As a parent of a child with Type 1 diabetes one of the hardest tasks that I have been required to do so far since this disease invaded my son’s life is to hand over control of my son’s health and ultimately his life to strangers.
Now you may ask yourself why for goodness sake would any mother in their right mind would hand over control of their child’s life to stranger, but that is exactly what I just did two days ago when my son started 1st grade. That is exactly what sending my son to public school, instead of homeschooling, has me do. I do not know anyone in the school. Sure I’ve met the teacher, the nurse, and the ancillary staff, but in reality we are all still strangers.
When I brought my son home from the hospital when he was born over 6 years ago you would have had to pry him from my cold dead fingers before I handed over his care to strangers. For millions and millions (etc.) of dollars I would not have handed him over to a stranger in Shop Rite with a note of care instructions attached to his swaddled self.
Yet, this is how I am feeling now 6 years later. I feel that I have left my son, my baby, amongst 800 strangers, mostly children and some adults, with a note attached to his shirt telling them of high blood sugar symptoms, low blood sugar symptoms and my phone number if they need me.
This is not a good feeling.
I have to believe that the little training that I was able to squeeze into these early days of the start of the school year are going to be enough to keep my son safe when he is not with me.
I have to believe that instinct will kick in for the adults in charge of my child and they will notify the nurse immediately when something just doesn’t seem right with my son.
I have to believe that the adults understood when I explained the seriousness of low blood sugar. I have to believe they will catch the low, and treat it before my son has a seizure and slips into unconsciousness.
I have to believe that every folder I handed out with info about Type 1 diabetes and my son, and there were about 16 in all, are getting read over this long weekend, and were not just tossed in the car with the rest of the school supplies.
I have to believe all of these things of strangers.
I have to believe all of these things, but I can tell you I am not there yet. Not even close.