Getting Ready for School

School.  OMG!  School has me crazy.  So much to get ready for.  School plans, training, meeting teachers, supplies.  The list can go on and on.

Not sure how I feel about it.  Still worried about my little guy as he is not feeling his lows yet.

Got to 35 today and Nothin, nada..... He was the same boy.  Scary!

Here is a letter I copied most of from somewhere on the internet.  Thank you again!

Dear Teacher/Counselor/Coach,

I wanted you to know that I have Type 1 Diabetes, and to let you know a bit about what this means to you as my teacher and for me as your student.

As you may know, Type 1 Diabetics must manually adjust our blood sugars because our pancreas doesn’t do that for us.  This means that:

• 10-15 times per day I’ll test my blood sugar to measure my blood glucose.  You might see me prick my finger and then dab that drop of blood with my monitor to measure it.   Testing is normal, and is needed to “manage” my care. 

• Each time I eat (even tiny snacks) I have to give myself insulin.

• If my blood sugar is high I feel horrible, have trouble learning, and might appear “checked out.”   After I test, I’ll give myself insulin in order to lower my blood sugar.  (Insulin will help me, but it takes at least 45 minutes to start to help…. It isn’t instant.) L

• If my blood sugar is low, I also feel horrible.  In this case I need to correct it by eating candy, juice, or another form of fast acting sugar.   So if you see me eating candy you can know that I’m feeling horrible and I’m working to improve it.    Correcting a low only takes a few minutes for me to feel better.  It’s much more instant than correcting highs.

• I wear an insulin pump and use the unattached PDM.  It isn’t a cell phone. J

• If I am acting unusual (groggy, over-quiet, inarticulate, out of focus, or if I fall asleep) please do three things immediately:
1) Ask me to test my blood sugar NOW or do so for me.  Call for help if needed.
2) If I’m low or unable, give me sugar.  Candy.  Juice. Soda.  Quick!    

3) Call the nurse and my parents.

I’m proud of my ability to manage this disease.  I’m totally healthy and have no diet or physical restrictions.  I am very shy still in managing my care and may feel uneasy talking to you about it.  Please be patient with me.  I would so love it if you could be discreet as possible.  I don’t quite know how I am feeling all the time and don’t know when a low blood sugar is coming on.  I really need your help.  I know we will make an awesome team.

Type 1 Diabetes is a big part of my life and it is important for me that you understand a bit more of how it works.

My mom is very open to talking about diabetes and is very willing to answer questions about type 1 diabetes or how I manage it.  Just ask.  She loves it when you ask.

Zach Dettmers

Type 1 Diabetic, Knower of Cool Diabetes Stuff, Your Awesome Second Grader

Remember to Breathe

Breathe....Breathe...and remember what to do.
I am not sure what is going on.  My little guy's pancreas is anything but textbook.  All is going well and good and whammo, D days "are you paying attention?"

We started out the day with the same old breakfast, toast and pumpkin butter with a tube of Greek yogurt.  High two days before, but not this time.

I will admit, I have NEVER had the CGM just say low, not only low but low with an arrow down.  It happened sudden and rapid.

Scariest part is he does not feel it, doesn't look the part or talk the part.  If we had no CGM, I shutter....I cannot talk about the possibilities.

He is alright, he got to have a frosting tube.  The frosting tube worked FAST.  Good to know.

Thank you Dexcom again.  Once again, your CGM saved my son.  Can't wait for your next versions.

"Just Keep Swimming"

I just read an entry for a blog by Tom Karlya at ">http://diabetesdad.org/2013/07/21/the-unfairness-of-life-moving-on/.


He posts what it is to mourn the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. I too struggle with this. My son was only 6 when he was diagnosed. As he grows, he will probably not remember what it was like before diagnosis; free of shots, finger pokes, and all the Dr's appts.

I too, grieve the loss of an innocence part of his childhood stolen. The incredibly painful realization as a mother that one mis-step and bad things can happen; life altering bad things.... After my son's diagnosis last year, I got sick. I mean really sick. I had to go into the hospital twice a day for a week to get IV antibiotics sick. Stress will get you, let me tell you. There is nothing worse, than a mom who can't take a lifelong illness away from her child. Trying to grab more information..., then the horror stories online. What mom who one day ago, put her child to bed with not one care in the world, wants to hear about "dead in bed"!!!??? Not me, not anyone.

