lives as before. But I will tell you, it is nice when someone who says that also adds, “But I do know how hard you work to make it all look so easy.”