In range for Maddison

I am so completely frustrated right now that I just want to scream. I have noticed that Maddison has been doing poorly on Spelling and Phonogram tests at random times. Which only means one thing. She is out of her Blood sugar range (80-150) at the time she takes those tests. She has had a few 100% and even a 110% on spelling tests this year. Then we have seen 60% or even a 40% out of nowhere. Words she could spell yesterday she spelled wrong today. And you can see her handwriting at these times is just terrible. So, all those poor grades are now reflective on her grade. It took me until NOW to realize that these tests are done in the morning when she is most likely high, or dropping low from breakfast. Most days she checks in range before recess (right after the testing) so I never really thought that maybe she was having a hard time becuase of her blood sugar. I just thought we need to focus more. Maddison has always had poor concentration even before Diabetes, so now I am really concerned about her blood sugar effecting her recorded grades.

The problem is.....if Maddison starts checking BEFORE the testing and is out of range she will have to wait for the test until she is in range. Well, I dont know if you parents have noticed, but the school day is packed FULL. Too full if you ask me. That means she will have to miss recess or free time to do the testing when better in range. She has already been complaining of missing these things because of having to see the nurse for lows, stomache aches, headaches etc. A few minutes of missed recess or free time to Maddison (or any 7yr old) is alot. I see it causing alot of problems. Resentment of the disease itself, fear of being low and having to seek treatment because she doesnt want to miss something in class or miss recess. Feeling different as she sits there to re-take a test becuase Diabetes stole her concentration, memory and ability to perform well.

I am so sad for her! I know that when I am at work and feeling high or low I am useless. I just stare at the computer screen. And alot of times those lows take quite awhile to recover from. I just never seem to regain my train of thought or ability to problem solve from that moment out. I do insurance claims with all those numbers, and just forget it! I can't figure out 2+2 for heavens sakes! And then there is Maddison who struggles in Math anyway. Now being "in range" is going to have to take a priority when starting a spelling or math test. -Sheesh- It is hard enough to keep kids in range (though Maddison usually is lately) and now I have to take every test score and evaluate it with her blood sugar at the time.

I don't know why that is making me so angry today but it is. I knew we would get to this point, (where numbers start to effect schoolwork) and it is as simple as checking blood sugar before the test. But it just makes me so mad. Mad that our kids really ARE affected in every way by this disease. Mad that she will have to re-take tests and possibly feel bad about herself. Mad that even to take a frickin spelling test your blood sugar has to be just right! She will have to miss recess, free time and everything a kid NEEDS to make school fun just because she has Diabetes. What about when she is dropping? What about when she was in the 300's all night and just feels crappy on spelling test day? The mental fog that highs leave really SUCK, even for the entire next day sometimes. This just really makes me sad today. I am sure when we get it all figured out and get down a checking and testing routine it will be no big deal. But today is the wrong day for Diabetes to cause problems. Today I am just done with the problems Diabetes causes. Some days I just cant take another interference from it. And Diabetes wins by making me angry today.