Grief, anger, anxiety, incredible sadness all took over, but not nearly as much as my determination. Type 1 diabetes will not win. It may get it's day where type 1 gets the upper hand, but it will not win! It is now one year later, I still grieve a bit every day. I notice when type 1 let's me forget for just a moment. I cry when no one can see and everyone is in bed. I cry when I look at his baby picture and tell him I am sorry honey. I am so so sorry.

This is not the life I wanted for my son, but it is his life. I do my best to not let him see the sadness I feel or the frustration when type 1 sucker punches us down. BUT....we get back up and fight harder. He will learn to manage and take on this beast. He will grow up strong, passionate, and loving.
Each day I am reminded to "Just keep swimming". Thank you Tom. So glad to hear I am not alone.

Diaversary

Today is the diaversary. Today, exactly one year ago, my sweet 6 yr old boy was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I knew something was wrong, months before. I could feel it, I just knew something was wrong with my boy. I didn't know what. Then, he started drinking ALOT, but it was HOT outside. Very hot... Then, he started going to the bathroom way to often. He would come downstairs in the middle of the night not really knowing where he was looking for the bathroom. We thought that was strange. Then, he puked in the car. Last straw, I made an appointment for the next morning. I remember looking at him taking a nap that afternoon before he was diagnosed, he looked like he didn't feel well, but he had just had a peanut reaction two days before. Little did we know, our beautiful perfect son would get this diagnosis, 7/6/12. A day I will never ever forget. How can a diagnosis this hard be so easy to diagnose? A simple finger prick, then the nurse came back for another.....I knew it then....but then again, I had NO CLUE. I didn't know what your son has diabetes meant. I knew that day, it meant we would head straight to the hospital, then to the Barbara Davis Center for training. Training that day was for survival. It was a Friday at 2 pm when we got to the Barbara Davis Center. Children's Hospital sent us right over. He was ok to be released, his ketones were not high. I remember asking what does that mean and not understanding what she meant. My husband lost his composure he was trying to keep all day. He wanted to know how they actually knew he had type 1 diabetes, all they did were quick blood tests and a simple finger prick. Why are we being taught to check our son's blood glucose 6 times a day (which by the way is far too few)? Why must we stick a needle in my son 4 times a day? I didn't understand. I didn't know type 1 diabetes. I knew of diabetes. Diabetes is not that serious, grandma has it and checks herself ever so often........OMG, I had no clue. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. My Zach needs insulin pumped into his little body 24 hrs a day to survive. He must have additional insulin with every single bite he eats. It can be all consuming, painful (both for Zach and me), and heart wretching. There is nothing we could have done to prevent it. I have bargained with God, asked for him to let me take this burden. Yet, it is not mine to bear and it is. I feel my son's pain. I hurt when he hurts. I still kick myself for not taking him to the Dr. earlier. Nothing I can do about it now, but still.....if only. Not a battle I can win. I have been angry and fallen on the floor in devistation. Type 1 has no plan. We spend our life making plans. This image of my son's life is not what it was a year ago. I dread...hate....am in total anguish at him going back to school. He is hypoglycemic unaware now. Does not feel blood sugar lows which could cause seizures or death and turns off his CGM at school which could alert teachers to this low blood sugar. He is at a greater risk for celiac disease (which I think is already happening.) He is so young. It is just not fair. All this being said, I know my son has a bright future. He will grow up to be independent, wise beyond his years, kind, empathetic of others, have great dietary awareness, and go on to do great things. I just know it. That does not mean I am still not scared. 1 in 20 type 1 diabetics will die of hypocglycemia. It is just not fair. As we go on, today on this diaversary, I will celebrate hope. Hope for a cure. Try not to dwell on the sadness. Celebrate my Zach, he has gone through so much in this past year. A day to celebrate my little man and all we have accomplished. A year of type 1 management, without a trip to the hospital and great A1C is something to celebrate. Yet, there is always that threat. I am awake still tonight, watching and waiting....for a blood sugar to come down and it just won't quit. I am his mom and I won't quit. Diabetes will not win.

