A urine test and a phone call three years ago today changed our lives forever. I still remember taking her back for a blood draw, then waiting in the pediatricians office waiting for the results. I remember the one doctor telling us that she has Type 1 Diabetes and we need to call our insurance company to find out what Endocrinologists and what, if any, of the Children's Hospitals were in our network. They explained that she needed to be admitted to a hospital, started on insulin and an IV to start bringing her blood sugar down. We could either take her straight to Children's or they would admit her to Lima Memorial, get her started, then transfer her by ambulance later that evening.
Talk about over whelming. It all sounded so foreign and nothing made sense. What does all of this mean? We decided to admit her to Memorial, then transfer to Columbus. Josh toke her up to the room they got ready for her while I went to the library to get a few books to read over the next few days at the hospital, because I had no idea what we were in for. And I hate not knowing.
680 was the first blood test that game back at Memorial. I remember walking into the room as they were giving her the first injection of insulin. It was a grim sight of what would be the norm for the next three days - one or two of us to hold her down as much as we could while a nurse gave her a shot... every time she ate. If ever there were a moment when you would give any thing to trade places with your child, this was it! It was the day after her 4th birthday and she just seemed so little to have to take these shots. I also remember that ambulance ride to Columbus with her. She had to be strapped onto the bed during the whole ride, so all she could do was watch out the back window. She said something about wondering where we were, and it just so happened that we were getting ready to drive past her friends house. As we went past, I pointed out a century light that she was able to see and told her that light was at Savannah's house. She fell asleep shortly afterwards so the EMT and I chatted for awhile and ended up talking about "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" (a non-profit organization).
Here we are... three years later! Some of the best advice that I read was "don't let diabetes control you, you control the diabetes." And that is what I strive so hard for! We celebrated her 7th birthday this past week and here she is, an otherwise healthy girl who is active, plays soccer, is enjoying Girl Scouts, and is doing great in school! If it weren't for the pump attached to her, you'd never know any thing was wrong with her!
I've said all along that she makes this so much easier on us. With in the first month after we were out of the hospital, she started checking her own sugar! We've been through syringes, pens, and now on a pump! Don't get me wrong, she has her moments, but who can blame her with everything she has to go through?!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Pump Progress
We are coming up into our 4th month on an insulin pump! Looking back, I have no idea why I was so afraid of them (okay, it's because Ellee is *still* afraid of the infusion set changes). After 2 weeks on a pump, it lowered her A1C by half a point and finally got us back down under 8! I've been told by many people that we shouldn't think of the A1C as a scorecard, but you can't help it. If it's high, it makes you feel like a bad parent, and no one wants to feel like a bad parent. I did have to smile when I had a former director of a JDRF chapter tell me the other night not to beat myself up over a few bad numbers!
We go on Monday for our quarterly Endo appointment! I'm excited to see what her A1C is, but at the same time nervous that it will be higher than 8. I do have some concerns to go over with the doctor, such as the weeks with high numbers, then the sudden drop and having weeks of lower than my nerves can take numbers.
I've been debating about seeing if we can use a Continuous Glucose Monitor for a month to get an idea of areas that we can fine tune her rates. I have a feeling this is one of those things were "if it were me, I'd do this", but since it's Ellee I have to stop and ask what is best for her. After hearing two 20 year olds talk about how long the canula is, I'm not sure Ellee would like me if I suggest sticking one of them on her!
Over all, I am very happy that she is on the pump. She is getting a lot better about changing the infusion sets, especially when she is able to do some of it herself. She *hates* it when some one else takes her old set off, she takes it off in the shower, or will allow me to put alcohol on the old so that it loosens up, BUT she has to be the one to pull it off! And I'm fine with that!
There is something about understanding how things work that make them less scary. I found out the hard way that by explaining everything that goes into changing her set to her, she is more accepting of the process and doesn't fight it. By showing her how the infusion device worked, it calmed her nerves. She now likes to prep the set for me. She takes all the plastic and paper off, unwinds the tubing, and gets it completely ready for me, even pulling the spring back to load it. Just recently she has started wanting to fill the cartridge. So I showed her how work the plunger a few different times to help get rid of the air bubbles. I may have to redo it myself if there is an air bubble, but so far she doesn't mind.
