By Carlynn Martin
My name is Carlynn Martin and I am a mom of a Type 1 (T1D) daughter named Chesney. I will never forget the day she was diagnosed: August 26, 2016. Everything surrounding that day is ingrained in my brain like a scar that will never go away. Sometimes I find myself replaying it my head or a picture will trigger what life was like before she was diagnosed. As I write this almost 2 years post-diagnosis of nonstop carb counting, number crunching, and insulin dependence, I realize, even sleep deprived, how far we have come as a family.
Part of it has been healing for me and I have (at times) accepted our new path, but more importantly, I see that Chesney is truly something special. We as a family have dedicated our lives to making hers the best it can be. I won’t lie, in the beginning I couldn’t say the words TYPE 1 without sobbing uncontrollably and I didn’t want to be a part of this new community. But I have now realized that community is what we need. I have learned that: Everyone Has A Story. Some have been incredibly similar to mine. My daughter had just turned 2 and it literally broke my world.
As we all know, this can rock an entire family and it takes a team to learn and care for a T1D. My husband has been my rock and he will always be my number 1 in how we keep this family afloat. But there is someone else that has been there in so many ways. Her name is Cindi Martin, and she is my mother-in-law, but if I am being honest she really is a mother to me. Over the 12 years that I have been in love with her son, she has become a role model and has shown me exactly what a mom is. She has given the name Mom and Grandma a whole new meaning in my eyes.
I will never forget picking her up from the airport on August 24, 2016. Chesney had woken up from a nap, soaked from wetting the bed. I cleaned her up and I watched her give the biggest smile as I said, “let’s go pick up grandma from the airport.” It was always exciting for us when Grandma came into town. We picked her up and Grandma got in the back seat to sit with Chesney. They sang songs and chatted about Grandma coming to soccer the next day. Life couldn’t have been happier.
When we got home, I took Chesney out of her car seat and noticed that she had wet through her diaper. At this point, more and more flags were starting to rise.
The next morning, Grandma came to the house and we all walked to the park for soccer. I remember it so clearly. She wore pigtails and it was the last day so they would get a certificate and take a picture with the team. Such a perfect and special day for Grandma to be there.
Then I noticed that Chesney was really thirsty and hungry and kind of lethargic. I, of course, had a million reasons in my head as to why; it’s really hot out, she is going through a growth spurt, she didn’t sleep last night because she was so excited.
Once soccer was over, it was Grandma and Chesney time while I had to go to work for a little. I remember I packed her a whole cooler of food and when I got home grandma said she had eaten all of the food plus more…a major flag with a 2 year old who wouldn’t eat anything I gave her just a week ago.
That night, my husband and I talked about Chesney and looked up some different parent sites that talked about bed wetting and diapers…lets just say the best advice they had was to use 2 diapers or buy a diaper insert. Two solutions I was not going to use. I knew something wasn’t right…
The next day would be the absolute worst day of my life as I spare you the details of how those terrible words were delivered to me and our urgency to get to the emergency room. As our world was crumbling to pieces, I felt lost, like I had failed as a mother to my first and only child at the time. There was someone that we could count on. Grandma. I know it took her breath away when her own son had to tell her the news about her sweet granddaughter. But she rose to the occasion and she immediately offered her help and love.
She went to the house and packed a bag for Chesney, Erich, and myself assuming we would be staying the night in the emergency room. And on top of that she brought us dinner insisting that I take a bite or two to keep my strength up. She was a mom to me that day when I needed a mom to tell me that it was going to be alright and that she believed I was meant to be Chesney’s mom and that no matter what we would all get her through this.
To this day, I don’t know what I would do without her love and undeniable support. She fights with us everyday and she has moved back to Denver to be closer to her family and grandkids. She has been to countless doctor appointments and meetings at the Barbara Davis Center. She joined The Guild and The Children’s Hospital and dedicates so much time to fundraising, spreading awareness, and advocating along side us for T1D. She is so beyond incredible and does so much for everyone, that you would never know that she herself battles Multiple Sclorosis. I am in complete awe of my mother-in-law. She is a true example of what a woman, mother, and Grandma should be. We love you to the moon and back, Grandma and cannot thank you enough for all you do. We are beyond blessed to have you!
