five year diaversary...

5 years, 60 months, 1,825 days, 43,800min. That’s how long Landon has lived with type 1 diabetes. 

Looking back it is painfully obvious to me how sick he was leading up to his diagnosis. Its almost embarrassing. I don’t know how we could have missed it except that at the time diabetes wasn’t even on our radar.

Ultimately, T1D is just a diagnosis. Our GOD is far greater than diabetes. Again & again He has demonstrated through this that He gives us strength when we are at our weakest. And there have definitely been moments of weakness! There have been days when I know Landon is over the burden of having diabetes & having to think about blood sugars one more time. There have been countless sleepless nights battling lows & highs. There have been failed pump sites, more 3 hour sensor errors on his CGM than I would have liked, miscalculations in carb counts, too much or too little insulin given. But despite the literal highs & lows His grace is always sufficient for us. 

Landon literally has to make hundreds of life & death decisions every day. That is far more than any 15 year old should ever have to make. And sometimes it is just hard. But because of diabetes we have truly seen how we can rejoice in our trials & sufferings & how God uses those sufferings to produce endurance, character & hope in us. He does not forsake us or leave us to walk through the trials alone. He is right there walking beside us. Just this year we’ve even seen how we can encourage & build up others who are walking through the same battle. This journey has been a living, breathing illustration of how God can take anything, even diabetes, & use it for good. 

I am so proud of Landon for the resilience he has shown these past five years. I am thankful for the advancements in technology that help us manage this every day. I am thankful for good insurance that covers the cost of insulin, which is quite literally the most expensive liquid on the planet & should be available for all who need it. It is my prayer that one day there will be a cure but until then that Landon will trust in the sufficiency of God’s grace during his times of weakness & rejoice all the more gladly in his weaknesses so that the power of Christ will reside in him.

Also just to clear up any misinformation: 

Type 1 Diabetes is not caused by eating too much sugar. It can not be reversed with diet or with exercise. It does not mean that Landon can’t eat sugar or can only eat sugar free snacks. It doesn’t mean that his life is over or that he can no longer play sports or do all the things he loves to do. It is not a death sentence even though there is no cure (yet!)