Doing what's best

We live in Texas, and there have been several confirmed cases of the swine flu in our area. My husband and I stayed home from church yesterday, and yes, it was because of the swine flu. I will also probably be sticking close to home and avoiding the story times we usually go to for the next week or so.

Gasp!

Have we been brainwashed by the panicked media frenzy? I would answer that with a resounding no, even though people may roll their eyes and shake their heads at us.

You see, we have a very important duty; to protect our little girl, even if it means making decisions that might look strange to other people. Because these other people don't understand what life with diabetes is all about.

They don't understand that a simple virus can lead to a trip to the ER. And the flu could land us in the hospital for a couple of days. They don't understand how hard it is to balance insulin and food when your child is ill, or the dangers of ketones and high blood sugars. They don't understand the worry and anxiety that comes with your child being ill and having diabetes.

They don't understand that when you hear a toddler who had underlying medical issues died of the swine flu, you wonder if those issues could have been diabetes.

So when Elise was sick last week and her pedi told us that keeping her away from large gatherings would be a good idea, we decided to listen.

It sucks, but as parents we have to learn to do what's best for our kids. We make the tough decisions and that's why they pay us the big bucks... right???