Lightning Struck Twice

Fall 2003, my husband is deployed to the Middle East with the Army. Something is wrong with him, but I don't know what. After many doctor visits and several miracles, a doctor finally checks his blood sugar. The test only shows that it's greater than 1000. I didn't even know what that meant at the time. We go through years of learning, get an insulin pump and settle back into "life". Summer of 2011, I start seeing the signs in my then 9 year old. It can't be, It doesn't run in any of the families, I know what happened to my husband, it can't be happening to my son also. Lightning does NOT strike the same place twice (okay, I know this isn't true, it's just very unlikely). I'm driving in my car when I tell my husband to check his blood sugar. He does and shows me the number...586. I don't throw up, I don't crash, I don't even cry because I don't want to scare him. Plus, deep down inside, I'm praying that there is some other explanation. There is not. Lightning DID strike twice. 2 years, another insulin pump and 5 karate belts later my son (and husband) live as normal life as possible and don't have to miss out on much because of diabetes. My son's A1C at the time of diagnosis was 13.9. Three months later, it was 6.2 thanks to the 8 years of experience we had with my husband. One of the first things I said to my husband on the way to the hospital with that reading of 586 was, "Now we know why you got it." Thanks to that experience, our son has never had to hear, "You can't do that" or "You can't eat that". And he never will.

Anonymous
York, PA