Early yesterday morning, after blowing out 16 candles on her birthday cake the night before, Cassie went through one of the most harrowing, stress-filled teen experiences- the dreaded road test at the DMV.
Three point turns and turn signals aren't my largest concerns. She's a very competent and safe driver. The daddybetic in me was more concerned about her driving with passable blood sugars. Hypoglycemia at 55 miles per hour is not a worry for parents of "normal" teens. If we could figure out how to hook up a blood glucose meter to the ignition, I would do it in a heartbeat. But her mom and I will just need to trust that she'll do the right thing every time she gets behind the wheel.
Driving off, Cassie beamed. Gauging her wide, wide smile I could relate to the emotions she had. I distinctly remember the feeling of driving unaccompanied for the first time at 16. It was a sense of liberation and elation I had never experienced before. I felt free. I felt light. The world seemed open to entirely new possibilities. It's probably the same feeling we would all have the day diabetes is cured. I hope Cassie gets this sweet feeling again soon.
2 comments:
Congrats to Cassie for reaching and making it through such a milestone, especially such a liberating one as being able to drive! I remember that myself. If you all have meter uploading and CGM data tracking, maybe that could be something once a week or every so often - a kind of family time (seriously?) where you can also kind of go over numbers and things before driving. Whatever it may or may not be, though, a great time in her life! Here's to safe, hypo-free driving with diabetes!
My fourteen-year-old with T1D just said, "I'll be driving in 10 months!" This is a sentence that would stop any parent in her tracks, but yes, parents of kids with T1D have that extra worry to process. It's helpful to read about it so we can start processing and preparing now!
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