Happy 4th of July

We have a way of celebrating holidays in our family....something usually happens. Take last Christmas for example. Zach got the flu. We got the flu shot and the flu. Perfect. I was fairly new to sick day plans, but we made it through. No real ketones and no hospital stays. Huge! In type 1 diabetes land. Here it is the 4th of July. Zach has a typical everyday breakfast. Frozen waffles and milk. Easy enough right. Wrong, very wrong. Type 1 has another thing is store for us. He eats all is well and the CGM goes up to 200 ish. Normal for just after breakfast. An hour later, Zach is low. Ok, juice.....check...huh...bg just barely went down instead of up. Two packages of smarties later....hmmm, still not going up. WTH??? Zach gets a sucker now. Ok, bg is up over 100, we can head out. We are headed to my parents for their BBQ. The kids have a blast every year. They put out this huge inflatable slide and my Dad bought the kids a blow up larger pool. We get in the car and Zach is very irritable, cranky, not like him. Check him as the CGM will not go up.....ug, 63 and lower and lower....He is 85. Ok, but still.....More candy..... We get to my parents house and Zach still has about .5 unit on board according to the pump. I give him 17g more.... This should get us where we need to be. Wrong......15 min later 58. Come on. I was about to pull my hair out. Zach gets regular pop. Something that never happens. I have no idea what happened or why oh why he was falling so fast. I estimated we gave him 100 g of carbs to bring his bg stable. He didn't have that much carbs for breakfast. WTH. I don't know why. Type 1 had it's own agenda today. I shutter to think what would have happened had be been anywhere else. What if he was at school? What you don't know is my Zach is hypoglycemic unaware. He does not feel his lows and does not look any different. We had a ton of lows today and no one could tell, not even me. Now, that is scary. I can usually see it. Hypoglycemia can cause, seizures, loss of balance and motor control, loss of cognitive function, and death. Yep, crap......right? We have the Omnipod insulin pump. It is mighty fabulous. However, all insulin pumps have their quirks right now. Zach's gave us the tone of death this afternoon. It is the high pitched sweakey sound (I know you all thought of Christmas Vacation, lol) an Omnipod gives out when there is an error. In this case, occlusion insulin delivery stopped and we MUST change it NOW. Poor Zach has to stop playing again for a pod change. Then, our Dexcom bites it too for the day, dreaded....question marks and hour glasses. Signs of death there too. Sure enough, it never came back and smart me, I remembered to bring a replacement. Two hours later the CGM is back after losing it basically the whole day. Not a good day to lose reception. I am wiped. No sleep for the weary here though. It is 1AM and despite very correcting his blood sugar twice, his bg is now over 300 and climbing one arrow up per Dex. Thus, I must go and change the site (which just got changed as mentioned above........), get some new insulin out of the fridge to put in the pod because I am questioning this vial....Maybe it went bad. It has been hot. Needless to say, I must go. Another ketone check, another site change, at least two bg checks (pricking his little fingers), and a shot to bring down the bg to a normal range. I am positive those smores he ate tonight, did me in....sigh...That is another topic for another day.

We need a cure!

Please excuse me while I kick myself.

Ug.  Here it is 12:36 AM and watching his bg.  It is stuck around 250.  Why?  Because I accidentally turned off the basal rate for two hours.   I don't even remember doing it.  Caught it,  but still.  Kick kick. ...

It has been a long day to start with.   First,  pump had to be changed this morning right before school as I knew something was not right as his bg climbed fast after breakfast and no normal small dip as I corrected his bg am hour before.   Sent him to school with his cgm and prayed some insulin had gone through with his breakfast.   I warned school to be on the lookout.   Got the call 1 hr later.   High.   Since no ketones and I had changed out the omnipod after breakfast, correction.  Needless to say.  He had to come jome and stabalize.  It seemed to take the whole day to come down.  

Finally, good again and mom flubs it up. I am paying dearly now.   Time for another check and correction as I was leaning in the side of caution with my earlier corrections I don't want a night time hypo. 

Nite.......well, maybe

Best poem I have ever read

She walks down the hallway in silence so deep,Keep watch over him, as her little one sleeps.With meter in hand, she opens his door,Making sure not to wake him as she crosses the floor,She sits on his bedside and brushes his hair,As he dreams of shooting baskets, without a "D" care.She holds his hand softly; his fingers so small,As she watches and wonders why "D" came to call.While she watches him sleeping, so peaceful and warm,The forces inside him fight a constant "D" storm.Will he ever be free of shots and blood testing?She sits and she wonders as she watches him resting.The beep of the meter breaks the silence of the night;A small drop of blood tells if everything's right.The seconds count down to the final display,I hate this damn meter; i want to throw it away.The number is fine, one down, a lifetime to go,As he turns in his sleep, will he ever know?Why does this "D" happen to someone so small?My son is my hero, but my baby most of all.She turns at his doorway, looking back one more time,It's a nightly routine of the very worst kind.She walks down the hallway and time passes by,As she sits in dark silence and quietly cries.I have to stay strong, and for him i will fight,We'll battle this "D" with all of our might.I'll teach him to master and conquer this foe,This "D" will not stop him, i promised him so.Gary 2001

Visit Gary's website and read more of his poetry www.diabetespoetry.com.

