Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Moms way vs Dads way (!!!!!!)

Before blogging when you are PISSED OFF at Diabetes, (or someone you love) you should really CALM DOWN. Today's blog post started like this !!## !!#^%
All CAPS, with lots of !!!! (I had to delete all that.)

Now I will start over....Lets start with the lost pump site inserter. I think Maddison's sites have been absorbing the insulin poorly because I have been placing them manually without the auto inserter since we lost it last week. In came screwy numbers with that first manual insert. High, good, high, good....no pattern. Friday Maddison was 380's all night long until 6am. Why was Maddison a perfect 108 to start her Saturday morning if her site was bad? Is it kinked and the tiny basal amounts aren't squeezing through, but the boluses for food are? We don't often see numbers over 200 without explanation. So, blame the site! :)

Maddison was fine all day Saturday, and even over night her numbers were a beautiful 85-110. Then came Sunday evening after swimming. 380 again. Missed basal or adrenaline high from swimming? Maddison's site was now twinged with blood, I assume she bumped it while swimming, causing it to go bad. (I always try to find a REASON people!) Another manual site change with lots of tears from Maddison! I felt sooo bad to say the least. That night was a repeat of chasing 380's all night. In range by morning. Swimming again, bad site again. Tears again with manual site change, although Maddison did her BEST to stay brave. Diabetes sucks people! You would be amazed what our kids go through. As if a few nights of weirdness wasn't enough to push my buttons....

In came Monday night-

Hannah played Volleyball until 10pm, she has a friend sleeping over. Everyone should know how "STARVING" Teenage girls are after 4hrs of Volleyball! Dad ordered them pizza. Of course Maddison was "starving" too, so for once in my life, I gave in and let Maddison eat THIS late at night. Blood sugars were great actually.....110 at midnight, with .9 active, but thats 2 hrs after pizza, what about the delayed pizza high? Hmmmmmm......recheck in an hour. 380!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure PIZZA was the culprit. Or... was it the site suddenly dying after yet another daily swim? It could have been both. Maddison was STILL 280's starting her day today. (.3 ketones)That doesn't happen often.

Today is Tuesday....my day to go to work. There's a problem when Maddison wakes up at 280. It has to be the site. I tell Dad to give one more correction, and if Maddison doesn't come down, change the site. I'm still thinking to myself...Its gotta be those manual insertions... I can ALWAYS get Maddison back into range by morning! With me going to work today, that meant Dad was in charge of getting Maddison back into range, and honestly, Dad makes too many RIDICULOUS decisions with food to EVER have Maddison back into range after waking up so high. I make the wise food decisions in this house, Dad doesn't seem to care. I AM the food police when Maddison is high. I don't believe in feeding alot of carbs when blood sugar is THAT high-period. We will not starve to death in a few hours of fasting or choosing low carb options while waiting for the high to come down. Sorry, thats how THIS mom plays the Diabetes game most days. If Maddison is high for breakfast, I give her the low carb option. Eggs and bacon, with a piece of toast or half a glass of milk. Thats about 15c, perfect to hold her over until the blood sugar comes down (assuming she will if the high is from a bad site) That's how mom does it. Dad is VERY different, and it drives me CRAZY!! I love him to death.....but HAD to talk some sense into him after today!!!I lost it! Freaked out!! Now a few hours later I'm over it, BUT, I still dont get WHY he ignores Diabetes they way he does!!!

"Dad" decided everyone would skip breakfast and go for an early lunch instead. Good choice when Maddison's starting her morning high, right? Give the corrected high a chance to come down right? NOT SO MUCH. Blood sugar didn't budge from 280!!Lunch was out for PIZZA AGAIN!!! My sister is in town, so after lunch and running around Geocaching with them for the day, they decided to stop and try COLD STONE CREAMERY!!! ICE CREAM!!! THREE HOURS had now passed since lunch and Dad FINALLY decided to check Maddison's blood sugar, she was 480, yet he still decided to let her have ice cream with fudge and cookie dough, WITH A BLOOD SUGAR OF 480!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND no pump site was ever changed as I asked Dad to do! I must say, we are two different people "DAD" and I. I play by the rules, and Dad plays by the "FUN" in life. (thats what he calls it) To me, Diabetes comes FIRST. Maddison's HEALTH comes first....not a "fun" trip to get ice cream with a blood sugar of 480!!! Sure, I've let Maddison have sweet treats when she's too high because "all the other kids" are eating it too.....but at 480 with a possible bad site? Sorry, life sucks. Sometimes you say no. Especially after days of crazy numbers. DAD CHOSE to go get ice cream. Mom wouldn't have had a problem saying "SORRY! TODAY ISNT A GOOD DAY!!" NO ICE CREAM AT 480!!Sometimes I say no, I say no alot actually..... Thats how we teach our kids to better manage their Diabetes. There is a time and place for everything. 480 isnt the time, and Cold Stone Creamery IS NOT the place when you've been HIGH FOR 12 HOURS!! Thats my rule. Control the blood sugars, THEN Control the FOOD! Moms way is the healthier, safer way, while Dad's way is just plain ridiculous...dangerous....reckless and careless!

I must say, "Dad" did give Maddison her insulin by syringe for the ice cream and included a correction for the 480. He did realize that Maddison's site must be bad, but it still DRIVES ME CRAZY that Dad let Maddison have Pizza AGAIN when her numbers were already too high for over 12 hours, and the fact that "Dad" let her have ICE CREAM at 480 is enough to make me vomit. He didn't even re-check for 3 hours after eating out?!! He didn't check ketones OR change Maddison's site? Set a temp basal....SOMETHING!!?? I mean really!!?? Yes, I am the food police for my daughter when she is high. I admit it. Some days you just have to pass up these evil food choices. Dad doesn't agree with me on that one, and I will never understand why. "Dad" feels that you correct for a high, bolus for anything you want to eat and move on. Thank you LORD that I am home with Maddison more this summer. TODAY is exactly why I am Momma Bear. SOMEONE has to be.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I totally know where you are coming from! When Zurik is high I always try & take control of it quickly especially if he woke up that way and it's hard to take control if when you are 'waiting' to see if 'this' bolus or 'that' bolus is working especially on the high carb foods. Atleast he gave that shot! My husband has yet to give any shots or do any site changes and is just up to b/g checks nearly 3 years later, but still I am thankful he will do that now and otherwise is amazing in everyway as a dad.

Zurik has had low nights & high afternoons out of the blue... ick.. no fun & a lot of basal & carb ratio changes lately...
Hang in there! Sending good blood sugar vibes to both Maddison & you.

~Tammy

Wendy said...

Stinkin' brownie. I'm sure it sent the ball in motion since we dealt with crazy high numbers yesterday too.

I love your family, Kel. Hang in there...you're a TEAM and you guys can figure out how to work through these bumpy days so they aren't so bad next time.

Chin up!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Good ol' dad, I guess some things never change huh?

-Tami