10 years ago, T and I sat across from a Diabetes Nurse Educator - our heads were spinning. It was hours before T's bachelor party in the French Quarter and 2 days until our wedding. We got a one hour crash course in carb counting, medication, checking blood sugar, the doctor's cell phone number with instructions to call it every few hours and not to drink alcohol! His diagnosis: Diabetes 1.5 - not really type 2 or type 1. (We later learned that if it hadn't been our wedding weekend, they would have admitted him.) I can honestly say, it was one of the craziest times of my life! I still haven't ordered photos from the wedding- in my mind I can visualize a healthy looking groom but the reality in black & white photos are far from that. He was pale, skinny and his tux looks 3 sizes too big. The vow of "in sickness and in health" still makes me want to tear up.
For a year after, T starved himself on sugar free jello and low carb snacks to keep his blood sugar in range but it wasn't working. Thankfully, we moved to DC and the right tests were run that he was correctly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. With that came a new management plan: insulin!
10 years ago was the start this wild roller coaster. I could lie to you and say that I'm the prefect wife to a type 1. But I'm not. I'm a control freak (shocking, I know!) and I've had to learn that diabetes just can't be controlled the way I want it to be. One plus one doesn't always equal two. Hypoglycemia happens and no, it's never convenient. Pumps fail. Meters and glucose can be left at home accidentally. I've learned that life just happens and you have to roll with it.
I'm looking forward to another 10 years to grow next to a man who is a daily role model for our Type 1 eight year old.
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