Every once and a while life changes. The life that we once knew will change for better, or for worse. The problem with that when speaking in terms of a child with diabetes is that we end up having to tweak the insulin all over again.
School is set to start, and I find myself writing a health plan for first grade. Yes, all day at school, and lunch there to boot. Now if this was creative writing it would be done, and in a way I guess it is. In order to write a good plan for school we need to know what will our challenges be? Last year it was sever lows. Highs were never really an issue. Now all of that has changed, and so I am finding myslef not knowing what to write, and knowing that I am going to have to tweak this health plan many times. I wish I could just pick up where we left off last year, but it would not be accurate. Do all D parents go through this yearly, or do things eventually go back to how they were?
So far change has been my biggest arch enemy. Not that all changes are bad, and yes, I do look forward to full time school, but the only three things that are ever certain in life is Death, Taxes, and Change.
Back to writing the health plan. I'll post it when I am done!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
We took the kids to a safety fair today. It was hot, the drinks were gone, and the lines to see, or do ANYTHING were waaayyyyy to long. The kids got to climb the rock wall at one of the booths, but that was an hours wait. We had all had it by then. This used to be a small event, but was advertised on TV this year, and it was all FREE! so yeah, it was crazy. No ones fault, just to hard to do anything, and for me, way to hot.
Julia seems to go high from the heat this year. She gets so sick in the heat, too. I don't know if it is the headache, and tummy ache from the heat, or the high, or really what sequence all of this is playing out. She was a happy 126 when we arrived. An hour later she was a soaring 333. We decided to go get lunch at a little fifty's diner that is so cool to go to. Cool off, get some food, relax, ya know? We get sat in the motorcycle table (there is a real harley sitting above the table). The kids love it. Julia is feeling really icky and we are thinking at this point maybe getting our order to go. She doesn't want to, so we decide to stay. I bolus her for the lunch she ordered and was just brought. And about 5 minutes later it happens............
An alarm goes off on her pump. She hands it over to me, and it reads............
PUMP OCCLUSION!
It is our first. Julia has been pumping for 9 months now, so that isn't too bad. I was hoping, as I am sure everyone does to never have this happen. It happened about 5 minutes after the lunch bolus, so I wasn't sure if she did get any insulin. Only way to know is to test. We finish our lunch, and head home knowing that we will need to correct here in a bit, but we didn't realize how bad it would be. We were fairly close to home. I am sure that she didn't get her lunch bolus. Of course this is hind site, and as they say it is always 20/20. She was 554. Had moderate ketones. Makes me wonder if she wasn't really coming down from the first correction, too. Maybe that test was wrong. Who knows. We gave her 2 units by injection. Changed the site. She came down eventually, but it took soooo much more insulin, and it was from a fresh bottle. Her basal rates have increased, and I don't typically have to make huge corrections, so now I wonder if I need to change her ISF, or if that huge of a high just needed more. Poor girl. Ketone level is negative again. They flushed rather quickly.
Have I told you lately how much I HATE DIABETES???? Well, I do, I may come to terms with it at times, but it just plain sucks. Sometimes I find a silver lining, but that wasn't today. Today the clouds are all black, and angry that this monster has come to our home without being invited. It has bared it's ugly teeth, with it's eyes glowing red hot and went in for the kill, but for today we have defeated the nasty D monster. If only for this moment because we all know that highs, and lows with a scattering of normal is what lay ahead just around the corner.
Julia seems to go high from the heat this year. She gets so sick in the heat, too. I don't know if it is the headache, and tummy ache from the heat, or the high, or really what sequence all of this is playing out. She was a happy 126 when we arrived. An hour later she was a soaring 333. We decided to go get lunch at a little fifty's diner that is so cool to go to. Cool off, get some food, relax, ya know? We get sat in the motorcycle table (there is a real harley sitting above the table). The kids love it. Julia is feeling really icky and we are thinking at this point maybe getting our order to go. She doesn't want to, so we decide to stay. I bolus her for the lunch she ordered and was just brought. And about 5 minutes later it happens............
An alarm goes off on her pump. She hands it over to me, and it reads............
PUMP OCCLUSION!
It is our first. Julia has been pumping for 9 months now, so that isn't too bad. I was hoping, as I am sure everyone does to never have this happen. It happened about 5 minutes after the lunch bolus, so I wasn't sure if she did get any insulin. Only way to know is to test. We finish our lunch, and head home knowing that we will need to correct here in a bit, but we didn't realize how bad it would be. We were fairly close to home. I am sure that she didn't get her lunch bolus. Of course this is hind site, and as they say it is always 20/20. She was 554. Had moderate ketones. Makes me wonder if she wasn't really coming down from the first correction, too. Maybe that test was wrong. Who knows. We gave her 2 units by injection. Changed the site. She came down eventually, but it took soooo much more insulin, and it was from a fresh bottle. Her basal rates have increased, and I don't typically have to make huge corrections, so now I wonder if I need to change her ISF, or if that huge of a high just needed more. Poor girl. Ketone level is negative again. They flushed rather quickly.
Have I told you lately how much I HATE DIABETES???? Well, I do, I may come to terms with it at times, but it just plain sucks. Sometimes I find a silver lining, but that wasn't today. Today the clouds are all black, and angry that this monster has come to our home without being invited. It has bared it's ugly teeth, with it's eyes glowing red hot and went in for the kill, but for today we have defeated the nasty D monster. If only for this moment because we all know that highs, and lows with a scattering of normal is what lay ahead just around the corner.
Summer Camp
I know I haven't blogged in a while. There are a few reasons: I haven't had much to report. And second I have been too lazy, or tired, or whatever to figure out what the heck my password is. I did though to post on another blog, so here I am in the wee hours of the morning posting on my blog while I am logged in and know what my password is, and can think of somewhat of a topic to go into.
