Hello All, I am Lisa Schaller. My daughter, Keirsten was diagnosed on Feb. 3rd, 2017. She had been complaining of an upset stomach, for a few days, and as natural, I thought it was the stomach bug going around.
She wanted to take a shower in my shower but when she got in, she curled up on the floor. She looked very pale, etc.. so I scooped her up, dressed her and rushed her to the ER (St. Luke’s, Maumee, OH). Within 10 minutes of walking in the door, we were back in a room, and they had poked her finger, I heard them say possible DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis) but conscious. Then the words, “Mom your daughter is Diabetic”. Words that now have changed our lives forever.
We then got transferred to Toledo Children’s Hospital. Keirsten was in PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) for over 24 hours, then she was transferred to a regular room. Within that room, I was handed over 30 papers of how to care, what to do, and when, how, etc…. I tried to process all of this and beat myself up for not catching it sooner, not knowing the warning signs, not listening to my mom (passed 8-19-2007). {More on my mom in another post}
Picture this, within 36 hours, you have taken an incredibly sick child, your child, to the hospital, been diagnosed with an autoimmune, chronic lifetime disease, and told life as you knew it has changed drastically . From now on, new way of looking at everything, and I mean everything, food, exercise, weather, activity, mood, sleep, games, homework, etc… the list never stops. Oh FYI, no manual, every person is different, so many new changes, and giving up, isn’t an option.
So, pick up, learn as much as possible, read, watch, join online support groups, research, count, scream, cry, all while taking care of your child, working and life goes on. Show your child that you can be strong, understanding and both learn your new life. Make her be a voice to her peers for awareness. Teach her to be strong, an advocate, and a teacher. Someday she will be walking out of the house to be her own on her own person. I have to prepare her slowly, for that day.
There are so many more feelings, things, thoughts, scary and raw that went on in those 4 or 5 days, (5 cause she had an allergic reaction to different insulin upon being released from the hospital). If it’s not one thing or another. Anyways, those dark, scary thoughts, feelings etc… are still so raw, and they will be for awhile. It takes time to get the swing of things, but life goes on.
We are not alone, there are those who really get it out there. Those are the ones we seek out to hold us, help us, listen to us, and learn from us and show awareness and want to promote awareness. I am thankful I am one of those people and Keirsten is growing into one of those people. She will and does hold her own. Of her I am in awe, She is my Warrior Princess.
Just wanted to share a bit about our diagnosis week. And life goes on.