Dexcom how I love thee.

Morning blood sugar check.

Goodbye Medtronic, Hello Dexcom

Let me just say we had a lot of trouble with Medtronic, not only with their pump, but also their CGM. I am not expecting perfection. I know technology is not quite there. However, I would like to sleep knowing my little man is ok. We originally went with Medtronic's MySentry. While it is a great idea, it is not covered by any insurance plan. $3,000 out of pocket is ...., esp when already crippled with the cost of diabetes care. Medtronic's CGM is painful. It leaves a welt on my little guy no matter how much gauze I put under the transmitter. Plus, it scares him terribly. If you have ever had to stick your baby with a needle while they are saying, "please mommy, please mommy, I am scared." over and over again with tears in his eyes, you would know the torture. I ended up having to put the sensor in while he was sleeping. Our process was numbing cream on before he went to bed, after he fell asleep I would insert the sensor, wait until his blood sugar was stable in the night (which for us was about midnight) to be sure I could sleep without CGM data as it would take 2 hours just to get a reading, take out the transmitter at midnight, charge it for 15-20 min, insert the transmitter, go back to bed for 2 hours, get up and enter bg, and up within 6 hrs to calibrate again. This way, there would be two stable readings as Medtronic does not allow for calibration with any arrows of moving blood sugar. One other HUGE downfall of the Mysentry is the screen brightness. OMG, you cannot turn it down to a reasonable level. It is like the "sun" in your eyes all night. I don't know any 7 yr old who's blood sugar is not constantly moving somewhere. He is either eating or running around all the time. I found the Medtronic system to be tempermental. If you want to get up numerous times in the night for no reason whatsoever. It would go off as a low and end up at 160. This happened ALOT. Also, HUGE downfall. YOU CANNOT HEAR THE PUMP ALARMS FOR A LOW ON THE PUMP. Numerous times, the low alarm went off at school for 20 min or more and one time it went off for over an hour. NOT ACCEPTABLE! The CGM is designed for safety. There is no way to turn up the volume. Introducing Dexcom. I need to say. Dexcom = LOVE. No screaming when inserting while he was fully awake. It was accurate at first calibration. Only 6 points off right away. WOW! The alarms are much louder. First, it will vibrate and if you do not respond it will sing a tune. I also like the range. I can get a signal throughout the WHOLE house. Keep in mind it is 2400 sq ft. No more Mysentry unable to find a signal. I love not having the integration. I don't have to constantly ask while we are out, "Zach, what is your number?" I can see at Kung Fu just what he is at without sweating it the whole time as his Medtronic pump never got a signal while I held as he was in class. The responsibility for now lies on me, as it should. For now.... He is 7 and should be a 7 yr old boy. Not constantly worrying about his "number". He can't control it. Leave it to mommy. I can take that from him for now. He will have his whole life to deal with "numbers". We can focus on carb counting which he is interested in and readily looks for on labels. Bottow line, Dexcom is fabulous. I have had it less than a week and did not need any special training to set it up. Accuracy is SO MUCH better than Medtronic. For example, this morning the readings from his meter and the Dexcom matched EXACTLY. This will allow for much better control and overall better health. Not only for Zach, but for mommy too. I have actually slept through the night every night since we got the Dexcom. I hadn't slept through the night with the MySentry in awhile.

We should all be scared

I never thought of diabetes before 7/6/12.  In talking with our Dr office, they have seen a huge increase.  Do you remember anyone as a type 1 diabetic as a child?  Do you remember 1/3 of your class being allergic to this nut or that?  Something is going on. ) f we don't open our eyes, it is our kids who suffer.  http://mobile.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/02/08/type-1-diabetes-up-70-percent-in-kids-study-finds

BEWARE! Medications and Carbs

A couple of weeks ago, Zach's blood sugar was very high after breakfast. In trouble shooting, I realized the only difference was the Claratin. In researching the carb count was over 15g. Yikes. Here is a great list of carbs I found in medications.

