Sometimes I Feel So Overwhelmed. Do Other Parents Feel Like Me?

The day a child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is probably the most difficult day in that parent’s life, and the days, months and years that follow can surely be classified as the most overwhelming.

Having a child with any diagnosis changes the dynamics of the family forever as the entire family has to adjust to a “new normal, however having a child diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, particularly during the early days, is not just overwhelming but can be equated with sadness, sleep deprivation, worry, anxiety, frustration and the like.

Parents immediately have the job of being a pancreas added to all the other hats they have to wear. All of a sudden, it seems as though every minute of the day is taken with taking glucose readings, giving insulin shots, counting carbs, raising lows and trying to get highs back in range.

However, as these daily activities become routine, life becomes less overwhelming.

Building a network of support that consists of other parents of type 1s also helps as it provides someone with whom you can share your concerns, while learning strategies and techniques to cope. In spite of the constant learning curves, the growth spurts that occur just when we thought we had things under control, and the dreaded puberty that can throw everything out of whack, we can help our children live happy and healthy lives, while continuing to enjoy the task of parenting these special individuals.

Beta Cells may be dead but we as parents must get up and fight.

Sonja Moultrie