It seems that by being involved in the process, she feels she has more control... and I'm fine with that! After all, she will be in charge of it soon enough, which is sad to think. I couldn't have asked for her to be any more cooperative with the whole process than she has been!
We go on Monday for our quarterly Endo appointment! I'm excited to see what her A1C is, but at the same time nervous that it will be higher than 8. I do have some concerns to go over with the doctor, such as the weeks with high numbers, then the sudden drop and having weeks of lower than my nerves can take numbers.
I've been debating about seeing if we can use a Continuous Glucose Monitor for a month to get an idea of areas that we can fine tune her rates. I have a feeling this is one of those things were "if it were me, I'd do this", but since it's Ellee I have to stop and ask what is best for her. After hearing two 20 year olds talk about how long the canula is, I'm not sure Ellee would like me if I suggest sticking one of them on her!
Over all, I am very happy that she is on the pump. She is getting a lot better about changing the infusion sets, especially when she is able to do some of it herself. She *hates* it when some one else takes her old set off, she takes it off in the shower, or will allow me to put alcohol on the old so that it loosens up, BUT she has to be the one to pull it off! And I'm fine with that!
There is something about understanding how things work that make them less scary. I found out the hard way that by explaining everything that goes into changing her set to her, she is more accepting of the process and doesn't fight it. By showing her how the infusion device worked, it calmed her nerves. She now likes to prep the set for me. She takes all the plastic and paper off, unwinds the tubing, and gets it completely ready for me, even pulling the spring back to load it. Just recently she has started wanting to fill the cartridge. So I showed her how work the plunger a few different times to help get rid of the air bubbles. I may have to redo it myself if there is an air bubble, but so far she doesn't mind.
It seems that by being involved in the process, she feels she has more control... and I'm fine with that! After all, she will be in charge of it soon enough, which is sad to think. I couldn't have asked for her to be any more cooperative with the whole process than she has been!
Monday, December 19, 2011
A Christmas Poem
This was way too cute not to share!!
Christmas & Diabetes By: Paula Krueger
'Twas the night before Christmas, My alarm clock went beep.
And so rudely awoke me, From a deep, cozy sleep.
The glucose strips were lined up, On her dresser with care,
Just waiting for me, For I always was there.
Then what to my wondering eyes did I find?
But a normal blood sugar, that gave piece of mind!
I then heard the noises from downstairs below,
And heard Santa laughing, Ho ho ho ho ho.
He said to me, Dee, now what would you like??
I answered him, Santa, help me rid of this fright?
I spend my days worried about the highs and the lows,
and the long term affects, because nobody knows.
And while visions of sugarplums dance in her head,
I count all the carbs, With anxiety and dread.
I so want a cure for this disease to be gone.
To throw out the insulin and needles, so long!
And Santa said, Dee, The two things you need,
Are things you have now, Just remember to believe.
The first one is Faith, and I'm sure you'd agree.
That God's always there, Even though you can't see.
The second is Hope, and it's what keeps us going,
so pray for your child, and your faith will keep growing.
And then with a wink and a twitch of this nose,
He blew me a kiss and up the chimney he rose.
So I sat by the tree and I said a long prayer,
For families with diabetes, Who were full of despair.
I felt very peaceful, Full of much Christmas cheer;
And thanked God for that insulin, That keeps my little girl here.
Christmas & Diabetes By: Paula Krueger
'Twas the night before Christmas, My alarm clock went beep.
And so rudely awoke me, From a deep, cozy sleep.
The glucose strips were lined up, On her dresser with care,
Just waiting for me, For I always was there.
Then what to my wondering eyes did I find?
But a normal blood sugar, that gave piece of mind!
I then heard the noises from downstairs below,
And heard Santa laughing, Ho ho ho ho ho.
He said to me, Dee, now what would you like??
I answered him, Santa, help me rid of this fright?
I spend my days worried about the highs and the lows,
and the long term affects, because nobody knows.
