Follow My Instructions
My baby boy was diagnosed with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, and our lives haven’t been the same since. We’ve been struggling with accepting his condition as the new normal while trying to learn as much as we can and be able to provide our son with the best care and minimize the occurrence of hypoglycaemic events.
We live with constant fear of hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia and we can’t escape the reality that one small misstep could lead to a fatal outcome. We also want to prevent long-term complications. He needs to get his blood sugar checked three times a day before giving him his injections. We do this based on pediatrician instructions. For what it’s worth, my husband and I are on a limited income. My husband also has PTSD and stress-related health issues. He can no longer go out with friends, can’t focus on his job, and has become distressed and gets angry very easily.
I forced him to get treatment for his PTSD if he wants to be strong for his son. He has only recently started taking medication and we’re hoping he’ll get better with them. Well, when my mother-in-law found out about our son’s condition, she wanted to be right in the center of it. She wanted to be there for doctor’s appointments, made backhanded comments about how poorly I’m handling my son’s condition, and she even said once that this happened to us after my husband and I stopped going to church on Sunday and that it will get better if we start attending again.
I take care of my son’s health, I make sure his blood sugar is controlled and his injections are taken on time, I watch for any candy and treats that are not good for him and try to insert vegetables and protein into his diet. Last week, my husband and I were attending a group therapy. When my husband asked if we could both go some place quiet and eat dinner after, I said yes, so we dropped our son off at my mother-in-law’s house. I’ve given her new syringes and the insulin bottle, as well as other stuff I bought from the drugstore that day.
My mother-in-law has experience and has been trained to give insulin shots. However, we haven’t visited in a while. When we got there, she made a comment about how skinny my son is because of this diet that we’re following. I told her we’re just following the doctor’s instructions, and she responded that apparently, the doctor isn’t doing a good job. She also complained when I told her that he needs to get his blood sugar checked, and instructed her to give him an insulin injection before each meal, plus no treats or cakes.
She said okay and we told her we would call to check on him. At around 6 pm, we came to her house to pick him up. I immediately sensed something was wrong. He looked sleepier than usual, but she said it was probably because he was playing with the dog all day. I asked if she did as she was instructed, and she said yes. We said goodbye and left. When we got home, all my son wanted to do was sleep. He fell asleep on the couch as I was preparing dinner for him. My husband tried to wake him up, but he looked like he was dizzy, nauseous, and sweaty.
My husband was concerned and told me to come see. I ran out of the kitchen, my heart pounding, and asked my son if he had his insulin shots and what he ate at his grandma’s house. He said no, he didn’t take his insulin shots. I quickly pricked his fingertip to know what his blood sugar level was, and it was 300mg/dL. VERY BAD. I freaked out and told my husband we needed to go to the hospital. The doctor told us it was hyperglycemia, and they started treating him in the emergency room, administered insulin and inserted IV fluids to rehydrate him. They kept monitoring and checking his blood sugar every 15 minutes. I was so terrified and angry at the same time.
In the meantime, my husband called his mom and literally started yelling at her and telling her that our son has been taken to the emergency because of her recklessness and ignorance. She completely lied about giving him his insulin dosage. The insulin bottle hadn’t been touched, and she got rid of the syringes to make it look like she did give him his injections. My husband argued with her for 10 minutes and finished by saying he was taking her name off the emergency contact list because he does not trust her anymore.
What she did was wrong and dangerous. My baby needs insulin to survive, and despite having given her enough information about the seriousness of his condition, she decided he was thin so he doesn’t need insulin. Instead, she thought he needs more food, more carbohydrates, and more sugar. Plus, skipping a couple of insulin injections won’t be a problem. She doesn’t fully understand my son’s constant need for insulin to stay alive, it’s that serious, but she chose to be ignorant about it and handle it poorly.
She still calls me, about how it was unfair we blamed her and that she didn’t know. Her task was simple, follow my instructions, but she did this deliberately. She thinks these are my rules, not the doctor’s, so she went against them. Thank God I’m blessed with a caring, understanding doctor who literally saved my son’s life. I’m grateful to him for comforting me and reassuring me that everything will be fine, I honestly don’t know what I would do without such love and support from the whole staff. Story credit: Reddit / bigmamahug