This fall we will mark five years since Trey and our family started this journey with Type 1 Diabetes. It has been a path of heartache and healing, new learning and new friends, small victories and big changes. And needles, lots and lots of needles! And while there continues to be progress towards a cure for T1D and developing technologies that help Trey manage his disease, we are not there yet. This is why we continue to support the JDRF in their mission.
If you have been following our journey, you know that Type 1 Diabetes is an auto-immune disease. It is not caused by diet or lifestyle choices. It hits without warning and has no cure. There was nothing we could do to prevent this disease. He will never grow out of it. It is chronic and life threatening.
Thanks to JDRF funded research and resulting technology advances, there is hope! Trey now wears two medical devices connected to his body through infusion sets at all times. His pump administers insulin to him 24 hours a day and helps give additional insulin for meals and snacks. Insulin is life sustaining, without it he would die. His Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) measures his blood glucose constantly, allowing us to monitor them remotely from an iPhone. This year Trey upgraded to a new pump, which will soon be connected to his CGM. And hopefully, in the next year, be able to react to his high and low blood sugars by turning his insulin on and off. If none of that makes sense, just know, it makes Trey’s Type 1 diabetes easier to manage and makes him safer.
At age 11, 2017 has been a great year for Trey. We narrowly missed an ER visit because of the stomach virus and had a blood sugar drop to 25 (dangerously close to a seizure) on a school field trip. We have inserted over 120 infusion sets and done over 1,000 finger pricks. Never a dull moment here, but he is still going great. As I write this, he is at a kayaking and rock climbing camp on the James River, and I am happily able to monitor his blood sugar at home (technology is amazing!!). This year he will start at Goochland Middle School (eeek 6th grade!) and continues to love Science, Math and reading. He has also gotten into Mountain Biking and playing piano. Trey has not let Type 1 slow down his sense of adventure or his ability to achieve.
Our family believes strongly in the JDRF mission and continues to be very involved with the Central Virginia JDRF chapter. Trey was once again chosen to be a Youth Ambassador at the JDRF Gala, for the 4th year – getting on stage in front of hundreds of attendees and generous donors. Our family also volunteers at the gala, serves as the Mentor Chair for newly diagnosed families and occasionally speaks at JDRF events.
We thank you for your continued love and support!
Trey's Avengers 