Diaversary yesterday: bittersweet

Michel
Thu, 04 May 2017 13:53:24 +0000
Teen

Well, yesterday made our Dx a year old.

Our “diaversary” was an understated affair, I would say: no black tie, and definitely no white tie – my son hasn’t met a food spot he does not want to host We did have some ice-cream, Chinese food and a couple of iTunes cards.

I guess I haven’t learned how to handle these diaversaries. I don’t think it’s healthy – for us – to look back rather than forward. Instead, we celebrated the fact that we have learned a lot about diabetes, and that we haven’t let it stop us in any way: my son is in three intensive sports, was one of the main actors in the school play last week, is skipping a grade next year, and hasn’t met an extracurricular he does not like. He eats what he likes – as long as it is not at breakfast, and as long as it is not too close to bedtime… He does any activity he likes. He goes to any camp he wants. He does any sleepover he wants to do.

My son wasn’t sure of what to think about this diaversary either – a bit nonplussed about the tradition. He definitely didn’t make much of it. I got the feeling he didn’t want to look back. I know diabetes has changed him – probably for the better, although, of course, at a price I wouldn’t want to pay. He has really grown up in a year – very close to an adult, although he is only 12.

Yet, however much we try to say that diabetes has not stopped us, the changes it has made to our life are enormous. It has not stopped my son, but it has radically refocused our family life. I know it has radically changed me. I don’t know if we will ever be able to move away from this total focus. I hope so, but I am skeptical.

So, bittersweet. Not too bitter because we did not look back too much. Not too sweet because what he can celebrate is only what we haven’t lost.

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