Irelyn’s diagnoses story
Irelyn had recently turned six years old a month or so later she broke out in a few sores on her legs and bottom I took her to the doctors on 3 separate occasions to try different antibiotics as she refused to take any. We finally found one she liked and the sores cleared up.
“She was skulling ice-cold bottles of water and I thought something is really not right.”
Over the coming weeks, COVID-19 started and we had kept our children home. Throughout this time Irelyn was drinking a lot more than normal and using the toilet way more than usual. My partner (Irelyn’s dad) asked do you think she has Type1 diabetes? I said no, I highly doubt it and I put it down to running around after her brothers and being more active. A couple of days passed and she was skulling ice-cold bottles of water and I thought something is really not right. I had left for work that night and Jason ( Irelyn’s dad) called and said she’s complaining of a sore itchy private area. I immediately got off the phone and made a doctor’s appointment for the next morning, in the meantime I started searching the internet, my heart sunk it’s like I just knew she was going to have it.
When we arrived at the doctor’s the next morning I knew in my heart, but I still wasn’t prepared for when the doctor finger pricked her for the first-ever time and said oh yes I’m sorry she does have type1 diabetes. I was shaken to my core and I’ll honestly never forget the fear in my daughter’s eyes that day and the following days. It was honestly the most traumatic thing we’ve ever experienced.
We were then sent straight to the hospital, that night I remember thinking I’ve failed my little girl as there were signs and I didn’t act fast enough. But luckily they said we had picked it up early and she only had a small tracing of ketones that were easily bought down. There was so much learning and educating in those couple of days, I couldn’t stop crying, I was overwhelmed and I’m surprised I even remembered anything they told/taught me.
“mum when I go to heaven will I still have Type1 diabetes?”
It was all so exhausting as our whole world was turned completely upside down. Irelyn was so brave through it all, she would tell me to stop crying mummy I’m going to be okay. There were days when she would say things like “mum when I go to heaven will I still have Type1 diabetes?” In that moment I’d feel my heart being ripped out, “no my darling you won’t have Type1 diabetes in heaven you will be a very old lady when it’s time for heaven”. She’s had her fair share of tough days, but not once does she complain. She often says I hate the needles but we love the insulin don’t we mum? She’s so resilient, smart, and brave, Irelyn has made this journey easy, it’s coming up to her 1-year diaversary , what a year! Wow, a whole year of finger pricks, injections, cgm, pump training, highs and lows, our educators have been amazing and we feel so blessed for the technology and care Irelyn receives. I often sit alone sometimes and think back to our old carefree life and the last day Irelyn was just Irelyn and not a child living with Type1 Diabetes.
I hope our story can help and guide another family. We hope it shows you that you're not alone as there are so many families going through what we’ve been through, just know it does get easier.
Written by Irelyn’s mum Tolia xx
