3 Years...

How do you measure... measure a year...

In test-strips, in blood-checks, in carb counts, and lots of coffee. In research... in doctors... in insulin vials...

It has now been three full years since Sarah was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It's been a full, busy, and amazing three years. So let's just reflect on some of the highlights...

March 18, 2010 - she was diagnosed on a Thursday. She was about 68 pounds at diagnosis, and had lost 5-10 pounds over the previous months. I took this picture of her about three weeks before she was diagnosed.

February 25, 2010

March 22, 2010 - back to school. The school nurse (who handles about 10 schools) had to visit Sarah's school every day to give her a shot before lunch. She also returned to theater practice today, learning her lines and her songs for Runaway Stage Productions Cinderella Kids. Within two weeks Sarah, who had been seriously needlephobic her whole life, was giving herself shots everyday at school.



May, 2010 - Sarah performed wonderfully as Cinderella. Diabetes didn't slow her down at all. I packed lots of snacks, and checked her blood sugar during each intermission.

Sarah as Cinderella



The day after Cinderella ended, we flew to Ohio to a memorial for my grandfather. From Ohio we traveled by train to spend a few days in Washington D.C. This was a little more challenging because we were forced to eat in restaurants. I believe we experienced our first "high" blood sugar, somewhere in the high 300's, while we were in D.C. At the time it was a "freak out" moment for me, but since then I've learned to roll with the occasional 300's. As long as we catch them quickly and provide the right amount of insulin, they are short lived.

Sarah and her grammy, resting their achy feet in D.C.

July, 2010 - When we got home, Sarah went straight into practice for her next show, Guys and Dolls - in which she was cast as a "hotbox girl" (third from left). She had a blast dancing up a storm.

October, 2010 - Sarah sang "Candle on the Water" at the American Diabetes Association's Sacramento walk to STOP diabetes.

December, 2010 - Sarah sang 15 songs at a party put on by the U.C. Davis MIND Institute.

January, 2011 - Sarah played an Ancestor in Mulan.

March, 2011 - Sarah and I traveled to Washington D.C. to appeal to Congress to continue to fund diabetes research. We spent our last day there with Sarah's penpal, Megan (who also has type 1 diabetes). Both girls were ecstatically happy!

In June, 2012, Sarah sang nine songs for an enthusiastic crowd at her own Applause for Paws fundraiser, to help her with the costs of a diabetes alert dog.

In 2012 she fell down the rabbit hole as Alice in Alice in Wonderland.

She played a little sister (something she has some experience in) in Fiddler on the Roof.

She played one of MANY sisters in Pirates of Penzance.

In 2013, she got in touch with her inner guppy as Flounder in The Little Mermaid.

She kept the story flowing as a narrator in Aladdin.

And on February 24th, she brought home a new best friend and protector, her diabetes alert dog, Scout.

Sarah singing Deep River, the week she brought Scout home.

Over the last three years Sarah has shown me what true perseverance looks like. She goes through life with her eyes wide open and a beautiful smile on her face. She checks her blood sugar 10-15 times a day without complaint and counts carbohydrates like a champion. Diabetes is a constant companion, but Sarah keeps it shoved deep down in her bag and smacks it around as needed.

I imagine diabetes looks a lot like this around Sarah...

Sarah, you are my hero!