One of Kylee's friends was just diagnosed with diabetes

A few days ago we heard a friend of Kylee's was life flighted out of here and that she may have diabetes. I told Kylee not to worry about it until it was more than just rumor. Honestly, I figured that the chances of her being diagnosed were pretty slim. Kylee and this girl are friends, have been since kindergarten. Her dad and my husband have been friends since high school and we get together a few times a year. Kylee and this girl are the same age, same grade, in the same class and sit next to eachother. What are the odds? And they were diagnosed exactly one year and 5 days apart. Today we found out that she does have diabetes.

Poor Kylee, shes excited and sad. She feels guilty for being excited, but she cant help it. She is no longer the only diabetic kid in school(the other two kids with it in our school district are in high school). She finally will have a friend whose parents really understand, one who she can talk to, complain to, one who isnt different than she is. She really wants to call the girl, but I told her she had to wait until tomorrow. We heard they were coming home tonight and I wanted to give them a chance to settle in. I plan on calling the mom too.

Kylee's class made the girl a card and Kylee wrote her a letter today telling her how she is there for her any time she needs anything. The principal also spoke to Kylee today and told her what a great support system she was going to be for her friend. Kylee remembers when she was first diagnosed and wishes she had had a friend to talk to. When Kylee wrote the letter to her, at the end she wrote... Dont worry. In a little bit longer, we'll be fine. When she told me that, it took everything I had not to cry.

3650

3650 damn holes. Over the past year, thats how many holes my daughter has put in herself. Kylee was diagnosed with diabetes on November 5, 2007 and since that day, she has poked her fingers at least 1825 times and had a minimum of 1825 shots. Thats a low estimate too, there is no doubt in my mind that that number is actually higher. She checks herself a minimum of 5 times a day and as many as 10 times on days she is having problems with lows or she is sick. She gives herself a shot at breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime and then any other time she is eating something with more than 10 carbs in it. Without a cure, by the time she is 20, she will have lived half her life with diabetes and given herself more than 18000 injections. Im grateful we have the technology and means to care for her. Im grateful she is healthy. Im grateful that she is a normal little girl who still gets to do the things other kids get to do. I know things could be much worse.



Kylee handles it all so well it really amazes me. Very rarely does she say anything negative about diabetes and she really doesnt seem to be too affected by it. Me, I dont do as well. I dont think there has been a day in the last year where I havent been mad for her. And of course there are the feelings of guilt. Did I do something to contribute to this? Could I have done something to prevent it? Probably not, but that doesnt keep me from wondering.



A few years ago, Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers was diagnosed with diabetes. He wrote a song called A Little Bit Longer and of course, its Kylee's favorite. She also thinks its destiny that she marry Nick Jonas now :) I gave her a necklace today that has those words on it as well.



So this is for all the children and adults affected with diabetes around the world. And hoping that in a little bit longer... they'll be fine.


Editing to add that I have now figured out how to add music to this post, so A Little Bit Longer should now be playing.