Memories of a Wedding

Today we’re going to share our most memorable diabetes day. You can take this anywhere.... your or your loved one's diagnosis, a bad low, a bad high, a big success, any day that you’d like to share.

'Most' memorable day would still be diagnosis, but that's already been covered here, so I've chosen another of many memorable diabetes moments:

My sister-in-law's wedding day was memorable for many reasons.  It was a gorgeous fall day.  The cememony was held outdoors in the gazebo on a quaint New England town green.  My husband and I were both in the bridal party.  My daughter was about to turn three, and looked adorable wearing a wrist corsage especially chosen by the bride.

What makes this a memorable diabetes day is that my daughter started pumping insulin just days before the wedding. 

Until she started pumping, we were giving my daughter shots of NPH insulin twice a day and covering her biggest meals with shots of humalog. There was therefore no wiggle room in a very tight schedule.  If she didn't eat snacks when the NPH peaked, she'd experience  low blood sugars.  If she ate more carbs than 'prescribed,' her blood sugar would be high.  This highly regulated eating routine made every day difficult, but made special occasions a nightmare.

Imagine, if you will, bringing a 2 year old to a party where snacks are out on a table.  People are eating crackers, grapes, cookies and mini hot dogs.  Your child may have 8 grams of carbohydrates at exactly 3 p.m., and nothing else to eat until 'dinner time' at 6.  We had lived this scenario for nearly two years.  This wedding day brought into focus how significantly our lives had just changed with a new pump tucked neatly under that little party dress.

Allowing my daughter to eat a couple of ritz crackers while we waited for our turn with the photographer was life-changing and no, I'm not using that term loosely. 

The main meal was served at 1:30 p.m., which just a week before would have required us to pack a separate lunch for noon.  We then would have spent our mealitme distracting her from the fact that everyone else was eating and all she got was a glass of crystal-light and some celery sticks. 

When her aunt and new uncle cut their cake at 4 p.m., she was first in line for a slice and I calculated my first SWAG bolus.

That October day  represented new beginnings.  It was the start of a new and happy life for my sister-in-law and her husband.   It was also the start of a slightly simpler life for our family; one in which we could participate in social events without the anxiety and discomfort our previous diabetes routine entailed.