I have compared managing/living with diabetes to parenting in the past, and the other day it came up again. My kids came home from college in mid-November and stayed until late January and mid-February, respectively. Thanks to COVID, what would have been a quick visit at Thanksgiving and a little bit longer visit at Christmas, turned into two-and-a-half to three months with young adults in the house.
For me it was a mixed bag. I had adjusted to having them gone. I was getting a lot done, the house was staying clean (I would walk by their rooms and bathroom, pause, and smile at the floor {because I could see it}, and the tub {it was the color it was supposed to be}), and I was happy that they were where they were meant to be at this life stage.
Then they came home. Once again I was shopping and cooking for more people. Once again there was noise, distraction, and messiness. And I adjusted to that and loved having them around. I got less work done, dealt with the mess, and didn’t look in their rooms or bathroom.
In the days leading up to them leaving I had to mentally prepare for the quiet. Again. Then it hit me: this is what it’s like to manage diabetes. Just when you think you’ve got it down, everything changes. When you finally decide to adjust the basal rate/dose, instead of running high you start running low. And then you have to adjust all over again.
In the past I’ve referred to diabetes as my “third child.” Now I’m rethinking that, because this precious offspring won’t be going away to college or moving out permanently one day. It’s here to stay. What joy.
So I’m learning how to parent young adults – balance giving them space with still having expectations while they’re home. And I’m figuring out how to manage diabetes at each new stage as well.
They both certainly keep me on my toes!