Ethan

This is Ethan.

He has Type 1 Diabetes.

This is Ethan's mom, Tiburon.

She's biking 100 miles to help raise funds to find a cure for Diabetes.

100 miles!

Here are some of her thoughts about being a parent of a child with Type 1 Diabetes:

Being the Parent of a Child With Diabetes:

is hard.

is scary.

is challenging.

is a different experience everyday.

feels like you are walking on a tightrope.

makes you really good with numbers.

and insulin.

and shots.

means saying "no" quite a bit.

requires a whole new set of vocabulary. Bolus and basal and ketones oh my!

makes you able to smell when blood sugar is high.

turns you into a "planner".

is frustrating.

means putting the maximum into your flexible spending account to cover pump supplies, Endocrinologist co-pays and ER co-pays.

makes you repeat the same questions 28 times a day. "Have you checked your sugar?"

means waking up in the middle of the night. A lot.

means a phone call from school every day at 12:35 to hear a blood sugar number - then a quick calculation of what is being eaten for lunch so a carb count can be entered into a pump.

means carrying a snack.

and glucagon.

requires collecting urine in a paper cup on occasion.

practically requires a degree in chemistry. And nutrition. And nursing.

is infuriating. You haven't lived until a complete stranger has chewed you out in the middle of a McDonald's because you ordered your 5 year old a Diet Coke. "Why would you put a child on a diet!? What kind of mother does that?!?!" Oh I dunno...maybe the kind of mother that doesn't want to give her child unnecessary sugar.

sometimes means you have to miss or leave functions/events because your child is having an insulin reaction.

gives you something to fight for.

This is my Diabetes awareness bracelet (now named the Ethan Bracelet):






From now until Tib's ride November 20th, proceeds from the sale of this bracelet will go straight to her and her Ride. You can purchase it here: Ethan Bracelet on Etsy

If you want to donate to Tib directly, you can do that here: Tib's page on JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes

The Ethan Bracelet will also be available in an online auction on Tib's blog in late September. I'm sure she'll have some great stuff, so I'll make sure to post an update when the date is sure. (You should check out Tib's blog, anyway. She's funny and somewhat obsessed with John Mayer.)