Coral’s 2nd Diaversary

A Diaversary is the anniversary of the day you were

diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I also like to refer to it as the D-day. My daughter, Coral, was diagnosed on March 11, 2016. We choose to celebrate this day because she LIVED through it. She survived DKA or diabetes ketoacidosis – a very serious diabetic condition that can lead to a coma or even death if not treated with immediate medical attention and hospitalization. I still remember seeing her fight with all of her might as the nurses strapped her down on a little board so they could put the IV in her tiny arms to give her vital fluids and insulin. Read more about DKA here and Our Diagnosis Story.

It’s difficult not to think about that horrid weekend whenever her D-day comes around. We distract ourselves with trips to the toy store, baking her Simple Mills cupcakes with the same brand frosting, and surrounding her with other T1dlittles like we did this past Sunday (late post – I’ve been editing the video all night as soon as she fell asleep with stable BG).

If my fellow T1dMom friend, Lisa* hadn’t messaged me the night before, we probably would’ve just stayed in to celebrate her D-day. It was cold and damp outside anyways. Nonetheless, we started texting a few other mom’s with T1dlittles including a new family whom we hadn’t met yet. We had originally planned to meet at Giggles N Hugs that Sunday afternoon around 2pm, but when we got there, they were at full capacity. What a bummer since they have an awesome indoor playspace at the Topanga Mall and they serve beer, wine, and food (including gluten free items). The manager, Wes, even remembered us from when we celebrated Coral’s 3rd birthday there along with a few other visits in between now and then. She loves that place.

So, we decided to try our luck at Cheesecake Factory, since they have gluten free items too for the precious Reese. Unfortunately, 1 out of 11 Type 1 diabetics are likely to be diagnosed with celiac disease as well since it is also an autoimmune disease. It’s an allergy to gluten such as wheat, rye, barley and triticale.

We put our name down for a party of 13 people and moved outside by the valet area to sit on the lounge chairs to wait for them to call us. I figured this would be the best time to have Coral open her presents from Mommy and Daddy and also Aunty Christina.* I also passed out some carb-free Zollipops to the kids making them aware not to eat more than 2-3 since it contains Xylitol and may upset their stomachs. The kids enjoyed getting to know one another and playing with each other. I swear the girls were having a conversation about unicorns with their unicorns.

About 40 minutes passed until we were finally seated, greeted, and placed the kids food orders and drinks. Some of our T1dlittles were high, low or in-between. That is why all of us Moms carry snacks and juice boxes in our big ass purses just in case. Then, our waitress handed us off to her co-worker since her shift was over. He was a little quicker in getting our drinks and food out. By the time we finally finished our very late lunch, it was already a bit past 5:00pm. We headed out the back into the mall area and took some group photos. Coral threw a major tantrum at that moment and I’m really bummed she didn’t pose with the rest of the kids.

She fell asleep in the car on the way home. When she woke up from her nap, I had her sit at the table and placed a giant cupcake with strawberry pureed frosting and two candles. We lit both of them and she asked us to sing her “Happy Birthday.” Oh, my sweet adorable Coral! I did most of the singing while Daddy tried to multitask by recording it with my iPhone 8. She blew out the candles and wished for “[a cure for] Type 1 diabetes.” I had her practice saying that since her second birthday.

I can’t thank our friends and loyal supporters enough for being there and helping us celebrate such a bittersweet day. I’m not one to say, “Focus on the positives [something I’m continuously working on]” when it comes to T1d because I fully understand everything it entitles – from short-term to long-term complications. It’s always a daunting threat to our children’s lives. I take a very proactive and realistic approach to managing this disease probably because of the way I grew up. However, I can say I’m forever grateful for awesome friends, diabetes technology when it works, and all these special moments that bring us closer together as a family.

My precious Coral, if you ever come across this blog one day when you’re older, I want you to know that Mommy and Daddy love you very much! You are such a strong, vibrant,  sparkling firecracker and destined to do many great things in life. We will always make sure that you live a long and prosperous life despite this disease and any other challenges that may come your way. Happy Diaversary and cheers to two years strong!