February. It was a warmish day. Warm enough that we were able to get outside a little.
Sweets was 2. Almost 3. She was riding her trike around in our driveway. Having fun.
I needed to go to the store. I was looking for beans to plant at school for our Jack and The Beanstalk unit. It was too early and they were no where to be found. I took Sweets with me and we ran down the street to the hardware store.
She was fine. Totally fine.
And then she wasn't.
We got the store and she was lethargic. She didn't want to walk. I had to carry her. She was crying. We went home and she was burning up. Her eyes kept rolling back in her head.
I freaked out.
She had been fine. Active. Happy.
The ferocity and speed of this illness scared me.
We went to the doctor and there was nothing wrong except a fever. The doctor was afraid she may have a blood infection and sent us for blood work. I remember thinking that was awful. They just pricked her finger.
But then they called and said her white count was through the roof and they needed to do additional testing. We went back. This time it was an arm draw. And that, I thought, was beyond awful. I remember thinking I was tired of holding my child down.
Little did I know....
Looking back, I wonder...
Was that the start? Was that the moment her body turned on itself?
She got better.... but after that was when the symptoms of T1 started. The excessive urination. The lethargy. The change in demeanor. The excessive thirst. The weight loss.
It was so subtle....
So subtle that we didn't notice at first.
And yet not subtle at all. Later we would wonder how in the world we didn't see how sick she was.
By the time we FINALLY took her to the doctor....
Well, he said it was the flu. I knew it wasn't.
Luckily, I knew it wasn't. Luckily, I knew what it was.
And if I hadn't said... "I think it might be diabetes..." He wouldn't have tested her. He would have sent us home.
By that time, she was already vomiting and in DKA. If he had sent us home...
That's why the story of Kycie has really grabbed me by the heart. It's thrown me right back to that scary place where we were 6 years ago. It's broken my heart. And made me so very thankful.
I've hesitated about sharing her story. After all, it's not my story to tell.
But they have a facebook page now and want to raise awareness about this disease. And I, of course, want to help.
Because it's not just Kycie's story. It's Avery's story, too. And unfortunately, they aren't alone.
taken from the Kisses for Kycie Facebook Page
On January 25th, 2015 sweet Kycie started complaining of a headache. On Monday she said her tummy hurt and a little later she threw up. Her mom and dad figured she was coming down with the flu. She slept all day Monday. She was giving her sprite and water to help her tummy. She did not want any food. Tuesday there was no change, and her brothers started to complain of stomach aches and sore throats. Jamie took Daxton and Kycie to the doctor on Wednesday. They were given antibiotics for strep throat. By Thursday night, she was worse. On Friday they went to the doctor and went to the ER at 1:00pm. By 5:00pm she was life flighted to Primary Children's Hospital with blood sugar of 1148. Her parents had no idea that sweet little Kycie had diabetes!
Enroute to the hospital she had a seizure and another one right when they got to the hospital. She has been unresponsive ever since. At this point her blood sugars are under control. After reviewing her MRI the doctors said that she has extensive damage to the brain. The brain had herniated into the brain stem.They said if she survives to prepare themselves for her to be severely handicapped. They will do another MRI on Tuesday and at that point with decide if they should consider taking her off the breathing machines.
The family is hoping for a miracle and knows that this little girl's life is in God's hands right now. You can show your support to the Terry family by keeping them in your prayers and donating to help with any financial expenses that they have. Let's join together to support this wonderful family! We love you Kycie! #kissesforkycie
You can find her page to make donations HERE.
I haven't been able to stop thinking about Kycie. About what could have been for us at diagnosis. And what could have been when Sweets had seizures from low blood sugar a few years later. Those moments are something I will never, ever forget. And something I wouldn't wish upon anyone else. Ever.
I can tell you that love we felt from all the facebook posts, comments, texts, etc this past week really helped make Sweet's illness and ER visit easier and less scary. I say we do that same for Kycie and her family. Share this blog. Share her page. Leave them some comments of love. Let them know they aren't alone. Let them know the DOC is behind them.
Type One Diabetes kills. It's wrecks bodies. It takes perfectly healthy people and changes their lives forever.
We need a cure.
We need doctors to screen for this disease. It's as simple as a finger stick or a urine dip. In the scheme of things, that not that big a deal. I know it's more complicated than that but still... It's worth it when you're talking about lives.
I'm tired of reading about children (and adults) losing their lives to this disease because it wasn't caught in time. Because they didn't know.
We did know... sort of... and it still didn't keep her out of DKA.
It's time to change the story. Time to change the outcome. Time to advocate for funding, research, and prevention.
I urge you to get involved. Whether it's with JDRF, the ADA, DRI, Dr. Faustman... Our end goal is all the same. Be it in your school, community, state, or country... Nothing is too small.
Do it for Kycie. Do it for my child. Do it for yours.
Do it to make a difference in lives today and tomorrow.
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