\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m a journalist, and in my career as a writer and editor I\u2019ve been called horrible things. I mention this because\u2014though it doesn\u2019t exactly feel great\u2014I have pretty thick skin.<\/p>\n
But when it comes to my little boy\u2019s type 1 diabetes\u2014to what people say, even unintentionally and ignorantly\u2014I\u2019m surprised by how deeply some remarks hurt.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve heard little kids who have said things to my eight-year-old son (diagnosed more than half his life ago), such as, \u201cI\u2019m glad I don\u2019t have diabetes\u201d or \u201cBlood\u2019s gross.\u201d And I\u2019m consistently impressed by the way my son\u2014a happy and good-natured kid\u2014handles things. He\u2019ll shrug and carry on with whatever it is he\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n
A couple of months ago I brought my son to a local dentist who offers area school kids free sealants on their molars. Dental sealants are plastic coatings placed over the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to prevent cavities. Because my son has type 1 diabetes, an endless set of factors\u2014adrenaline, fear, food, illness, growth spurts, you name it\u2014can affect his blood sugar. In his case, hypoglycemia is especially scary, and unpredictable, at night while he sleeps. Maybe a few extra tosses of the football before bed? A low. An animated game of Yahtzee? A low. Tomato soup for dinner? A low. The wind blew west, a bird flew by, my son was wearing green? A low. Kidding. What I mean is, there is no such thing as completely steady BGs\u2014at least in our experience with type 1 diabetes. I\u2019m often asked by well-meaning acquaintances, \u201cDo you have it under control?\u201d Well, we keep our son safe and healthy. We help him maintain a good A1C. We regularly visit the endocrinologist. We teach our son what he needs to know. We empower him. That\u2019s one form of management, I suppose.<\/p>\n
Back at the dentist\u2019s office, a dental assistant painted the sealants on my son\u2019s teeth. After that, the dentist, whom I\u2019d never met, came to the room to check my son\u2019s teeth. I told him that my son has type 1 diabetes, that we were there, getting the sealants, for the extra protection. Very often, I explained to him, my son has to have a juice box in the middle of the night when his blood sugar plunges. My son always brushes at bedtime and in the morning, but I worried about his teeth.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou give him juice in the night?\u201d asked the dentist.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. He has type 1 diabetes,\u201d I repeated. \u201cSometimes, at night, he has low blood sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he brush after you give him the juice?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I answered. \u201cHe barely wakes up.\u201d My kid the pincushion, I thought. He never opens his eyes when we prick his fingers or place a straw on his lips. It seemed an injustice to rouse and drag the kid to the bathroom to brush his teeth every time he took a sip of juice.<\/p>\n
The dentist whispered something to his assistant about fetching something. She quickly returned with an empty juice box and a Ziploc bag of white sugar.<\/p>\n
He dangled them in the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what you\u2019re putting on his teeth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
I could feel my face get hot.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I answered. \u201cWhen he goes low we have to put sugar in his body.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t there something else you could give him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJuice, in the middle of the night, is what works best. It\u2019s what our endocrinologist prescribes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this what other people do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
And then. He went there.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe,\u201d he told me, \u201cyou could do a better job of managing his diabetes at night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just wow.<\/p>\n
Like most parents caring for a kid with type 1 diabetes, I would do anything for my child. I do everything I can for my child. I do my best for my child. I had brought him here, to this office, because, beyond his vital organs, his eyes, his extremities, I also want the best for his teeth. But to balance his life\u2014what those juice boxes preserve in the middle of scary, deep-night stuff\u2014versus his teeth?<\/p>\n
Honestly, I don\u2019t remember what I said at that point. Maybe, too stunned, I didn\u2019t say anything. (Full disclosure: Two years ago at the Legoland Park in Florida, I exchanged words with a lift operator when, as my son and I sat, ready to begin a ride after a long wait in line, I was told we couldn\u2019t proceed with my son\u2019s diabetes bag. It was a small satchel with a meter, juice box and glucagon that I had tucked beneath my arm. It was also a sweltering day, he\u2019d had rollercoaster BGs and there was nowhere safe to leave the bag. As the ride froze, my little boy beside me, and everyone waited for us to stand up and leave, I yelled, \u201cI know my rights!\u201d The proper way to handle things? Probably not. But we went on that ride.)<\/p>\n
Back at the dentist\u2019s office, I realized my son, still reclining in the chair, was staring at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould you at least chase the juice with water?\u201d the dentist asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could try to do that,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n
We talked another minute or so, I don\u2019t recall what was said. We shook hands. I thanked him for his service\u2014four sealants, a $120 gift.<\/p>\n
On our way out the door, his assistant handed me a piece of paper, some kind of receipt.<\/p>\n
After we were buckled in the car, I read it: \u201cBrush after juice consumption at night or discuss with endocrinologist diabetic management.\u201d<\/p>\n
That paper is still in my drawer, right beside my toothpaste.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The dentist whispered something to his assistant about fetching something. She quickly returned with an empty juice box and a Ziploc bag of white sugar.<\/p>\n
He dangled them in the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what you\u2019re putting on his teeth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
I could feel my face get hot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":43963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1587,1430],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n