I have to share this story with you all.....
Hi everyone,
In May of 2009 I was accepted into Nursing school, which I had worked very hard to get into. I was thrilled. I am married and have two toddlers but I knew I'd make it work since caring for the sick is my passion. Well... little did I know.....
I began school in September, first semester, did awesome! My clinical was in Jersey Shore hospital in Neptune, N.J. Keep in mind it could have been at any of the local hospitals, but that's where I was assigned. First semester I was taught how to give patients meds, including shots, amongst many many other things.
Second semester begins...Feb. My 4 yr old daughter starts displaying all the classic symptoms; wetting the bed, extreme thirst, irritable, losing weight. Take her to get blood work although my pediatrician does not think it's diabetes. Now at my new clinical spot, a psych hospital. Get the dreaded phone call from her pediatrician, life is changed forever.
As horrible as all this was, and our world was spinning and we were suddenly sticking our daughter with needles in a hospital bed and coming to the realization that this was going to be life from here on out, I realized something amazing, and it all hit me.
The hospital the endocrinologist had us go to and admit her was... Jersey Shore. What was I going to have to learn? To give shots of insulin.
When we were discharged, my husband, myself, and my now diabetic daughter, walked down wide, long hallway with many beautiful pictures of the Jersey shore, carrying balloons and teddy bears galore. This was the same hallway that I vividly remembered walking down with my fellow nursing students/friends after our first day of clinical in nursing school, so proud, I remember turning around to everyone saying "we did it!". And here I was about 5 months later, walking in the same spot in such a different, position.
I have to say how thankful I was because I believe God had a plan just like he does for everyone. How awesome that I ended up at the same hospital I did clinical at.....I had never been to this hospital before my clinical rotation, and I have to say......it made me feel a little more comfortable with this situation because I knew environment so well. And the fact that I learned how to give injections all 1st semester.....wow. I have been able to use the brief knowledge and experience I gained to take the best care of my daughter as possible. Her A1C upon admission was a 10...her 1st one after 3 months was a 5.9...praise the Lord.
I just had to share this story with you all . and sometimes it just feels good to talk about because I do get my moments of sadness for my daughter and life before diabetes and my giving up on school....which hopefully one day I'll go back, but not anytime soon. I am my little Ava Rose's nurse now, and that's just fine with me. Thank you for reading and God Bless :)
In May of 2009 I was accepted into Nursing school, which I had worked very hard to get into. I was thrilled. I am married and have two toddlers but I knew I'd make it work since caring for the sick is my passion. Well... little did I know.....
I began school in September, first semester, did awesome! My clinical was in Jersey Shore hospital in Neptune, N.J. Keep in mind it could have been at any of the local hospitals, but that's where I was assigned. First semester I was taught how to give patients meds, including shots, amongst many many other things.
Second semester begins...Feb. My 4 yr old daughter starts displaying all the classic symptoms; wetting the bed, extreme thirst, irritable, losing weight. Take her to get blood work although my pediatrician does not think it's diabetes. Now at my new clinical spot, a psych hospital. Get the dreaded phone call from her pediatrician, life is changed forever.
As horrible as all this was, and our world was spinning and we were suddenly sticking our daughter with needles in a hospital bed and coming to the realization that this was going to be life from here on out, I realized something amazing, and it all hit me.
The hospital the endocrinologist had us go to and admit her was... Jersey Shore. What was I going to have to learn? To give shots of insulin.
When we were discharged, my husband, myself, and my now diabetic daughter, walked down wide, long hallway with many beautiful pictures of the Jersey shore, carrying balloons and teddy bears galore. This was the same hallway that I vividly remembered walking down with my fellow nursing students/friends after our first day of clinical in nursing school, so proud, I remember turning around to everyone saying "we did it!". And here I was about 5 months later, walking in the same spot in such a different, position.
I have to say how thankful I was because I believe God had a plan just like he does for everyone. How awesome that I ended up at the same hospital I did clinical at.....I had never been to this hospital before my clinical rotation, and I have to say......it made me feel a little more comfortable with this situation because I knew environment so well. And the fact that I learned how to give injections all 1st semester.....wow. I have been able to use the brief knowledge and experience I gained to take the best care of my daughter as possible. Her A1C upon admission was a 10...her 1st one after 3 months was a 5.9...praise the Lord.