And while visions of sugarplums dance in her head,
I count all the carbs, With anxiety and dread.
I so want a cure for this disease to be gone.
To throw out the insulin and needles, so long!
And Santa said, Dee, The two things you need,
Are things you have now, Just remember to believe.
The first one is Faith, and I'm sure you'd agree.
That God's always there, Even though you can't see.
The second is Hope, and it's what keeps us going,
so pray for your child, and your faith will keep growing.
And then with a wink and a twitch of this nose,
He blew me a kiss and up the chimney he rose.
So I sat by the tree and I said a long prayer,
For families with diabetes, Who were full of despair.
I felt very peaceful, Full of much Christmas cheer;
And thanked God for that insulin, That keeps my little girl here.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Diabetic Alert Dog
And yes, I did jinx myself with getting excited about having perfect night numbers. So the adjustments continue. =(
About the time we switched to a pump, I heard about Diabetic Alert Dogs (DAD or DADs). This was intriguing and after the first night of night checks, I read all I could about this subject! What a wonderful idea, so simple, and yet, such a life saver! I joined all the discussion groups that I could find, and I did a lot of research on a medium size breed of dog that would fit our needs. Everything kept bringing me back to a breed I've admired since high school: Shelties.
How does a DAD work? I'm glad you asked! Your blood and other bodily fluids (such as sweat) "shift" when your blood glucose level changes. You tend to smell sweet when your BG level is high, and at the other end of the scale, it smells sour when you are low. Dogs have a significantly better nose than humans do. They can smell this change long before the symptoms (high or low) kick in. With DADs, it's a matter of training the dog to realize what level of smells are bad and how to alert you when they smell it. While most people like to use Labs & Goldens, they say that just about any breed, even mutts, can be trained for this. Dogs with "smushed snouts", such as Pugs & English Bulldogs are the few that they say will have a harder time detecting. I can't help but wonder if after a while it becomes the bond between the diabetic and the dog, rather than the training, that keeps the dog alerting so well!
In high school, I baby sat for a family that had a Sheltie, and he was a cutie, smart, and a very well behaved dog! I've wanted one ever since! With all the research on the breed, it works very well for this type of service - they are intelligent, easy to train, they love to have a job to do, they are very family oriented, they have a longer life span, and they have fewer health issues. And lets face it, with Ellee and Dani, I won't complain if the dog is even willing to herd them for me!
My first call to a local breeder was beyond disappointing. It seems as though it's more important to have a line of dogs that win awards, metals, and ribbons than it is to know that you have a dog that will save some one's life. Devastated, I was nervous to call a second breeder, whom is about an hour away. I was afraid that they would operate the same way this other one did. Much to my surprise, when I finally got a hold of her, she was very willing to help me out, she asked questions and is willing to work with me!
We are still a few weeks away from being able to see the puppies for the first time, but in the mean time I have an opportunity to practice training another dog! Unfortunately, Nate's dad had a heart attack and after the bypass surgery, they told him no animals in the house for a few weeks. Bear, a 10 year old Blue Heeler will be staying with us - and the girls love this dog! He stayed with us for a night a few weeks ago, but showed no reaction to a low that Ellee had. I'm hoping that with some clicker training he will recognize what smells are not good and will start alerting.
Wish me luck, tonight will be our first training attempt! I am hoping that you really can teach an old dog new tricks!
About the time we switched to a pump, I heard about Diabetic Alert Dogs (DAD or DADs). This was intriguing and after the first night of night checks, I read all I could about this subject! What a wonderful idea, so simple, and yet, such a life saver! I joined all the discussion groups that I could find, and I did a lot of research on a medium size breed of dog that would fit our needs. Everything kept bringing me back to a breed I've admired since high school: Shelties.
How does a DAD work? I'm glad you asked! Your blood and other bodily fluids (such as sweat) "shift" when your blood glucose level changes. You tend to smell sweet when your BG level is high, and at the other end of the scale, it smells sour when you are low. Dogs have a significantly better nose than humans do. They can smell this change long before the symptoms (high or low) kick in. With DADs, it's a matter of training the dog to realize what level of smells are bad and how to alert you when they smell it. While most people like to use Labs & Goldens, they say that just about any breed, even mutts, can be trained for this. Dogs with "smushed snouts", such as Pugs & English Bulldogs are the few that they say will have a harder time detecting. I can't help but wonder if after a while it becomes the bond between the diabetic and the dog, rather than the training, that keeps the dog alerting so well!