Dear Medtronic

Dear Medtronic, It is with great regret we return our insulin pump, CGM, and MySentry. We are on our 4th (I think....I lost track.) pump from Medtronic since we started pumping back in October of 2012. Not a great track record I know. I believe the erratic (putting it mildly) blood sugars in November and December were due to a leak somewhere in the pump. At our 6 month follow up (2 months into pumping), we were told to get a new pump from our Endo. They examined the reservoir bubble issues we were having and reviewed our data from Carelink. There is absolutely something wrong. Call today. I called Medtronic and told them our Endo stated we need a new pump. Of course, no problem. What they didn't tell me is in the package would come a "recertified" pump. Imagine my surprise the next day when I open our UPS package. WHAT???? My heart was sinking. I could barely make out the screen. It looked used. I was not feeling good at all. After all, I have a pretty, shiny brand new one that is still pristine, but defective. I call about the screen and Medtronic sends me out another refurbished one, even after my protests. So, the 3rd one comes the next day, at least I can see the screen. Within one week, his blood sugars stabilize. No more craziness. Thank goodness. His basal insulin rates decreased by over 1/3 to 1/2. Tell me there was nothing wrong! I call Medtronic and tell them there was obviously something wrong with our original (2 month old) pump as my son's blood sugars have stabilized. I would like a report on what malfunctioned. She tells me this cannot be done as it needs to be requested when you ask for a replacement. News to me. Very convenient how it was not mentioned. I ask if there is anyway this could still be done as they had not received it back yet. She checks with her supervisor. Good news, I can now know why I felt like I was losing my mind for the last two months. She offers to send me a brand new one as I was unhappy with refurbished as a replacement for a 2 month old pump. Alas, we get the brand new pump and I am praying final pump. It does not connect well at all with the MySentry. Weird.....never had a issue before. It loses connection all night and all day. I try to re-connect it with the pump and the pump and the mysentry are literally on top of one another........no connection. I call Medtronic. 30 min wait. Ahhhh! I start trouble shooting on my own. I wonder if the battery would do it. I change the battery on the pump even though it is only missing one bar and the recommended brand that came with the pump. It works! No lie, within 3 sec, the rep from Medtronic answers. She is rude and tells me next time to call sooner so we can trouble shoot. Um What!!!! I did, you made me wait. I tell her this and it does not phase her. Brand new pump #3 now has a new problem. About two weeks into using it. Motor Error. GREAT! We are at my parents house after dinner and he is standing right next to me. Nothing else going on. I call Medtronic. Another 30 min wait. I am fuming. After the rep gets on, we trouble shoot and he cannot find a thing wrong with it. They try to put the blame back on us. Did he bump it, NO. He was standing right next to me. If you knew my son, he is the most laid back and shy kid. The representative tells me it is ok to put it back on and watch his blood sugars. Not feeling good at all. It is my baby we are talking about. Three days later, he is standing next to me in the kitchen waiting for dinner. I had just bolused him. Motor error. I am in a rush as it is Kung Fu night and we need to get out the door. You have got to be kidding me. I call Medtronic at Kung Fu.....another 30 min wait. Terrific! The Medtronic rep. begins to try to trouble shoot with me. I am done. I don't want this pump. Two motor errors in 3 days. No thanks! I ask for a new one and she says this is standard at the second motor error. She gets it all set up for next day air and I ask her. Now, are you sending me a brand new pump or a "recertified" one. She tells me it will be recertified. I ask for a new pump. She is arguing with me as last time was a "courtesy to me". A courtesy to me....wow, I am wondering if she is hearing herself. So, I tell her. You mean to tell me you want to send me a "recertified" pump for a replacement for the brand new pump you sent me just two weeks ago. Yes, this is company policy. I tell her are you hearing what I am saying. You are replacing the brand new pump you sent me two weeks ago with a refurbished pump. I want to speak with a manager. The manager never gets on the phone. She comes back after 5 min and explains my manager will do this one last time as a courtesy to me, but will not happen again. Wow, this is a courtesy to me. I am tired. I wish they would realize how hard this is on my family, esp. Zach and myself. I am tired. I get the brand new pump on him after reverting to our back up plan. My poor little guy misses another half day of school. He has missed at least 5+ days due to pump issues in less than 4 months. This is unacceptable. He is shy and it is hard for him to get into a routine. Frustrated would be an understatement. I send him back after missing his half day of school. When I pick him up and get closer, I realize his alarms are going off low...low...low. I check the alarm time. 20 MIN AGO! Given the considerable lag time and the rate Zach's blood sugar moves, I am panicked. (Keep in mind, I have set a low predict at 85 at 20 min ahead of time. Once it states he is there, he is generally very low. I have had a 139 double arrows down and him show up at 44.) This was my final and last straw. There is no way to set the alarms louder so someone ANYONE could hear while he is at school. The CGM is designed to keep him safe and didn't do it's job. Poor design flaw on Medtronic’s part. The patient should be able to determine the volume. Especially, for pediatric patients. I don't feel safe. I feel defeated. Nothing will give a mom more nightmares than questioning the safety of a medical device on their child. I call the returns number the next day. The woman I talk to is extremely rude and uncompassionate. This is not a decision I took lightly. I don't want to have to return all of this. I wish I could just tell her this. It is a nightmare. I would have been thrilled if we could have just stayed with our original pump, CGM, and MySentry. We could have left this roller coaster ride long ago and moved on with our lives. Choosing Medtronic was not a decision we took lightly. We are talking about my 7 yr old. I love the mysentry concept. While it is not perfect and there are some quirks with the CGM and connection issues, it is worth it and the main reason Medtronic was chosen. That is saying alot giving the huge out of pocket expenses it incurs, not covered by insurance. This was not easy financially for us. The daily obstacles of school plans, complications of diabetes, sick days, time and training are hard enough. Medtronic, I implore you. Please learn compassion. Diabetes is a complicated disease. Parents dealing with diabetes in their children are overburdened, tired, and scared. To feel this lack of compassion after shelling out so much money. I don't know how this is ok? My son does not deserve a "used car" kind of warranty for a life saving medical device. I just wish I would have felt compassion from the online call center. It really is unacceptable to send a 7yr old refurbished pumps when he has been pumping for 2 months. Then, to send a new replacement and offer a refurbished one to replace their new one and to basically tell me too bad if it happens again. I feel beat down and dragged through the mud by Medtronic. I have started the return process as I stated above. The purpose of this letter is to explain my decision as a mom of a type 1 diabetic child. I cannot even begin to express the emotional toll this has taken on our family. Can you imagine having to return a medical device your child relies upon to save his life, wondering when you will be able to get another one? Sincerely, Melodee Dettmers mom to Zachary Dettmers

