Camp Milestone

The time she smiled.
Then rolled over.
Crawled.
Walked.
Put words together to make a sentence.

Milestones.

After her diabetes diagnosis three weeks after her 2nd birthday, we looked forward to new milestones...

Recognizing and verbalizing a blood sugar problem.
Wearing an insulin pump.
Checking her own blood sugar.
Administering her own boluses.

Diabetes Camp.

It seems that, from the moment your child is diagnosed with diabetes, someone is talking about the benefits of diabetes camp.  Before we left the hospital, I can't tell you how many people had told me how great the experience would be for her.  Never mind that we were 7 camp years away from meeting the age requirement.  Or that the idea of letting her out of my sight for 7 minutes was incomprehensible, let alone 7 days.

She starting asking about camp when she was around 3 years old.  I was able to distract her, change the subject, and move on for a few years.  And then, about 2 years ago, she would hear a friend mention their camp memories, and she wanted to know when she would be able to make some of her own.  To be perfectly honest, I knew that "one day" she'd have her turn, but didn't know when *I* would be ready.

As this summer approached, she asked at least once a week.  Then just about every other day. Then every day..."Will I get to go to camp this summer?"  She knew she would be old enough for this summer's session.  After having a taste of the camp experience several months prior, she insisted she was ready.

Seven days away from home.
No calls.  No emails.  No mother dressed in cammo, ducking in the woods wearing a hat of branches and leaves stalking her cabin.

She couldn't wait!

Seven days without my girl?  Now, keep in mind that either her daddy or I have been there for every birthday party, every trip to a movie theater, every sleepover, every field trip...every everything. Even if it meant that Mr. Rose needed to use a vacation day or I needed to find someone to cover one of my shifts.  We've always been there - lurking in the background, meter and strips prepared, juice box in hand.

Ready.

And now, I'm just supposed to put her on a bus and send her away for S E V E N  D A Y S?  


Yes.


And I did it.


I did it without crying.  Without hesitating when the big moment arrived.  Without questioning the decision that this was the right move for all of us.


I have to admit that we had a bit of a lonely week.  Her sisters had a hard time saying good-bye, and I felt a sense of emptiness without having her around.  I knew she was having the time of her life, but it didn't change the fact that I missed her terribly.


She had a blast.  She rode horses, canoed, went swimming, shot a bow and arrow, made new friends, and loved the taste of independence.  Diabetes was there -- just like it was for everyone else.  Managed, but obviously not the center of attention.


Diabetes Camp Milestone.


Check.