week 1: grace and space

You have likely been on an emotional rollercoaster. The reality of the situation is encompassed by the denials of the situation. It’s OK to feel exactly as you do. We need a lot of space to feel, think, and do. We need a lot of grace in how we express ourselves, receive the narratives and behaviors of people around us, the responses of our T1D kids, and simply put, processing and learning all the new things.

GRACE to know you won’t be able to implement everything perfectly.
GRACE to know that your feelings of this terrible situation continue to hit hard.
GRACE to yourself in your tears and your child’s tears. It’s all appropriate.

SPACE allowed you to take time to cry in the corner after your first needle pokes.
SPACE to your partner processing their feelings if they have to do multiple pokes to “get it in”.
SPACE to your little one as they manage BIG changes and BIG EMOTIONS that require complex explanations with a very young mind to understand.

The question is HOW? How will you get through this phase!? It’s simply not fun.
Our simple but difficult answer: offer yourself GRACE and SPACE.

Week 1 Goal: Offer yourself GRACE and SPACE.

week 1 or the following days, you will need to:

  1. Reach out more intentionally to community to ask for: Prayers, meal train, housework, a text message of encouragement, other kid cares, more intentional needs you might have. 

  2. Share the Resource list that you might need that isn’t covered by insurance/doctor-
    See resource page below

  3. Make your CHOICE on:
    1) CGM -Libre; Dexcom 6; Dexcom 7; Blood Meter checks
    2) Insulin:
      - Based on your insurance (long-lasting & Short acting) 
    3) Insulin Delivery method
    - MDI (manual): See resource for help with this method
    - Pump
    4) Pharmacy
    *There are Savings Cards for T1D products; links shared at a later time

  4. Start Learning your child’s unique symptoms for Hyper- and Hypo-glycemia

  5. Know your child’s carb/unit ratio 

  6. Start recording blood sugar and insulin needs- resource if needed 

  7. Start thinking of a good “new normal” routine. up a routine of how insulin works to make it normal,
    start making verbiage normal

  8. Get to know the JDRF group

Week 1 Resources

Insulin Cooler Travel Case

Uni-Solve

Type 1 Diabetic Tags