Pivotal Points

After we got Abby's diagnosis of Down syndrome I remember needing some time to process what that all meant. I remember thinking that this would be a pivotal moment in our lives, that from that point on things would be very different than we'd ever expected.

Soon enough Down syndrome became "normal". It was no longer something we just read about in books. It wasn't a bunch of statistics or perceptions. It became a part of who we are as a family and in many ways became a blessing in disguise.

Yesterday we had another pivotal moment.

For about a week now Abby has been having accidents. This is not the norm for her. It took her a while to get potty trained, but once she was, she was a pro. The accidents were few and far between (usually when she didn't want to stop playing), and she never wet the bed. My first thought when this changed was that it was a phase. I've learned with Abby that sometimes we take giant leaps forward, only to take a few steps back. Maybe this was one of those.

Since she'd been fighting a cold as well, I didn't think too much about her increased fluid intake....until Wednesday. No matter how much she drank, she couldn't get rid of her thirst. She drank so much that she didn't have any room for food, and yet she still told me over and over again how thirsty she was. I knew - I knew with every fiber of my "Mommy Sense" that something was not right.

The next day we were able to see Abby's doctor and he confirmed our fears, Abby has type 1 diabetes. We were to head directly to the hospital, where she would be admitted for several days while they got her blood sugar under control, regulated her insulin, and gave us a crash course in everything we would need to know.

Thankfully we were put in good hands, and they didn't throw too much information at us as we worked to get Abby settled and comfortable in her new environment. As the day progressed I watched her fight the finger pokes and shots, trying desperately to keep my composure and not let her see the storm inside me. All the while we had doctors and nurses assuring us that before long, this all would become routine, another part of our daily routine.

How?

I just couldn't wrap my head around that, and I'm still trying to do that nearly 24 hours later. Last night, as I lay in a bed next to Abby, not sleeping, I couldn't help but think that we've once again reached a point at which from here on out our lives will not be the same. New words like, "ketones", "islet cells", and "lancet" have entered our vocabulary. We've been given a backpack filled with information books, cook books, and "gear". We will meet with an army of specialists from our endocrinologist to a dietitian, who will help us understand where to go from here. As I thought about all of this last night, I still gave thanks, because even though we will need to make changes - everything is manageable. There are far too many who's "pivotal points" are far more devastating. I am so thankful that Abby is in a place where she will get the help she needs and the medicine she requires to keep her healthy. How could I not be so very grateful that things had played out as they had?

Today will be a day of learning for Jason and me, and a time for Abby gain a new crew of fans. She's already begun charming the nurses and doctors with her sweet smiles and grateful attitude. She is resilient. She is strong. She is my hero.

Dr. Abby! She was thrilled right away to see her "scrubs" and so the
nurses have taken to calling her "Dr. Abby", they've even given her
some gear!

Not one who spends many nights away from home, I knew the night would be tough. She
did well though. Neither of us got much sleep, but she's a trooper.

I don't know if I've ever seen Abby so excited over a plate of bacon.
I literally had to hand her pieces so she didn't shovel them all in at once.
The poor thing was so hungry!