Caregiving
Since the time of my son’s diagnosis with type 1 diabetes (T1D), I have dedicated my life to doing everything I can to find a cure for T1D. To that end I have actively used my pen and my voice to champion efforts to raise funds and awareness to cure T1D.
But more recently, I’ve realized that while many of us parents have access to excellent medical professionals to care for our chronically ill child, few resources are available to help us process the emotional stress associated with managing our child’s care. And so, we live with constant fear, exhaustion, and worry as we try to incorporate the disease into the rhythm of family life.
I wrote Chronic Hope to fill that void.
I hope reading Chronic Hope feels like you’re engaged in a conversation with a friend, where my stories encourage you to discover hope in the long journey. The resources below help us continue the conversation as we hunt for hope in the journey together.
My writing can also be found around the web
Letting Go Of The Way Things Were
What we have been called to as parents of a child with T1D is hard and can leave us physically and emotionally drained. While it is my son who lives with Type 1 diabetes, I discovered the disease also invaded me personally, and hasn’t left any single aspect of my life untouched or unaltered.
The Day My Son’s Endo Kicked Me Out
My attempt at peer-to-peer advice came off as so much mother nagging, and within moments we were stuck in a steely silence caused by hurt feelings and full-blown diabetes fatigue.
What Saved My Son’s Life
Pack the glucagon when you travel! A story of a worst-case scenario on a family trip to Costa Rica—with a happy ending thanks to packing prepared!
The Stomach Flu Away From Home
The texts from my son had come at 1:58 a.m. “Just threw up.” “I have a stomach virus.” Instantly, I was awake and on hyper D-mom overdrive. Attempts to reach my college freshman son went unanswered for an agonizingly long and frightful 25 minutes.
6 Must-Knows For The College Sick Day With T1D
The day you send your kiddo to college is a stressful one. Here is my advice on the six must-knows for your T1D college sick day.
My writing can also be found around the web
Letting Go Of The Way Things Were
What we have been called to as parents of a child with T1D is hard and can leave us physically and emotionally drained. While it is my son who lives with Type 1 diabetes, I discovered the disease also invaded me personally, and hasn’t left any single aspect of my life untouched or unaltered.
The Day My Son’s Endo Kicked Me Out
My attempt at peer-to-peer advice came off as so much mother nagging, and within moments we were stuck in a steely silence caused by hurt feelings and full-blown diabetes fatigue.
What Saved My Son’s Life
Pack the glucagon when you travel! A story of a worst-case scenario on a family trip to Costa Rica—with a happy ending thanks to packing prepared!
The Stomach Flu Away From Home
The texts from my son had come at 1:58 a.m. “Just threw up.” “I have a stomach virus.” Instantly, I was awake and on hyper D-mom overdrive. Attempts to reach my college freshman son went unanswered for an agonizingly long and frightful 25 minutes.
6 Must-Knows For The College Sick Day With T1D
The day you send your kiddo to college is a stressful one. Here is my advice on the six must-knows for your T1D college sick day.
A few reflections from the caregiving journey
A Walk to Remember
The rain fell in continuous sheets that week, as it had for most of the summer and early autumn. Every day I checked the weather report, wondering if this would be the first year we would walk in the rain at the annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. But Walk...
Through a Child’s Eyes
This photo has stood sentry on my dressing table for as long as I can remember. It’s one of those cheesy shopping mall photos - the Christmas tree isn’t real, but the smiles on my boys’ faces certainly are. In the eyes of the one, I see the strength and...
