Family Affair

This is not about the incidence rates of Type 2 in families, or how likely a child of a Type 1 parent is to develop Type 1 herself.

No, this is not about that particular aspect of families and diabetes.

This is about how families (or at least my own family) respond to those who have the disease.

My husband has said several times: "This didn't happen to you. This happened to us. We will all get through this together." And true to his word, the dear man continues to be my partner in life in everyway, including diabetes. He asks every morning what my number is, and wants a full report when we come home from work every day. (Granted, this is the early stages, so who knows how interested we will both be in a year, or 5 years or 10 or 20 years...) He helps me think about each meal and insulin dosages. He's constantly on the lookout for lows (since they've been a constant companion while I get things figured out), always ready to grab me the orange juice. He's offered to read the Using Insulin book himself (that I've been devouring for a couple weeks), so he can give me his take on how the various formulas might be used in my particular case. He's ready to completely adjust his (and our daughter's) meal plans on a whim based on my need. He fetches my glucose meter in the evening while we are watching TV and it's time for my 2-hour-post-meal test. (That's just me being lazy, and him being sweet.) And he constantly reminds me that all I have to do is ask, and he will do just about anything else I need for him to do.

And, of course, "this happened to us" has further meaning. My diagnosis has meant change for my family that isn't always positive. Eating earlier or later because of my needs isn't a real big deal, but I'm sure it is already a pain to alway accommodate me. (Hopefully as I get things figured out, I will be able to add flexibility to the menu!) We also modified our vacation plans to something less demanding since we leave in 2 weeks and I'm still dealing with lows, etc. But no complaints despite all this.

So I guess tonight I'm feeling grateful that I'm not facing this by myself. Between hubby and daughter, I feel surrounded by people who will love me and care for me no matter what. That is indeed a nice thing.