In high school, I baby sat for a family that had a Sheltie, and he was a cutie, smart, and a very well behaved dog! I've wanted one ever since! With all the research on the breed, it works very well for this type of service - they are intelligent, easy to train, they love to have a job to do, they are very family oriented, they have a longer life span, and they have fewer health issues. And lets face it, with Ellee and Dani, I won't complain if the dog is even willing to herd them for me!
My first call to a local breeder was beyond disappointing. It seems as though it's more important to have a line of dogs that win awards, metals, and ribbons than it is to know that you have a dog that will save some one's life. Devastated, I was nervous to call a second breeder, whom is about an hour away. I was afraid that they would operate the same way this other one did. Much to my surprise, when I finally got a hold of her, she was very willing to help me out, she asked questions and is willing to work with me!
We are still a few weeks away from being able to see the puppies for the first time, but in the mean time I have an opportunity to practice training another dog! Unfortunately, Nate's dad had a heart attack and after the bypass surgery, they told him no animals in the house for a few weeks. Bear, a 10 year old Blue Heeler will be staying with us - and the girls love this dog! He stayed with us for a night a few weeks ago, but showed no reaction to a low that Ellee had. I'm hoping that with some clicker training he will recognize what smells are not good and will start alerting.
Wish me luck, tonight will be our first training attempt! I am hoping that you really can teach an old dog new tricks!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Night Time Success!!!
FINALLY!!! After 5 1/2 weeks on the pump, last night was our first night of solid, acceptable BG numbers!
Ever since we went on the pump, Ellee's numbers have been one extreme or the other, either too high or too low, but mostly on the high side. Afraid of her dropping too low and not catching it, I've been adjusting her insulin rate ever so slightly at night. I was to achieving ideal numbers the other week, but all of a sudden she dropped too low and I had to reset her numbers to help bring her up. Then she skyrocketed, and I've been trying to bring her back down ever since.
Last night, I checked her at 10pm before I went to bed and she was 148. At 3am, she was 128. At breakfast this morning I was nervous to see what her number was going to be, but to my surprise - 128!!! This means that she only dropped 20 points! Not only that, but for 5 hours her levels were consistent! I may be counting my chickens before they hatch, or jinxing myself, and her numbers may be off the chart tonight, but I will take one night of awesome numbers! Because this means that we are headed in the right direction!
Ever since we went on the pump, Ellee's numbers have been one extreme or the other, either too high or too low, but mostly on the high side. Afraid of her dropping too low and not catching it, I've been adjusting her insulin rate ever so slightly at night. I was to achieving ideal numbers the other week, but all of a sudden she dropped too low and I had to reset her numbers to help bring her up. Then she skyrocketed, and I've been trying to bring her back down ever since.
Last night, I checked her at 10pm before I went to bed and she was 148. At 3am, she was 128. At breakfast this morning I was nervous to see what her number was going to be, but to my surprise - 128!!! This means that she only dropped 20 points! Not only that, but for 5 hours her levels were consistent! I may be counting my chickens before they hatch, or jinxing myself, and her numbers may be off the chart tonight, but I will take one night of awesome numbers! Because this means that we are headed in the right direction!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
T1D Humor
I've posted stuff like this before, but it never fails to be funny or hit a little too close to home not to laugh! Humor helps keep us sane!
You know you're the parent of a child with diabetes when ...
1. Everyone in the family says they are "low" instead of hungry!
2. Your co-workers play "Guess How Many Carbs Are In This Food" with you at lunch and you are always right!
3. You have a car that displays the miles remaining before it runs out of gas, and not only do you always think of that number in terms of a blood sugar, but any time it ticks down to 50, at least two people in the car shout "The car is low! It needs glucose!" I just wish my daughter had a little yellow warning light on her forehead too.
