As a parent of a child with Type 1 diabetes I find that I am constantly learning how to adapt his surroundings that he may remain as safe as possible. When my son goes low (his sugar drops below 80) his body reacts and makes him shake, or slur his words or cry or whine or sometimes a combination of any of the aforementioned side effects. Because I am aware that any time my son’s sugar goes low the only solution to the problem is sugar, I have sugar readily available at all times.
Our choice of sugar is Starburst. There are Starburst in my ashtray in my truck. There are Starburst in the bottom of my pocketbook. There are Starburst in all bathrooms. There are Starburst in the office in our home. There are Starburst tossed on random pieces of furniture throughout our home. I think you get the point. Starburst. Starburst. Starburst. In our home, truck, and personal effects you are a small stones throw from a Starburst.
Not so in school.
I learned that today on my son’s first day of first grade. Thankfully we did not have to learn the hard way (like most things with diabetes). I learned it just by peering through the window looking out to the playground to recess. What I saw terrified me. There were 5 lunch aides and about 120 children. That’s quite a ratio if you ask me.
Yes, I had prepared the lunch aide assigned to his table what a low looks like and how to help my son raise his blood sugar by giving him candy. Yes, she was dutifully carrying my son’s special lunch bag full of candy and glucose to help him if his sugar were to drop. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Did I know to teach the other aides about consequences of lows? No. Did I know to tell the other aides his symptoms of lows? No. Did I even know that I had to introduce my son to the other aides? No.
Was my son safe out there? No.
Now I know. I am always learning. I have prepared a short (I promise) lesson on lows and Type 1 diabetes for all the lunch aides so that my son can be safe even when he is running around the playground without a care in the world.
They will learn that if this cute little boy missing 4 teeth comes to their side crying, that consoling him will not cut it. They will learn that when the blonde boy comes running towards tears running down his cheek, that they cannot just wipe the tears away. They will learn that when they see the sweet boy lying in the grass looking at the clouds, that he may not be lying down by choice. He may not be able to get up. I will teach and they will learn.
Type 1 diabetes is a cycle of always learning. For me. For my son. For our friends. For our family. For everyone.