Year 9

Grace was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on January 9, 2009. This year, 2018, makes NINE years of living with Type 1. Nine years is so very close to the big TEN. That reminds me, I have to apply for Grace's 10 year medal from Joslin. Imagine that, ten years. At times, it seems like ten minutes, then there are times that it feels like every minute of those ten years.

Here are the past years if you care to take a look.

Year 8
Year 7
Year 6
Year 5
Year 4
Year 3
Year 2
Year 1

Grace is pretty much on her own. I am still involved with changing basal rates but everything else is all hers. Carb ratios are hers. There are days, sometimes multiple days, that go by and I don't know a BG. I take a look in her OmniPod PDM and sure enough, all the testing is there. Every single day. She remembers to test before lunch at school. She remembers to test when she walks somewhere after school with a friend to get Starbucks. She remembers when she is at her friend's house at a late night party. She stays up later at night if she is high, checking herself. She writes down on our shopping list to please grab some more juice boxes for her and some granola bars, please.

I always tell Grace as she leaves for whatever event she is going to - 'Text me if you need help on any foods' - but frankly, she never does. She may relate later that she had a couple slices of pizza and some chips and dosed 50, and sure enough, there she stands later at a prime 106 BG.

This is a sample text from her about our life right now:

I try not to judge others and their management of their kids and teens, I really do. All I know is that I have learned that this is not MY diabetes. As much as I want to take it from her, I can't. All I can do is promote independence while teaching her what I know. I am not in this to get the perfect A1C. I am not in this to win at who can stay in range the longest and the tightest. I am not in this to prove I can rock a pancake breakfast and see no spike at all. I am not in this to watch her BG 24/7/365.

I am in this to create a young woman who manages her diabetes and is emotionally healthy and owns it. If I died tomorrow, she would be good to go on her diabetes. She knows what to do and is allowed to do it. It took years to get here. She's going to be 16. Soon she will be done High School and off to college. I'm just backup right now, then soon I will fade away. And this kid's gonna be alright.

Happy 9th Diaversary, sweet Grace, you are awesome.

I asked Grace to send me a picture that she would like on this blog post. True to form, she sent me these two.