It Started with me...now there's 3

Three to Treat is my attempt to reach out and share some experiences of dealing day-in day-out with this challenging thing they call Type 1 Diabetes. 

When I was nine my mom took me to the doctors office (get this) becasue I was peeing all over the toilet seat and my urine felt like syrup.  I could barely reach over the toilet at that age. Anyways, we went to the doc and I urinated in a cup, and was admitted to hospital.  This of course was almost thrity years ago. I should also mention I was constantly wetting the bed prior to diagnosis, and my mom was likely sick of doing laundry. 

Back then you were admitted in hospital for 2 weeks.  They would set you up on a diet, use these massive "razor blades" to lance your fingers for samples, and also take blood three times a shift to check glucose levels----am I ever glad times have changed. I remember the coolest thing for me was building a model airplane with my dad and running up and down the ward pretending to fly, the wall TV was cool too!  I was just a kid, no idea what was in store, what this whole diabetes thing really meant.

Then came the news, lousy timing on the hospital staffs part, "You are going to have to take a needle every day forever.....I remember looking up at the nurse in the common room shocked, and then my parents entered(right ater the news)and then I started to cry.  I think because of my mom's expression more then anything.  I still really didn't get it. Crazy I remember that moment like it happended yesterday.  I felt different somehow.  What the hell---I am a grade 4 student, likes to draw, very shy and now I have diabetes.

The 2 weeks ended with a ride home---of course they did a lot of teaching, figured out an insulin dose, and set us up on the good old diabetes exchange plan of the day--then discharged me home.

Then it all started to sink in.....I started to realize they weren't kidding when they said a needle every day.
You can't have pop anymore(by the way I think Diet tab was the only sugar free drink back then) "You have to eat all your meal, don't forget your snack" (believe me the low taught me to remember)

My point is this:  Type 1 Diabetes changes you whether you accept it early on or not, it can define you, motivate you, discourage you, down right piss you off!  In my case it defined me, heightened my interest in the human body, influenced my career choice, motivated me to be in fit shape, eat healthy etc.  Your probably thinking, blah, blah.

It was a process, I actually failed the diabetes exam during a course I took in the earlty nineties, talk about denial, I would get so discouraged, angry, wanted to give up or throw in the towel, but never did.

I am now the Father of five gorgeous daughters, I have a very supportive wife of almost 20 years.  I advocate and teach others how to best deal with chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Now for the Kicker---I have 2 type 1 daughters with diabetes. 
Hence the title;  Three 2 Treat. 

Thanks for letting me share.

Trev