For Anyone Whose School Supplies Involve a Trip to the Pharmacy

** Tonight at 9 pm EST Wendy Rose and I will be LIVE on the air with Lorraine and Bennett for DSMA Rents Live!  We will be discussing Children's Congress and more! Check it out HERE!**

Fourteen Days.

In fourteen days Sweets is starting second grade.

She's ready to go back.  She's bored.  She needs something to do.  And in that respect, I'm ready for her to go.

BUT... When you are the parent of a child with diabetes, back to school often strikes fear in your heart.  

Because it's just not that simple for us.

We went and bought the supplies on Sweet's list.  She had fun picking out pencils and binders and stuff.  But I couldn't help thinking... what would it be like if that was all it took to get her ready to back to school?  How easy would it be if our biggest concern was the getting the right color folder?

That's not our world, though.  Is it?

We have a very different kind of supply list for our kids.

We pack supply boxes full of test strips and meters and alcohol wipes and glucose tabs and syringes and insulin and extra sites and extra pods and adhesive remover and lancets and teagaderm and juice boxes.

Just the thought of all the forms and plans and teaching and meetings and uncertainty and crazy numbers and the oodles and oodles of supplies.... it makes me sick to my stomach.  

I think it's the uncertainty that a new year brings.  We have to train a new teacher.  Will she be understanding?  Will she take T1 seriously?  Will she help Sweets reach her potential while not letting Diabetes hold her back?  Will she keep her safe?

My guess is yes.  I have confidence in that.  I truly do.  

But I think it's the putting yourself out there that is hard.  I HATE having to ask for special treatment.  Like a meeting before school starts to go over diabetes and our plan.  I do it because my daughter needs me to do it.  But how I wish I could just meet the teacher at "Meet the Teacher" night like everyone else.  

Sometimes we get a bad rap.  Us D Mamas and Papas.  

People call us overprotective.  Demanding.  Helicopter Parents.  Difficult.  Over the Top.  High Maintenance.  Picky.  High Strung.  Add your favorites here...

We don't want to be that way.  

We aren't TRYING to be difficult.  

We just want what's best for our children.  We want our kids to have the same opportunity to succeed as every other student.  And we want to keep them safe and healthy in the process.  

And for us, it just takes more planning than your average student.  

We'd rather go with the flow like everyone else.  Truly we would.  

But we can't.  

Our kids rely on us to be their advocates.  To speak for them.  To be their voice.

We know most people don't know anything about Type One.  After all, we didn't know much either... before.  We know what our kids look like and act like when their blood sugar is low.  Or high.  Or dropping fast.  We know that our kids may not speak up for themselves.  They may be embarrassed to say anything in front of their friends.  They may not want to draw attention to themselves.  They may just not want to stop whatever it is they are doing.  

So we speak up.  

So we make plans.  We work on 504 plans and orders from the endocrinologist.  We make direction sheets for the cgm and pump.  We print out directions for how to take care of children and what to look for when things are "off".  We make copies for every teacher they will have.  We ask for meetings before school begins.  And we take a bag of supplies to school so large it looks like we might be moving in.  

We ignore our nerves.  We ignore the stares.  We ignore the comments from others about all that we do to get our kids ready.  And we definitely ignore all those people whose back to school list does not involve a trip to the pharmacy!

We just do our thing. 

We do this because we are their parents and this is our job.  

We do this because we love them.  

                 (I know it's not specifically for D Rents but it fits pretty well and like the message!)

Now for my public service announcement....

PLEASE promise me that you won't let anyone talk you out of making a plan for child - whatever that plan might entail.  If YOU feel like it's something you and your child needs, please pursue it.  I get so upset when I talk to friends who have had horrible experiences with schools who are not willing to work with families to keep their sweet ones safe.  Because I KNOW it doesn't have to be that way.  We have been blessed with schools that are happy to work with us (and I still feel get all worried and uptight, y'all!).  I know what it SHOULD look like.  Compromise may be necessary.  That's ok.  But what's not ok is a refusal to keep your child safe and healthy.  

This week I will be working on all those fun plans and information sheets for Sweets.  I will post the new stuff as soon as I have it done!  You can check out what I already have (504 plans, bg flow charts, directions, and more) on my School Stuff tab above (or click HERE).  Feel free to use those things!

On Thursday, there will be a FREE Back to School Webinar from 7-8 pm EST presented by the ADA.  For more information on the webinar and other resources that the ADA's Safe at School program provides, click HERE.  

We can do this!