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.
How To Reset When A Child’s T1D Management Takes A Toll On A Couple’s Relationship
“You have to fly home now!” was all I could say before bursting into uncontrollable sobs. “Austin has diabetes.”
My worst nightmare had come true — my 5-year-old son was just diagnosed with the same disease that claimed my brother’s life when he was eight years old and has afflicted my sister since she was sixteen.
Four Steps To Managing Your Fear When Raising A Child With T1D
The fall chill in the air deepens as the leaves begin their inevitable eruption into glorious color. Children squeal with delight at the prospect of being frightened by houses decked out with ghosts, witches on broomsticks, and ghoulish creatures. This is October, the month when a little Halloween fear can actually be fun.
You’re Stronger Than You Know
“Trust your instincts. You’re stronger than you know.” These words, offered by my first pediatrician just before I left the hospital with my newborn son, sustained me many times when my own inner strength was faltering. But now, the years of trying to fumble my way through managing my second son’s T1D have taken their toll…
Realistic Goal Setting And Avoiding Stigma: One Mom’s Perspective
The title of the article arrests my attention, compelling me to read further. The Numbers of Shame and Blame: How Stigma Affects Patients and Diabetes Management. I shudder as I read the results of a study…
Exhaustion And The Sleep-Interrupted Caregiver
Nights are the most draining of all. With the weight of our daily work, parental responsibility, and Type 1 diabetes (T1D) caregiving still heavy on our shoulders, at day’s end we long to lay our burden down, retreat to the comfort of our bed, and fall gently asleep. But once T1D breaches a family’s sense of wellbeing, nightfall no longer signals a time of stillness.
A few reflections from the caregiving journey
How to Handle Fear in Managing Your Child’s T1D
When my son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age five, I thought the greatest fear in managing my child's T1D would be injecting him with insulin. I would soon discover there were far greater fears awaiting me as his caregiver. “What if his blood sugar drops...
After Diagnosis: Letting Go of The Way We Were
I was no stranger to T1D when my son was diagnosed with the disease at age five. My sister has been living with T1D since she was sixteen years old, and my brother died as he was being diagnosed with the disease when he was just eight years old. I was born eighteen...
I’m the texting type – a day in the life of T1D
I have been surrounded by loved ones affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D) my entire life—first as a sister, and then as a mother. And while raising a child with T1D has certainly given me a front-row seat to the challenges of managing this complicated disease, it was...
