This morning I spent some time at the salon getting my hair cut and highlighted for our upcoming trip to JDRF's
Children's Congress. I figured it was just going to be some nice, quiet "me" time...no kids and no D to worry about. Little did I know...
I settled into the chair and started chit-chatting with stylist...just a little small-talk to pass the time. I mentioned that Charlotte and I would be leaving for Washington DC next weekend and she asked if the trip was for anything in particular...so I explained that Charlotte is one of 2 delegates chosen to represent our state for JDRF's Children's Congress and a talked a little bit about what we will be doing during out time there. She seemed genuinely interested in learning more about Charlotte and how her life is impacted by Type 1 diabetes...so I explained about her insulin pump, blood sugar checks and carb counting. She asked about Charlotte's diagnosis and how we knew...so I explained. I told her that Charlotte was 2 years old when she was diagnosed and that we had noticed that she had been going potty A LOT, having more potty accidents, and soaking through her Pull-Ups to the point that they would literally drip urine. I also told her how thinking back we now realize that she was drinking A LOT too.
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| Charlotte - 3 months before diagnosis |
After listening to the story she mentioned that she has a 2-year old little girl who has been drinking a lot and soaking through her diapers. She said she had mentioned her concerns to her daughter's pediatrician who told her it was probably nothing to worry about and that toddlers go through phases where they do things like that. But she said she still can't shake the feeling that it's something more than "just a phase". I try hard to not be an alarmist...I realize that not every child who pees a lot has Type 1 diabetes. BUT...I would hate for anyone to go undiagnosed until its too late because they didn't know the signs to look for or what to do! So I shared with her some of the
warning signs of Type 1 diabetes: extreme thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, sudden weight loss, drowsiness/lethargy, and fruity smelling breath. I told her that I truly hope the pediatrician is right about her daughter's drinking a lot being a toddler phase...I hate to think about another child being diagnosed! BUT...I also encouraged her to not ignore her concerns and to have her daughter's blood sugar checked if it hadn't been already. She seemed to be truly appreciative of the information and said she is going to have her daughter's blood sugar checked.
Funny how what I thought would be a couple hours of "me" time, turned in to so much more...and how a little "small-talk" in a beauty shop might have saved a little girl's life!