4. Your "D" child gets more birthday cards from his pump company than from his own family!
5. Your child gets his driver's learning permit and you have tubes of glucose gel in your car instead of your sunglasses but you smile because he has come such a long way.
6. You're awakened at 6 a.m. by your teenager asking the dreaded question, "What's the number for Minimed?" and you can answer without even opening your eyes -- then a few minutes later you realize that something's not right and jump out of bed.
7. You go through a drive-in at Dunkin' Donuts and see the sign that said "High Curb" and you start laughing because you think it said "HIGH CARB."
8. You realize people are staring at you in the cleaning aisle after you pick up a new product and exclaim to your family, "Hey, I bet this would get the blood off the bedroom wall!"
9. You are practicing spelling the word "S-I G-H-T" and your child asks if he should spell the "sight" with his eyes or the "site" on his butt.
10. Your six year old runs to the bathroom yelling "I've got to go Type 2!"
11. Everytime you prick or cut your finger all your children run for the meter -- you wouldn't what to waist ANY blood.
12. Your husband names his internet gaming character "Lancet."
13. Your child is playing a video game and when the "life force" level starts running out she says "Oh no! I'm low" and then starts laughing hysterically and says "I need glucose tablets!"
14. You have been doing frequent night checks because your child has been running a fever and find yourself in the bathroom getting Children's Tylenol before you realize the 103 was on the glucose meter, not the digital thermometer.
15. You are doing Madlibs with the kids and "pancreas" comes up as a body part, and "insulin pump" comes up as a noun.
16. You buy bleach not based on brand preference, but on whether the bottle would make a good sharps container.
17. Your daughter asks, "Can I get some ketchup to go with my test strips?" instead of her chicken strips.
18. All three of your children request the "A1C Steak Sauce" at the dinner table.
19. The makeup case you used to carry in your purse is replaced with an emergency diabetes kit for your child.
20. Your child asks you if "water proof" means "toilet proof" in reference to the pump.
21. You watch your teen push his peas and carrots onto his fork with his insulin pump instead of with another utensil.
22. While driving in the car with your diabetic child, a radio show asks listeners to call in with the answer to the question, "What do parents most often say at their kids?" and your daughter answers, "Did you bolus?"
23. Your two-year-old non diabetic says "me too" to get her blood checked and wears an old monitor around her waste in a pump pouch.
24. Medical students come and ask YOU about pediatric endocrinology.
25. For Halloween your child dresses up as a sharps box.
26. Your endo is in your family picture.
27. When your parents answer the phone, the first thing they say is "What's wrong?"
28. Your six year old non D can spell "endocrinologist"
29. Your non-diabetic 3 year old, with glucose monitor in hand, states that she's been thirsty all day, had at least 8 glasses of water, and thinks you should check her blood sugar.
30. You stop calling them "sugar" and start calling them "Splenda."
You know you're the parent of a child with diabetes when ...
1. Everyone in the family says they are "low" instead of hungry!
2. Your co-workers play "Guess How Many Carbs Are In This Food" with you at lunch and you are always right!
3. You have a car that displays the miles remaining before it runs out of gas, and not only do you always think of that number in terms of a blood sugar, but any time it ticks down to 50, at least two people in the car shout "The car is low! It needs glucose!" I just wish my daughter had a little yellow warning light on her forehead too.
4. Your "D" child gets more birthday cards from his pump company than from his own family!
5. Your child gets his driver's learning permit and you have tubes of glucose gel in your car instead of your sunglasses but you smile because he has come such a long way.
6. You're awakened at 6 a.m. by your teenager asking the dreaded question, "What's the number for Minimed?" and you can answer without even opening your eyes -- then a few minutes later you realize that something's not right and jump out of bed.
7. You go through a drive-in at Dunkin' Donuts and see the sign that said "High Curb" and you start laughing because you think it said "HIGH CARB."
8. You realize people are staring at you in the cleaning aisle after you pick up a new product and exclaim to your family, "Hey, I bet this would get the blood off the bedroom wall!"
9. You are practicing spelling the word "S-I G-H-T" and your child asks if he should spell the "sight" with his eyes or the "site" on his butt.
