For the record…
I have never taken my son to the ER for a high or low blood sugar. In fact, I do not know anyone out of the 100s of families I know living with Type 1 diabetes that take a child to an ER for a high or low blood sugar. Yes, people do take their kids to the ER when ketones are present and DKA seems imminent, or when vomiting has persisted for many days and dehydration is setting in, but for a regular old high or low, never. If I brought my son to the ER for a higher then expected high or a lower then expected low I would have to move in and make my home address the ER. We see a high or low every single day. Highs we give insulin. Lows we give sugar. Move on.
For the record…
It does not have to be a ‘bad’ night for me not to get any sleep. Several times throughout the year, maybe about 5 times a month, I need to see what is going on with my son’s pump settings through the night. Every single night I get up to check him once in the middle of the night. Every week or so I need to get up every few hours, usually two, to make sure the basal settings are keeping him at a level that keeps him safe. I don’t want him dropping too low at night, or shooting too high at night. I need to know that his basals, that I have created, are the right ones for him at that time.
For the record…
It does not have to be a ‘bad’ day for me to get a phone call when my son is not with me. At any given time, when my son is in the care of someone else, I can expect a phone call. Sometimes they are brief, “When should he be tested?” or much longer, “His POD fell off and we need you to walk us through putting a new one on.” That is life with diabetes. It’s not bad or good, it just is.
For the record…
It never gets any easier with diabetes. It’s not bad, it’s not good, it just plain sucks. All the time. Yes it is more worrisome when my son is sick, stressed, high, low, or whatever, but it still sucks on the days that I don’t get a phone call. It still sucks on the days when I am out having fun with friends. It still sucks when he is swimming and showing off his diving skills. It. Sucks. Every. Second. Of. Every. Day.
For the record…
Even with all it’s ups and downs and highs and lows, we are okay with diabetes. Yes we get angry at it when it doesn’t care that my son is busy swimming and it requires attention, yes I am tired from never having slept through the night for 5 years, and yes my son does get annoyed sometimes that every single carb he eats has to be bolused for, but all in all, we are ok. My son is happy, healthy, adorable, smart, and funny. “It is what it is” means exactly that. Diabetes just is.
Hi Robert. I saw your site http://www.diabetesandthefamily.com/ under your daughter’s facebook page. She was one of my very first diabetes mom internet friends. We belonged to a group BabyCenter a few years back. Good luck with your blog. I know writing mine has been very important to me. Thanks for reading and sharing.
Leslie
I am a grandpa my granddaughter was diagnosed with type 1 a week before her first birthday, she is now 9. I am new to internet publishing and have just published a web sight about type1 and her life. If you get a chance check it out, critics comments welcome.
Robert
Thanks for reading Jess and Lauren. Yes, I can totally see going for a 500 that won’t come down. Maybe they just don’t know what to do. The conversation was about a woman who goes to the ER for glucose levels of 15. I questioned the 15 of course, but what upset me was that it was assumed that I go to the ER all the time with my son for lows and highs. God, I’d love there. Thanks again for reading!!
Loved it leslie, there is another child at Lucas school, unfortunately, somethng at home missing, we share the same nurse at school, my nurse tells me only bits and pieces, but the boy is mostly runnning in the 300s, or has 20s at school. Has been hospitalized twice in the last month for Bgs over 500 not coming down. I have tried to reach the mom, she has sent the boy to school on a field day with no snacks, I brought our nurse a back of snacks and juices for her to give him, sent him on field trips with no “breakfast” and a shot. Figure that out!! Anyways – – this one touched me right today!
so true, so true