I do not know what has been wrong with me this week. Maybe my brain fog has been caused by the leftovers of my sinus infection last week or from my new diet I started this week?? Or maybe its because I've been scrambling around getting everything in before the deadline for my new school that I will be attending in the fall. It's been an interesting week for sure.... I hit my oldest son's truck pulling out of my driveway, I got stung by a bee, I did something to my hand....and then the winner this morning....
My son Jamon rides to school with a friend, so I drop him off on the way to Lu's school. As I pull out of their driveway, it hits me, Alyssa didn't get her insulin! Really? Like she hasn't been getting insulin every morning for the past year and a half? The injections were made, it just totally slipped my mind.... I whipped the car around and headed back towards the house....arguing with my self. How could you forget? Remember, you are human. Alyssa gets two injections in the morning, Lantus (a slow release insulin) and her quick-acting insulin, Novolog. Normally, she checks her BG and I go ahead and give her the injections before she eats. This morning though, her bg was 86, and because the Novolog usually drops her sugar pretty quickly, I decided I would wait until she had eaten her breakfast to give her the injections. I'm apparently not good with a change in protocol. Ahh the anxiety...
Anyway, we rushed home and I quickly gave her injections and we were back on the road to school. And, we made it on time! Hopefully there are not too many more mornings like this...not good for my inner control freak!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Math skills needed....
After dinner last night, Alyssa went in her room to work on a puzzle. About an hour later, I went into check on her because she was too quiet and she was fast asleep in her bed....7:30p and way early for her? I pricked her finger (she doesn't wake anymore) and the meter read 434...wth!! recheck....413! I calculated the carbs, she had eaten something she had eaten many times before and had gotten her insulin. I woke her up and had her get in the shower while I made another injection. Here is where math skills come in handy....
Oddly, Alyssa usually drops about 100 pts during the night...I'm not sure what crazy girl does in her sleep....but normally I try to make sure her levels are between 180-200 when she goes to bed. Alyssa's correction rate is .5 units for every 50 over 150, but since her bedtime goal is around 200 and I wanted her to drop about 200 pts., I gave her 2.0 units. Another problem, sometimes the insulin brings her down too quickly and she feels the affects of a low even if she is not (and if she doesn't eat as well). So, I also gave her a 15 g carb snack. I estimated with the insulin and the snack that she would wake up with a bg of about 150. This morning....the meter read 136... pretty darn close!!
I'm not sure where this spike came from (I searched for evidence of a secret snack, but didn't find any??) I think its instinct to want to find the culprit, although there may not be a tangible one. I mean really, there is no known cause for this disease so it's understandable that there is no known cause for occasional spikes or lows. I try not to stress too much when situations like this happen, but its hard not to when your a control freak like me :-/
Oddly, Alyssa usually drops about 100 pts during the night...I'm not sure what crazy girl does in her sleep....but normally I try to make sure her levels are between 180-200 when she goes to bed. Alyssa's correction rate is .5 units for every 50 over 150, but since her bedtime goal is around 200 and I wanted her to drop about 200 pts., I gave her 2.0 units. Another problem, sometimes the insulin brings her down too quickly and she feels the affects of a low even if she is not (and if she doesn't eat as well). So, I also gave her a 15 g carb snack. I estimated with the insulin and the snack that she would wake up with a bg of about 150. This morning....the meter read 136... pretty darn close!!
I'm not sure where this spike came from (I searched for evidence of a secret snack, but didn't find any??) I think its instinct to want to find the culprit, although there may not be a tangible one. I mean really, there is no known cause for this disease so it's understandable that there is no known cause for occasional spikes or lows. I try not to stress too much when situations like this happen, but its hard not to when your a control freak like me :-/
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Packing for the Pool
Packing for the Pool
Today we are celebrating my son’s 17th birthday with a family pool party at my sister-in-law’s home and as I prepare for the afternoon, I realize how much goes into preparing for Alyssa. This has become second nature and has become part of our ’check off list’ before we leave the house. This prep is not only today, this is anytime we go anywhere. Another reminder that diabetes doesn’t take a break.
In addition to packing sunscreen and beach towels, we have to pack a bag full of diabetes supplies. In her backpack: bg meter, strips, lancets, alcohol swabs, insulin, syringes, juice boxes, glucagon emergency kit, snacks, water bottles, and candy.
Alyssa is a very active little girl and rarely takes a break; and because we are going to a party where there will be swimming and lots of play with cousins, the chances of low blood sugar are very likely. On the upside, she’ll probably be able to enjoy a piece of birthday cake without an extra injection!
Today we are celebrating my son’s 17th birthday with a family pool party at my sister-in-law’s home and as I prepare for the afternoon, I realize how much goes into preparing for Alyssa. This has become second nature and has become part of our ’check off list’ before we leave the house. This prep is not only today, this is anytime we go anywhere. Another reminder that diabetes doesn’t take a break.
In addition to packing sunscreen and beach towels, we have to pack a bag full of diabetes supplies. In her backpack: bg meter, strips, lancets, alcohol swabs, insulin, syringes, juice boxes, glucagon emergency kit, snacks, water bottles, and candy.
Alyssa is a very active little girl and rarely takes a break; and because we are going to a party where there will be swimming and lots of play with cousins, the chances of low blood sugar are very likely. On the upside, she’ll probably be able to enjoy a piece of birthday cake without an extra injection!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
3rd Annual Diabetes Blog Week: What its like to have Type 1 Diabetes
What it’s like to have Type 1 Diabetes
Managing type 1 diabetes is a balancing act. This daily stabilization of blood sugar levels depends on the four injections of insulin in which the amount is based on food consumed and physical activity through out the day and night. Blood sugar levels have to be checked 6-8 times a day and there is constant worry about highs and lows, which can both be dangerous. Type 1 does not go away, it doesn’t take a break. Type 1 is on your mind constantly and you can never forget about it. It’s a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year job.