10. Your six year old runs to the bathroom yelling "I've got to go Type 2!"
11. Everytime you prick or cut your finger all your children run for the meter -- you wouldn't what to waist ANY blood.
12. Your husband names his internet gaming character "Lancet."
13. Your child is playing a video game and when the "life force" level starts running out she says "Oh no! I'm low" and then starts laughing hysterically and says "I need glucose tablets!"
14. You have been doing frequent night checks because your child has been running a fever and find yourself in the bathroom getting Children's Tylenol before you realize the 103 was on the glucose meter, not the digital thermometer.
15. You are doing Madlibs with the kids and "pancreas" comes up as a body part, and "insulin pump" comes up as a noun.
16. You buy bleach not based on brand preference, but on whether the bottle would make a good sharps container.
17. Your daughter asks, "Can I get some ketchup to go with my test strips?" instead of her chicken strips.
18. All three of your children request the "A1C Steak Sauce" at the dinner table.
19. The makeup case you used to carry in your purse is replaced with an emergency diabetes kit for your child.
20. Your child asks you if "water proof" means "toilet proof" in reference to the pump.
21. You watch your teen push his peas and carrots onto his fork with his insulin pump instead of with another utensil.
22. While driving in the car with your diabetic child, a radio show asks listeners to call in with the answer to the question, "What do parents most often say at their kids?" and your daughter answers, "Did you bolus?"
23. Your two-year-old non diabetic says "me too" to get her blood checked and wears an old monitor around her waste in a pump pouch.
24. Medical students come and ask YOU about pediatric endocrinology.
25. For Halloween your child dresses up as a sharps box.
26. Your endo is in your family picture.
27. When your parents answer the phone, the first thing they say is "What's wrong?"
28. Your six year old non D can spell "endocrinologist"
29. Your non-diabetic 3 year old, with glucose monitor in hand, states that she's been thirsty all day, had at least 8 glasses of water, and thinks you should check her blood sugar.
30. You stop calling them "sugar" and start calling them "Splenda."
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
We are getting there!
We have been "live" (with insulin... the week with saline & still doing the injections don't count!) on the pump for almost 4 full weeks now! It has been interesting, to say the least! I think we were warned that there would be a lot of testing when you first start on a pump, but I never expected this much testing! We have gone through almost 300 test strips in 5 weeks! I liked a comment another mom posted on a Facebook group... "If I find another test strip on the floor, I'm going to scream!" And that is how I feel some days! We've even been using a different meter for 5 weeks and I'm still finding strips on the floor from the old one!
When Ellee was first diagnosed, we had to keep careful logs of everything and fax them to the doctors office to review to see if any adjustments in her dosage needed made. Once we felt like her numbers were stable and under control, we stopped faxing. When starting on the pump, it is like starting all over with diabetes. We have to log everything and fax it in.
Our first couple of weeks were riddled with extreme highs and extreme lows - both of which are very dangerous. Here is a puzzle that I need to figure out - something needs changed, but what? Every couple of days I would pouring over days of log sheets and numbers, trying to figure out variables, I made changes here and there. Slowly, but surely, her numbers are getting better!
I'm glad they moved up our next Endo appointment by a month! We went on Monday the 31st. I was so glad to see our Nurse Practitioner to go over the latest numbers! Normally our appointments are filled with meeting with 2-3 different people and a lot of waiting in between. As soon as we got in there, the NP was in and out of the room right off the bat! I love this lady! She is so easy to talk to and she is very understanding! With many days worth of log sheets spread out on the exam table, she and I went back and forth with patterns were were seeing along with bouncing ideas of changes to make. Would changing this help this? How would that effect this?
Another thing I love about our NP is that she asked how we felt! I have read about many diabetics and their families complaining about the emotional toll this takes on them, and the doctors only seem concerned with the numbers, not emotions. The social worker who came in and spoke with us first said that they have a councilor who specializes in T1D that we can set up an appointment with if we ever need it. Then the NP asked us how we felt about the pump and care in general... then she asked Ellee how she feels about it!
