My daughter, randomly, asked me what a seizure was. (Turns out someone had talked about it at school as a result of a student with epilepsy.)
We talked about it, and then she asked if diabetes could cause seizures. She doesn’t ask me complicated questions about the longterm effects of diabetes very often (barring that one time she asked me, when she was about two and a half, “Mom, how many birthdays do you have left?”), but she’s an avid reader and I know she’s heard concerning things here and there.
I was glad she asked, because it meant she was ready to hear answers. She’s good like that.
We talked about the low blood sugars that she’s seen me have and I said, “Sometimes people with diabetes can have seizures because of low blood sugars, but in 32 years I haven’t ever had one. Doesn’t mean I won’t ever, but things like the Dexcom and my pump help a lot. I honestly don’t worry about it.”
She thought about it for a minute. “Yeah. Don’t worry about that.”
A brief pause, then with her eight year old arms gleefully thrown into the air: “I mean, you could also get hit by a bus, right?!”
This is why I love children so much! They always are direct, innocent and make you look at the big picture and smile 🙂 I raised 2 wonderful children while living with Type 1. Both ended up being volunteer EMTs and firefighters and my son is now a professional paramedic. They never had to call 911 and I’ve never needed any help with lows but they knew how to call 911 and when to get help for their mom if needed. Love them and my grandkids and diabetes is just another part of our life, but a normal everyday ho hum part of it.
Ho hum – exactly! Run of the mill normal includes beeping pumps and glucose tabs. <3
Exactly, and knowing the carb counts of everything, and beeping sensor’s and phones! It’s so much easier now than even 5 years ago!
Eight year old wisdom is very adult.
I remember this talk with my mom when I was 7 or 8. I asked mom what low meant. I had described it as a person who shakes, sweats and has their eyes closed. I had answered that as the definition of the word low on a school paper. Naturally I got it wrong and a good talking too from the teacher.
As you might imagine I was confused. Mom said low had different definitions and perhaps I should use the one the teacher wanted me to use. I know she then called the teacher to explain because, the teacher talked to me about the different definitions of low, and she added the points back.
Yeah I was still confused. 53 years later, I wonder how the teacher felt when mom called. I think more than one person was educated that day.