Camp Roundup

Two years ago I would have never thought Tommy would go to a non-diabetes camp and sail through 3 weeks in his own but he has done just that! 

Let's rewind a bit. Two years ago Tommy started camp just after starting HGH (human growth hormone), a new medication to help him grow. Tommy has always hung around the 10th percentile for height but since being diagnosed with diabetes he quickly fell off the curve. The medication was necessary for him to grow but it didn't not come without side effects. The biggest problem was its effect on his blood sugar, sending it very high, for weeks. No amount of insulin was bringing it down and it was a very difficult time for us mentally and him physically. During that time he started camp at our public school. I thought it was a great fit because the nurse would be at school. By day two he was needing to go to the nurse 5-9 times a day and camp is only 3 hours long. He wasn't having fun a felt different from the rest of the kids, the part I took the hardest. We have always shown Tommy he can accomplish anything with his disease but this time it had us beat. He withdrew from camp and never wanted to go back. 

Now flash forward 2 years..he shows interest in camp and I signed him up! Now armed with a dexcom that displays his blood sugar and MUCH better numbers he enters camp. This year is different, he's older and understands much more about his disease. During camp he counted his own carbs, dosed himself for all snacks, and had someone call me when things were not right. I was SO impressed with him during those weeks. He loved camp and diabetes was very much an afterthought. 

We did encounter a nervous nurse who called me a few times despite the fact that Tommy was out playing at gym. His weeks at camp couldn't have gone better! 

Tommy is looking forward to camp next year and I'm so glad that we always look to the future. We take the lessons of an experience (good or bad) and just keep moving forward. 

He Lived

Since Tommy's 5 year diagnosis anniversary in April I've been thinking there must be some profound statement that goes along with that. There must be something to say for living with a disease for that long and I just couldn't find the words. Well, today I was painting a preschool classroom and was listening to some music. The song "I Lived" by One Republic was on and as I sang along I realized that is the profound thought! I LIVED! 

The song talks about owning every second and Tommy has! It talks about "doing it all" and he has.Diabetes hasn't   stopped him from doing anything that he's wanted to accomplish. 

In the past 5 years Tommy has become a big brother, graduated preschool, made it through kindergarten through 3rd grades, played soccer, played baseball, played basketball, excelled at writing his own works, became an avid reader, learned to ride a horse, continued his love for movies, learned to write comics, gone to Hershey Park too many times to count, gone to Disney, spent summer days at the lake or at the beach, has built snowman and gone sledding, learned his own sense of style, learned to tie his shoes, developed his own sense of humor, he's made friends, he's smiled, he's laughed, he's cried, he's lived!

Just recently Tommy asked me about the day he was diagnosed and wondered if I cried when I found out. I said I didn't cry when I first found out because I didn't want him to be scared. He told me that at the hospital he felt like I could take care of him and didn't feel any different and I realize we lived too. Our world changed on April 25,2011 but it didn't stop. Our life has been so full in the last 5 years and I'm grateful that we decided to thrive through each difficult time that we've needed to walk though. We've lived!