Proud Diabetic and "Gluten Free"

    William is never afraid to tell someone that he is diabetic and "gluten free" as he calls it. He will walk up to a complete stranger and tell them like it is one of the best things that ever happened to him. He wears at least three wrist bands that tell that he is diabetic and has celiac disease. I try to encourage him to let people know both for his own safety and to make sure that he knows never to be ashamed of it. It was not his fault and he should feel stronger because of it not weaker. He accomplishes so much in spite of  diabetes. I am sure that I will start to see some of the effects of diabetes more later in life. It seems right now at 6 everything rolls off of him and he recovers quickly. I have read many blogs that tell how hard things are when you have a really high high or a really low low. I expect as he gets older I will see that and he will feel it more but I am hopeful new technologies will make it so he does not have that problem.

     He is mister independent. He is starting to try and help check his own finger now. He is starting to understand a good number and a bad number and it doesn't hurt that the meter changes color when the numbers are bad. He did convince one of his daycare teachers one day that he knew how to use his pump. Fortunately I got there just minutes after to see that he had given himself a big dose. I started stuffing him full of candy as I stopped to have a discussion with the daycare director to ensure that never happened again. I could not believe that they would let a 6 year old administer medicine to himself. When I asked the teacher if she would let her 6 year old give himself medicine she of course said no.

    I am hopeful for a cure or something close in his lifetime. I am hopeful that it will be before he gets to middle school and high school where kids can be cruel. I hope that he stays a proud diabetic. I hope he tells everyone that he knows and helps them understand that it was not something he could do anything about and that he deals with a lot more than they will ever know. He is stronger for it and they will be stronger for knowing him.

I am a proud father,

His Loving Dad