I just had to share this story with you all . and sometimes it just feels good to talk about because I do get my moments of sadness for my daughter and life before diabetes and my giving up on school....which hopefully one day I'll go back, but not anytime soon. I am my little Ava Rose's nurse now, and that's just fine with me. Thank you for reading and God Bless :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Linda Gauvin-Miller on -
Thank so much for sharing this very personal story Kelly. You are so very right....you can return to your studies later, but for the time being, you are called to be with your little sweetie...obviously where YOU want to be!! Isn't God wonderful, though Ava has diabetes, He has planned that YOU would be ready to take care of her shots from the very start. Such is life....diabetes happened, but life is never smooth...God has given you the ability to handle it, and He well also give Ava the strength and maturity to cope. Lots of hugs dear Kelly. Luv you...linda.
Meant to ask....is YOUR family nearby/ Aside from tu.diabetes friends...do you have a circle of friends in your immediate area? -
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Permalink Reply by Donald Hantsbarger on -
I have been a type 1 for 28 years and have a lot of ups and downs with God and why I have it. I decided he picked someone that could carry the load and not let other people get discouraged about it. In that sense I am glad to do it.
You have a special child she will be braver than you wish she had to be but I know God will use her as a shining light for others and things don't just happen just because
God bless you all -
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Permalink Reply by Kelly on -
It's so true. I hate that my daughter has it, but there have been times when I have been thankful she has it and say not a little girl in her class who's parents are very careless, I couldn't imagine the girl getting good care. Even times I am thankful her and not my son because personality wise, she can handle this much better than I think he ever could have. God knows what he is doing for sure.
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Permalink Reply by Linda Gauvin-Miller on
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God is good....all the time! All the time....God is good!!
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Steinhart on -
God is amazing in how things like this fit together, a fact to which I can attest to.
I grew up in Missouri, about 30 miles south of St. Louis. My parents have a friend down there who is T1, and apparently the care he receives as a T1 is very poor.
Two years before I was diagnosed, my family moved up to the Minneapolis area for my dad's job. When I was diagnosed, my GP immediately had me schedule an appointment at the International Diabetes Center, and I now have an amazing endo, as opposed to the horrific care I would have received if I was still in Missouri.
Also last year my dad was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and the care he recieved here in Minnesota was also much better than what he would have received in Missouri.
Who would have known five years ago that my family's move to Minnesota was God's plan to give my family the best possible medical care for problems that wouldn't come for three years. -
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Permalink Reply by Kelly on
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That's awesome, it's so amazing to see how HIS plan was in affect the whole time.
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Permalink Reply by Laura on -
What a moving story and how wonderful for you to feel so "at home" when your daughter was diagnosed. It's hard enough for a young child to have diabetes but to be at a strange place is even worse. I"m so glad you got through it and I"m sure you will one day be a great nurse. I was a nurse for almost 20 years but didn't graduate until I was older and my children were in school so hang in there, you can go back to school, don't give up your dream and it will help you and your daughter and your compassion and faith will be a true blessing for many others in a hospital or other medical setting one day.
God be with you and your daughter and glad you are on the forum.
Laura -
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Permalink Reply by Brunetta on -
So wonderful to know that God's plans, provision, and protection for us works at all times!!! Thank you for sharing your story!
God bless,
Brunetta -
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Permalink Reply by Brandon on -
o my goodness......my son has downs and type 1 and it is 24-7 job ....but he is one of the great joys of my life........youn are all doing great ....and with GODS help.....we will carry on -one day at a time....
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Permalink Reply by latvianchick on
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I am so sorry for you and your daughter but God has a lovely way of working things out! I truly believe that. Often things happen and we wonder why or pass it by, until the time that there is the lightbulb moment and we realise that He was in it all the time!
Well done you for alreay doing so well with her. Do not be too disappointed when things are not always so easy. Some doctors (who do not have to live with it, day in day out!!!) might say that when things are wrong it is the patient's fault but there are soooo many reasons why it is up and down and sometimes there is no reason! Nobody gets it right all of the time, even diabetics of many years standing!
The other positive is that because your daughter is so young you will be better able to influence her diet which will be far more healthy than that of most other non-diabetic children which will stand her in good stead later in life!
Aaaand she will be able to say - truthfully - that any sweet food she has is for medicinal purposes if her bloods go down!!!
I wish you all the best with her and perhaps you will get back to nursing more people later on, perhaps when she has started school! -
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