After we were all done, the NP went to get our new scripts so that we could go and it dawned on me that she never told us what her A1C was! When she came back, I asked. She said she realized that she forgot to tell us that it was 7.6! With in a month, we came down a whole half a point! And for the first time in quite a while, we got below 8! As rough as this past month has been with extreme numbers, we dropped half a point?! I can see that in the long run, being on a pump will be a life saver! I can only image how much better her A1C will get once we get her dosing straightened out!
The last few days I have been seeing another pattern in Ellee's numbers, and that is her going low at night. The past few mornings I have been dropping her dosage quite a bit. Why all of a sudden now? Why go from consistently being high at night to being low? I think it's from the "fear of the unknown" and "fear of something new and different". She no longer panics when it's time to change out her infusion set. She may get apprehensive in the minutes before I insert it, but she is calmer and more willing to work with me on the process of changing it. I think the fears she has of the needle to set the infusion set are subsiding. She definitely sees that the pump is much more convenient than the injections with the pen. And if you ask her the best thing about the pump, she'll tell you "no more night-night shot!" They say that emotions play havoc on blood sugars, and I think this is one of the first times that I am seeing that it's true. I think that her fear of starting something new made her go high at night, and as she is seeing that this is so much better, there is less emotional stress.
Things keep getting better as time goes on!
When Ellee was first diagnosed, we had to keep careful logs of everything and fax them to the doctors office to review to see if any adjustments in her dosage needed made. Once we felt like her numbers were stable and under control, we stopped faxing. When starting on the pump, it is like starting all over with diabetes. We have to log everything and fax it in.
Our first couple of weeks were riddled with extreme highs and extreme lows - both of which are very dangerous. Here is a puzzle that I need to figure out - something needs changed, but what? Every couple of days I would pouring over days of log sheets and numbers, trying to figure out variables, I made changes here and there. Slowly, but surely, her numbers are getting better!
I'm glad they moved up our next Endo appointment by a month! We went on Monday the 31st. I was so glad to see our Nurse Practitioner to go over the latest numbers! Normally our appointments are filled with meeting with 2-3 different people and a lot of waiting in between. As soon as we got in there, the NP was in and out of the room right off the bat! I love this lady! She is so easy to talk to and she is very understanding! With many days worth of log sheets spread out on the exam table, she and I went back and forth with patterns were were seeing along with bouncing ideas of changes to make. Would changing this help this? How would that effect this?
Another thing I love about our NP is that she asked how we felt! I have read about many diabetics and their families complaining about the emotional toll this takes on them, and the doctors only seem concerned with the numbers, not emotions. The social worker who came in and spoke with us first said that they have a councilor who specializes in T1D that we can set up an appointment with if we ever need it. Then the NP asked us how we felt about the pump and care in general... then she asked Ellee how she feels about it!
After we were all done, the NP went to get our new scripts so that we could go and it dawned on me that she never told us what her A1C was! When she came back, I asked. She said she realized that she forgot to tell us that it was 7.6! With in a month, we came down a whole half a point! And for the first time in quite a while, we got below 8! As rough as this past month has been with extreme numbers, we dropped half a point?! I can see that in the long run, being on a pump will be a life saver! I can only image how much better her A1C will get once we get her dosing straightened out!
The last few days I have been seeing another pattern in Ellee's numbers, and that is her going low at night. The past few mornings I have been dropping her dosage quite a bit. Why all of a sudden now? Why go from consistently being high at night to being low? I think it's from the "fear of the unknown" and "fear of something new and different". She no longer panics when it's time to change out her infusion set. She may get apprehensive in the minutes before I insert it, but she is calmer and more willing to work with me on the process of changing it. I think the fears she has of the needle to set the infusion set are subsiding. She definitely sees that the pump is much more convenient than the injections with the pen. And if you ask her the best thing about the pump, she'll tell you "no more night-night shot!" They say that emotions play havoc on blood sugars, and I think this is one of the first times that I am seeing that it's true. I think that her fear of starting something new made her go high at night, and as she is seeing that this is so much better, there is less emotional stress.
Things keep getting better as time goes on!
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