You've been there since the beginning of this journey.
Yet, you commented yesterday that Andrew
Seems like a normal boy from your point of view.
Thank you. I think.
I'm glad that's all you see.
I've worked hard for that.
I want you to see Andrew.
His giftedness. His personality. Who he is.
He isn't diabetes.
I don't want people to fear having him over.
I don't want coaches to be afraid to have him on his team.
So, I'll tell you that it is all fine.
We check his blood sugar and treat and say that he can do anything.
I'm not lying.
He can. I'll move heaven and earth to be sure he can.
We still live life, full of joy, just like anyone else.
I'm glad you don't see all the things
We do just to keep him alive.
I'm glad you don't see him when an injection hurts more than normal.
You didn't see him look at me yesterday after putting a site in his leg
And simply say, "I wish I didn't have diabetes."
Did you see the tear slip from his eye
At the party on New Year's Eve
When his blood sugar was so low
That he could only sit with his dad
And hope he would feel better soon?
I'm glad you don't know that we were up
for an hour and a half Friday night.
He played basketball for the first time since Christmas.
It must have made him more sensitive to insulin.
We turned down his basal.
But he still went low. And stayed low.
I got it to 74 & crawled back into bed. Dex buzzed & Gene went in.
He was low again.
At six, I tiptoed into his room. The covers were over his head.
Dex read ??? instead of a number.
Why was my first thought, "Is he dead in bed?"
I hated to take his blood sugar & wake him up.
It's hard to go back to sleep if woken at 6 am on Saturday morning.
So, I touched him, just to see if he was breathing.
He was. So I said a prayer and let him sleep.
I'm glad you don't see his face change color
When his blood sugar is high or low.
That you don't know how hard his body fights this disease.
I'm glad that you watch him on the ballfield
And see a normal boy.
Only he and I should wonder
Is his blood sugar okay?
Is he tired like all the other boys?
Or is it something more serious?
Does he need sugar now? Or insulin?
Is that fatigue an adrenaline high?
Or did the site come lose and he's on the way to DKA?
I'm glad you don't see him when he is sick.
When ketones must be checked often
And a stomach virus can easily mean an ER trip.
I don't want you to think these things.
Yes, they are a part of our lives.
But Andrew is more than these things.
He loves baseball, football, and basketball.
He can play basketball on a ripstik.
He entertains his little brother.
He is the sportsman for his school news network.
He gives up his P.E. time to help a special needs buddy play.
And he loves every minute of it.
He loves the Lord.
He makes me laugh everyday.
So, thank you, Friend.
I'm glad he looks normal to you.
We must give Diabetes its due respect.
After that, you're right. He is just a normal boy.
