These are the reflections of the mother of a warrior living with type 1 diabetes for 34 years. Our story is titled “The Power of Love and Faith.”
Sometimes I wonder . . . where did I get the strength to continue?
Why is it that a mother’s intuition that something is wrong with her child almost never fails?
I was born in a family with strong Christian roots. At the age of 10, I oversaw ringing the bells of the church along with my grandfather, Pancho, who was in charge of opening the church in our little town of Villalba, Puerto Rico. Villalba is located in the central region of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is known as “The City of Gandúl” (Pigeon Pea City), “The City of Lakes,” and “The City of Cooperatives.” It is a beautiful town surrounded by beautiful mountains and green pastures.
The only high school, Francisco Zayas Santana High School, was named after my grandfather because he was the first teacher in our town. My grandmother, Luz María Zayas, was the first female entrepreneur in town. She had the first glove-making workshop in Villalba and employed 135 women. I think that from both, I inherited the strength and the passion I have for all I do as a diabetes care and education and specialist (DCES).
When I called her doctor, the answer I got was, “You nurses are always seeing ghosts where there are not ghosts. For your piece of mind, bring her in, and I’ll check her.”
My father, who EVERYBODY called Quique, was the owner of the first credit union in Villalba and a huge warehouse of supplies. I spent my childhood playing hide and seek in my father’s warehouse and in the church with my grandfather. After a beautiful childhood and adolescence, life gave me a precious gift; I met my husband, a great man and a hard worker with a great sense of humor. Then my precious children came. For several years, our lives were happy.
Angel is the oldest. He was born when I was 20. Then my daughter, Carmen, was born. She was running and playing like any child until the age of 8, when she began having symptoms of diabetes.
Why is it that a mother’s intuition that something is wrong with her child almost never fails? Carmen was always a very healthy child. Both she and her brother were breastfed 100%. She was breastfed until she was 4 years old. I love being a mom, and breastfeeding was a very meaningful experience for me.
When Carmen was 8, she had chickenpox. But after 2 weeks, she was back to normal. She was perfect! But by late November, she began a strange pattern. She was constantly thirsty and going to the bathroom, and her appetite was diminished. Also, her personality changed—she was “cranky” and too sensitive. One day, to my surprise, I found her underwear full of ants!
When I called her doctor, the answer I got was, “You nurses are always seeing ghosts where there are not ghosts. For your piece of mind, bring her in, and I’ll check her.” I made that call because I immediately thought about diabetes. And my mom had just told me that she thought Carmen looked thin, haggard, and somewhat sickly. When we visited the pediatrician, I never thought his words would change our lives forever. His response was, “Oh Betsy, this sounds like type 1 diabetes, but let’s make a sugar test.” One hour later, I got a call from the doctor telling me, “Go right now to the ER.”
We went to the ER, and Carmen’s blood sugar level was 700 mg/dl. She was admitted to the intensive care unit in less than an hour. Carmen was critically ill. My husband and I thought we might lose her. We spent all night asking, “Why her? Why us?” and trying to understand how our lives would change.
Thank God, the doctor who attended to us was very friendly, very compassionate, and highly educated in diabetes. So many people came to us offering miracle cures. Over the next 7 days in the hospital, we received a sea of information. That November, we began an adventure that although challenging and sometimes frustrating, educated us about the importance of proper nutrition, the benefits of exercise, and the importance of managing this condition called diabetes. One year later, I become a DCES.
In 1999, I became a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), now the Association of Diabetes Care and Education and Specialists (ADCES). In 2002, I went to my first ADCES conference, an opportunity that opened my eyes to a new professional environment. I felt like I was at a place where everybody knew what I was going through as “a pancreas mom.”
Carmen’s adolescence was very hard despite having access to care, diabetes camps, and the best technology. But instead of improving, her diabetes began to give us new surprises: depression, eating disorders, and a roller coaster of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.
Over time, we learned to integrate diabetes into our lives and into her life. Well, better said, our lives were completely submerged in diabetes. After I became a DCES, I worked to help others who may not have all the blessings that Carmen and I had.
I remember a day when I didn’t know what else to do to help my daughter. I looked at the sky and said to my Lord, “I can do no more, I give up, so she is yours. I am putting her in your hands for you to take care of her.” And then I remembered what my mother and grandfather taught me so many times: “God does not give you a cross or a load you cannot carry . . . TRUST! You are not alone.”
I listened to my heart, and I told my daughter, “My dear, do not fight anymore, accept it. Look at the trees. Nobody asked them if they wanted to be a mango, apple, or avocado tree. No one asked them where they wanted to be planted. But the trees decided to use their light, water, and land to provide people the best mangoes, apples, or avocados. You can do the same. You are not alone, I’m always with you.”
Carmen and I accepted, and our lives changed forever. She chose to live, and now she is 42 and has 2 beautiful daughters! She is the best daughter any mother would ever want, and most importantly, she is happy.
I learned that Carmen is more than a number on a monitor or a percentage of an A1C value. The numbers are important, but it’s also important to be happy. There is no such thing as a good or bad number. There are only opportunities to learn and see how we can do better next time.
A disease like diabetes can change your life, but you can still be unstoppable. You have the power to make your life fruitful and happy despite diabetes.
In 2002, I went to my first ADCES conference, an opportunity that opened my eyes to a new professional environment.
Today, I was thinking that after all, every day is a precious gift. Every episode of hypoglycemia that Carmen recovers from is a new opportunity for us to be together. I wonder sometimes, where did we get the strength to continue? God, our Lord, and his love for us gives us the strength.
I have been a pancreas mom for 34 years and a DCES for 25 years. I’m now an FADCES, and I have participated at ADCES conferences since 2002. I belong to the ADCES Professional Practice Committee, and I’ve worked as a member of the ADCES Favorably Reviewed committee and the ADCES conference planning committee. I was also selected as one of the 50 Faces of ADCES, and I collaborated with ADCES to develop the CDC DSMES Playbook.
My journey has been a long one. This is my story, and I want to thank ADCES for the significant impact it has had on my professional career. ADCES has made a real difference for DCESs by helping us provide high-quality, evidence-based services to people living with diabetes.
Not a member of ADCES? There is no better time to join than today. Share your story and give a face to diabetes.
Betsy Rodriguez, BSN, MSN, DCES, FADCES, is with the International Diabetes Federation and lives in Lawrenceville, GA.