Having a child means experiencing surprises on a daily basis. Some good - like when they make you something at school , and bring it home to give it to you all crinkled and bent from being in the backpack. Some not so good - like when you find out they've been given detention for throwing paper on the bus. These are life's little challenges, and picking which battle to fight is always a tough decision for parents to make.
Now throw diabetes into the mix, and it seems like every little thing is the battle scene from Braveheart. It's hard to get people to understand exactly what Noah goes through on a daily basis. One member of my family thinks to this day, that his diabetes can be controlled by diet and diet alone. I have to shake my head and explain -again- that he basically needs his pump to live.
Then there's school. For the most part it's been ok. The school nurse is one of the most wonderful people that has entered into our lives. She really gets it - she has truly done her homework and so genuine in her concern for these kids she sees every day, it's enough to make you tear up a little. She called me yesterday to tell me that Noah had been low when he tested right before a walking field trip to visit the Police Station. He was very upset and his mood swung even more when he was told to stay and have a snack. I guess the teacher couldn't wait 5 minutes, because they left without him. When the nurse couldn't reach the principal to see if she could bring Noah over there (it's literally 1/2 a block away from school.) she called me , and I got him and drove him over to join his class. When I saw the teacher , I began to explain to her that he was fine now, and that his test kit and juice are in his bag....she cut me off mid sentence and said "well we are almost done here".
I was so upset, I just turned on the spot and left. I am sad for my son. Sad because in trying to help him feel completely normal with this disease, he is still being singled out. Some battles you just can't win.
Now throw diabetes into the mix, and it seems like every little thing is the battle scene from Braveheart. It's hard to get people to understand exactly what Noah goes through on a daily basis. One member of my family thinks to this day, that his diabetes can be controlled by diet and diet alone. I have to shake my head and explain -again- that he basically needs his pump to live.
Then there's school. For the most part it's been ok. The school nurse is one of the most wonderful people that has entered into our lives. She really gets it - she has truly done her homework and so genuine in her concern for these kids she sees every day, it's enough to make you tear up a little. She called me yesterday to tell me that Noah had been low when he tested right before a walking field trip to visit the Police Station. He was very upset and his mood swung even more when he was told to stay and have a snack. I guess the teacher couldn't wait 5 minutes, because they left without him. When the nurse couldn't reach the principal to see if she could bring Noah over there (it's literally 1/2 a block away from school.) she called me , and I got him and drove him over to join his class. When I saw the teacher , I began to explain to her that he was fine now, and that his test kit and juice are in his bag....she cut me off mid sentence and said "well we are almost done here".
I was so upset, I just turned on the spot and left. I am sad for my son. Sad because in trying to help him feel completely normal with this disease, he is still being singled out. Some battles you just can't win.
3 comments:
That kind of teacher behavior makes my blood boil.
And when Noah is low, he probably find it's harder to be in control of his emotions. I know lows for me can make me incredibly sad or angry. It's pretty scary.
What's with the teacher? Would it have been so difficult for her to accommodate Noah? She could have delayed heading off for a few minutes. I wonder whether she thinks about the kind of a message is she giving the rest of the class?
I look at it this way - he's going to be singled out no matter what. I accept this fact and that's okay with me. What really burned me is that she was unkind to my child - diabetic or not, that is just asking for trouble with me!
I often feel like I am a step behind in terms of group activities. It just takes a little longer to get ready, whether it's treating a low, testing, making sure I have meter, test strips, lancing device, glucose tabs, make sure pump reservoir is not too low, lipstick (ok, not diabetes related, but a necessity). Some groups are willing to wait and some are not. It can be very frustrating, but is an unfortunate fact of life. For a child that has got to be hard to swallow. My heart goes out to you and your son.
Post a Comment