Once in a while the parent of a child with diabetes finds out that they have surpassed those in the position of teaching said parent. I had this happen at diabetes camp. Not a good place to find that out....... after all, you are entrusting them with your child, your D child at that.
My main issues are not huge, they are relatively small in the over all view of it all, but to me they are very large issues. I am sure by next year they will be forgotten, however for now a rant must be written so that I can move forward onto new rants.
Our diabetes day camp that is for kids from 3-7 is ran by our CDE group. There are dietitians, CDEs and other nursing staff. Plus most of the volunteers are either diabetic them self, have a loved one that has D, or medical staff. This year there were some pre med students as well. Now, you'd think that most people in the categories above would know that a bg in the 200s needs correcting, right? All of you pumpers out there know that waiting until the next meal is silly, and not covering carbs is silly, too. Well, Julia ran in the 200-350 range while at camp. There were a few factors there. High temps always cause her to run higher, we just correct and move on when that happens. Then there was the fact that they were having 15g free snacks, both morning and afternoon. Julia runs her own pump. She only needs supervision, and guidance on how many carbs. So the last day of camp is parents day. I go, so does dad. Dad is over there somewhere looking at pumps. He wants one so badly. Were waiting for Julia to get back from the zoo with her group. When she shows up she has a tummy ache, head ache, and is in the 400s. Great...... No one has checked her ketone levels, even though she has been high all day long. So we feed her lunch and check. SHE IS MED on the urine strips. Double great!!! We got her home, and took care of it. It was so hard to get her to drink water that I ended up grinding ice and making SF coolaid slushes. Corrected with a syringe, and changed the site (diabetes camp had insulin, sets for site changes, cartriges, and syringes, plus both parents cell numbers in case they needed us, so why it wasn't done earlier, I dunno) added it into the pump so I could correct, and have the pump do the IOB for me. Check every 2 hours along with ketone levels. She goes down nicely once I get fluid into her. I am mad. I am very angry. I received a survey asking how camp was. Julia had a great time, met a lot of friends...ect... however I am still fuming, so I haven't filled it out. Think I should tell them what I think about their D care? Or just fill it out nicely?
I know I will send Julia back next year. Since dx it is one of the only times that she is in her true skin. She is always a little guarded when she is with kids with working pancreases. She says it is because she feels different. Poor kid. I also see so much emotional growth while she is there. Even though the holiday parties is ran by the diabetes youth group that typically works with older kids with D I find it most helpful to hit the christmas party. Mostly because it gives her that 6 month pick me up. She always comes away with such wonderful confidence, and a sense of self that is unbelievable. I can't wait until summer 09. SHe will get to go with the big kids to over night camp. I know I will be a wreck, but it will be good for her, and good for all of us, I am sure.
That is it for now. I will try to be better at blogging, or at least do it more often.
Once in a while the parent of a child with diabetes finds out that they have surpassed those in the position of teaching said parent. I had this happen at diabetes camp. Not a good place to find that out....... after all, you are entrusting them with your child, your D child at that.
My main issues are not huge, they are relatively small in the over all view of it all, but to me they are very large issues. I am sure by next year they will be forgotten, however for now a rant must be written so that I can move forward onto new rants.
Our diabetes day camp that is for kids from 3-7 is ran by our CDE group. There are dietitians, CDEs and other nursing staff. Plus most of the volunteers are either diabetic them self, have a loved one that has D, or medical staff. This year there were some pre med students as well. Now, you'd think that most people in the categories above would know that a bg in the 200s needs correcting, right? All of you pumpers out there know that waiting until the next meal is silly, and not covering carbs is silly, too. Well, Julia ran in the 200-350 range while at camp. There were a few factors there. High temps always cause her to run higher, we just correct and move on when that happens. Then there was the fact that they were having 15g free snacks, both morning and afternoon. Julia runs her own pump. She only needs supervision, and guidance on how many carbs. So the last day of camp is parents day. I go, so does dad. Dad is over there somewhere looking at pumps. He wants one so badly. Were waiting for Julia to get back from the zoo with her group. When she shows up she has a tummy ache, head ache, and is in the 400s. Great...... No one has checked her ketone levels, even though she has been high all day long. So we feed her lunch and check. SHE IS MED on the urine strips. Double great!!! We got her home, and took care of it. It was so hard to get her to drink water that I ended up grinding ice and making SF coolaid slushes. Corrected with a syringe, and changed the site (diabetes camp had insulin, sets for site changes, cartriges, and syringes, plus both parents cell numbers in case they needed us, so why it wasn't done earlier, I dunno) added it into the pump so I could correct, and have the pump do the IOB for me. Check every 2 hours along with ketone levels. She goes down nicely once I get fluid into her. I am mad. I am very angry. I received a survey asking how camp was. Julia had a great time, met a lot of friends...ect... however I am still fuming, so I haven't filled it out. Think I should tell them what I think about their D care? Or just fill it out nicely?
I know I will send Julia back next year. Since dx it is one of the only times that she is in her true skin. She is always a little guarded when she is with kids with working pancreases. She says it is because she feels different. Poor kid. I also see so much emotional growth while she is there. Even though the holiday parties is ran by the diabetes youth group that typically works with older kids with D I find it most helpful to hit the christmas party. Mostly because it gives her that 6 month pick me up. She always comes away with such wonderful confidence, and a sense of self that is unbelievable. I can't wait until summer 09. SHe will get to go with the big kids to over night camp. I know I will be a wreck, but it will be good for her, and good for all of us, I am sure.
That is it for now. I will try to be better at blogging, or at least do it more often.
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