St. Patricks Day

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Many of you know our story about Oakley being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on St. Patricks Day, some of you may have not heard our story. If you haven't you can read it at http://rnhawkinsfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/happy-st-patricks-day.html. Well, it has been 4 years since that scary life changing day and we have come so far over the past 4 years. Diabetes is a disease that affects the entire family. Yesterday I heard Rhett explaining to his preschool class that his big sister has diabetes. "Do you know what diabetes is? It is when you have high and low blood!" he announced. We have all changed because of this disease, but none as much as Oakley. Oakley deals with things that none of us could possibly understand. She has learned and grown and is so mature about living life this way.

The thing that I think we have learned the most over the past 4 years is how to live with diabetes, but not let it run our lives. We do what we want, when we want, where we want,.........diabetes just tags along. There is NO CURE for diabetes and it is not something Oakley will out grow. Just a few days after she was diagnosed she asked me, "Mom, how many more days do I have to do this?" I cried as I explained to my sweet 5 year old that she would have to do "this" EVERYDAY FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE!! Our favorite quote is, "I HAVE DIABETES, BUT DIABETES DOES NOT HAVE ME!!" We have learned over the years how to live life to the fullest and not let diabetes run our lives. We still struggle EVERYDAY and we are still guessing and learning and growing....I don't think with this disease we will ever stop doing those things, BUT Oakley is also going on vacations, playing sports, clogging, playing with friends, and eating anything anybody else does. She lives life to the very fullest. I have said this before and will say it over and over again......WE ARE ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES!! There are SO MANY people in this world that think this earth life is the only life. They think once you die that is it. We, as Latter-Day Saints, believe that there is a whole other life after this one and WE KNOW that in that life Oakley's body will be A PERFECT BODY....A DIABETES FREE BODY!! Yes, we hope and pray and fight for a cure NOW, but know that if one isn't found that there will be a time that Oakley won't have to deal with this disease that we HATE (that is right HATE, HATE, HATE) so bad!

We love you Oakley and are SO BLESSED to live during a time that modern medicine helps us to keep you alive!

Oh, P.S. If you haven't seen the video we made last year of Oakley on YouTube check it out! Go to YouTube....and search for Oakley Diabetes!