Five-year-old Rilan was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on 16 July of this year. By the time he made it to hospital, his BGL reading was 50. His mum Jodie has asked him to tell us what he remembers about being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Jodie: Rilan, JDRF are asking people if they would like to share their story about when they were diagnosed with diabetes. Would you like to share your story with other people?
Rilan: Yep ok, because that can help them. I felt really yucky. I had a head ache all the time and sometimes I would vomit my guts up. I kept wetting the bed and had accidents in the day and night time. Didn’t I Mum? Don’t tell anyone that, because they might laugh.
Jodie: Rilan honey, I don’t think people will laugh because I’m pretty sure there are loads of other kids out there who also wet the bed and their pants when they got sick.
Rilan: Ok Mum you can tell them. I don’t care because I don’t wet the bed anymore or have accidents. I was tired all the time and didn’t even want to play with my best friends. You took me to the doctor and I had a needle. I was brave, it hurt just a little bit.
Jodie: Do you remember what we told you happened next?
Rilan: Then Daddy came home because you were sad Mummy, and we all went to the hospital. Me and Taiah and Keelie and Daddy and you. You and daddy and the girls were sad.
I had more needles and needles in my fingers and in my tummy. I cried and yelled, didn’t I? I don’t have enough fat cause I’m not fat enough so it hurt and they had to do it in my legs and bum. We stayed there forever. You or Dad slept on the lounge in my room. I kept having needles in my fingers and in my legs and bottom. They kept waking me up all the time.
I keep having to still have finger pricks and needles every day and every night, every day now forever! Cause I have diabetes now.
Jodie tells us here at JDRF: “There’s so much to take in and so much to try and get your head around. We took small steps. BGL at a time, tiny baby steps. I still second and third even fourth guess myself. It’s still early and I still ask every day and every night for this disease to be taken away from my precious son and everyone who struggles. It’s been a bumpy ride but we are getting there.”
Thank you Rilan for telling us what you remember about being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes – you’re very brave to share your story like this!
If you’re interested in sharing your diabetes story with JDRF, please contact us on mystory@jdrf.org.au.