83... a great number, but......

83 is a great bg to be at.  Fabulous right?  Not so much for a mom of a type 1 diabetic at midnight.  Scary actually.  Not much room before the dreaded night time low.  So, I go for a juice box.  Not all of the 4 oz as I know it will raise my little Guy almost 100 points up.  Wondering how other type 1 moms feel about anything under 100 at night.  How low is too low to you?  I know it is erratic at best for us in the honeymoon phase.  Sometimes his body kicks on and keeps kicking and other times not so much.  Now, I just wish our mysentry would find the new pump.  Seems as though the new pump we got does not get a great connection with our mysentry like the others did. 

Tired and have jury duty tomorrow.  I am still pretty upset about it.  I told them 6 months ago right after the type 1 diagnosis that I am Zach's primary caregiver and I really do not have anyone else to take care of an emergency.  Not good enough for them.  Really???  Crap if you ask me.  I will have my phone on me and I will be checking emails and if the school calls you bet it will get answered.  This is my baby. 

Siblings

Sigh. I know it's been a lot since Zach was diagnosed on July.  It can consume you. There so many things to think of pump site changes, cgm, doctor's appointment, learning the basics, school management school plans, emergency management, and training family members.  This list can go on and on. This doesn't even start to begin the daily challenges of diabetes care.  So, when Kaylie and I got into an argument over a seat belt of all things.  Things hit the fan.  She would not buckle up and Zach was low and I needed to get home to take care of him.  School is 2 min away and I didnt bring the arsenal with me.  I was stressed and she has been mean every ay after school.  Turns out there is a boy at school being mean to her.  I didn't know.  I feel awful for not knowing.  It is easy to get caught up in daily management of this disease
And lose sight of the big picture.  There is more to life than type 1 diabetes and it is not going to rule our house anymore.  May have won this round, but this mom is a fighter.

Sick days.....well they stink

Well, Zach is sick again. Last month on Christmas Eve he got the flu.  Yes, we got the flu shot, but he still got the flu.  Sick once again.  As a mom of a type 1 diabetic, we all know sick days are the days we dread the most.  His blood sugar is right now running in the 300 to 400 range.  It was 446 and is now 300. But now it's time for dinner and well is insulin resistant and will shoot or skyrocket right back up.  I am so thankful for the CGM.  Without it I would never have the courage to dial up his basal rate up to 150 percent.  Yikes!!   Great thing is there is no ketones. Still it's going to be a long night.