When it all started...

Well we are getting close to the year mark of diagnosis, pretty amazing how fast it's gone by! In reality this is about the time last year we started seeing the signs we would later find out was Type 1 Diabetes.
About a year ago my oldest daughter, then 12 years old, started complaining of leg cramps in the middle of the night; though we are still told this isn't a symptom she hasn't experienced them since her blood glucose was regulated. Soon after she started losing weight, why we didn't put two and two together I'll never know. What I can look back and say now is it was awful; watching your normally healthy child lose weight and question what was going on. Now I'm sure a lot of parents say "not my child" at the mention of eating disorders, but I REALLY did say it and think it. Here I have a very upfront, honest, hardworking 12 year old and I actually asked her "are you eating at school?", "have you forced yourself to throw up?" These are the first thoughts that went through my head and looking back I feel awful but in reality I know I was just being the concerned parent...still doesn't make it easier 
That being said the day we went to the doctor I was beside myself; she had continued to lose weight, was drinking and urinating constantly and had started to complain of her throat hurting. It also happened that we had went to In-N-Out for lunch that day and after eating she didn't feel well, it seemed her lips were bluish and I panicked. Thank goodness I did because I got her into the doctor and explained everything that had been going on. The doctor tested her urine and that was it... Type 1 Diabetes, the sugar in her urine was sky high and we were headed to the hospital.
I was in such a mess I headed to the local hospital only to realize we were supposed to head to the hospital an hour away because she was being admitted into pediatric ICU. 
I wouldn't have survived the next few days if it weren't for my family and friends. It's times like these you realize those friends that are truly your family as well. To this day I wish I could find a way to thank them enough. During this entire ordeal my husband was also in the hospital fighting pneumonia that later led to chest tubes and surgery. So I had a VERY full plate and my parents took on my other two children and were somehow still everywhere I needed them. I cry as I type this because the feelings are all still that fresh, I think these are memories that will be forever etched in my mind.
Getting that all said the hospital was an amazing experience for us we learned SO much. My daughter was a go getter from the start and was giving herself her own injections the next day. I admire her strength so much I can't even put it into words and she continues to amaze me with her knowledge and desire to lock her blood glucose in. She is very hard on herself though and sometimes has to be reminded what a great job she is doing with this still new responsibility.
So there it is my/our first blog post. I am hopeful she will be on here as much or more than I am but creating this blog is something we talked about in the hospital and here it is...FINALLY!