A day in the life of Alyssa:
6:15a Wake up, prick finger to check blood sugar
6:30a 2 insulin injections
Eat breakfast
9:30a snack
11:50a prick finger to check blood sugar
1 insulin injection
3:00 p snack
4:30p prick finger to check blood sugar
Cheer/tumble from 4:30-6p
5:45p prick finger to check blood sugar ½ way through practice
If low (usually) treat with juice
6:30p prick finger to check blood sugar
1 insulin injection
Eat dinner
9:30p prick finger to check blood sugar
Eat bedtime snack to avoid lows during the night
*Depending on how her bg’s have been there may be a blood sugar check in the middle of the night. Also, if she is more active than usual, there may be other blood checks during the day.
Managing type 1 diabetes is a balancing act. This daily stabilization of blood sugar levels depends on the four injections of insulin in which the amount is based on food consumed and physical activity through out the day and night. Blood sugar levels have to be checked 6-8 times a day and there is constant worry about highs and lows, which can both be dangerous. Type 1 does not go away, it doesn’t take a break. Type 1 is on your mind constantly and you can never forget about it. It’s a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year job.
A day in the life of Alyssa:
6:15a Wake up, prick finger to check blood sugar
6:30a 2 insulin injections
Eat breakfast
9:30a snack
11:50a prick finger to check blood sugar
1 insulin injection
3:00 p snack
4:30p prick finger to check blood sugar
Cheer/tumble from 4:30-6p
5:45p prick finger to check blood sugar ½ way through practice
If low (usually) treat with juice
6:30p prick finger to check blood sugar
1 insulin injection
Eat dinner
9:30p prick finger to check blood sugar
Eat bedtime snack to avoid lows during the night
*Depending on how her bg’s have been there may be a blood sugar check in the middle of the night. Also, if she is more active than usual, there may be other blood checks during the day.
3rd Annual Diabetes Blog: What can we improve on...
What can we improve on….
Well, I’m not sure there is anything that we can do better. Most problems we have with Alyssa’s D1 is out of our control. No two days are alike; but lately, for the most part there are more good days than bad. Now, of course this disease is ever changing and what is working now, may not work a few months from now. Things have been going well recently and I think this is because we have a consistent routine of checking blood sugars and calculating carbs. I have found in the last year and a half, that consistency is a must. If she eats the same amount of carbs at about the same time each day for her meals, then her BG’s are normally within range. Of course there are times that her BG’s are low or high and that is usually because of extra activity or if we’ve gone out to eat (I’ve found most restaurants’ nutrition information is not always accurate).
Well, I’m not sure there is anything that we can do better. Most problems we have with Alyssa’s D1 is out of our control. No two days are alike; but lately, for the most part there are more good days than bad. Now, of course this disease is ever changing and what is working now, may not work a few months from now. Things have been going well recently and I think this is because we have a consistent routine of checking blood sugars and calculating carbs. I have found in the last year and a half, that consistency is a must. If she eats the same amount of carbs at about the same time each day for her meals, then her BG’s are normally within range. Of course there are times that her BG’s are low or high and that is usually because of extra activity or if we’ve gone out to eat (I’ve found most restaurants’ nutrition information is not always accurate).
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Diabetes Blog Week: One Great Thing 5/15/2012
Managing Alyssa’s diabetes is a lot of work and I do find
that I become obsessed with glucose levels and calculating everything that she puts
in her mouth. It can become the center
of your life; like many D-moms, Alyssa’s diabetes is the first thing I think
about in the morning and the last thing I think about at night.
There are many times I feel overwhelmed and
get frustrated when her numbers aren’t good or when she suffers with a lows. And then I remember I’m not the one with the
disease. What I do try to remind myself
is Alyssa is a child and she just wants to be like every other almost 9 year old.
It’s impossible to be perfect, but there are
many things that she does spectacularly!! Alyssa knows when she isn’t felling
right and she will immediately go for her meter and check her BG and she’s not embarrassed
about it…she’ll pull it out anywhere. If
it’s low, she goes for a juice box and a lot of times she’s treating her low
before I even know what’s going on.
This
has helped lift some of my fear—I don’t stress as much when she’s playing
outside or when she’s at cheer practice because I feel confident that she knows
to address any change in how she feels right away. More importantly, this has given Alyssa the
opportunity to be more like other kids her age.
Diabete Blog Week: She needs no introduction
Most of you probably have read her blog, but I had to mention that D-Mom Blog: The sweet life with a diabetic child was the first blog I read (and I still read) after my daughter was diagnosed a year and a half ago. Her blog helped me prepare my daughter to return to school after her diagnosis—as most of us, I was at a loss. I’m not sure I would have survived the chaos without it!
Our daughters are close in age and I find that I relate with many of the diabetes related issues she writes about. I read all of her posts on her blog and follow her Facebook page. She provides an amazing amount of information and if I’m not sure about something, I look at her older posts for the answer because I know she has already been where I am at.
For the few who have not read her blog, I recommend D-mom, whether your family is new to type 1 diabetes or not.
Our daughters are close in age and I find that I relate with many of the diabetes related issues she writes about. I read all of her posts on her blog and follow her Facebook page. She provides an amazing amount of information and if I’m not sure about something, I look at her older posts for the answer because I know she has already been where I am at.
For the few who have not read her blog, I recommend D-mom, whether your family is new to type 1 diabetes or not.
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