making sense out of nonsense

by

Type 1 Diabetes some days makes absolutely NO SENSE whatsoever…

 

yet – we try to make sense of it anyway – try to put the puzzle pieces together and make good decisions with the information we have..

 

SO MANY things done throughout Eden’s day require a decision – either from her – or from me – in relation to her D management…

 

Eden is of course on the front lines and I am watching from the sidelines – she doesn’t look at the big picture – she often doesn’t even always look at the immediate future or implications that her decisions are making..

 

We have had a VERY ROUGH few days .. unexplained highs, unexplained lows and pretty much a huge roller coaster of blood sugars that just do not want to be managed… her lows have required copius amounts of sugar to bring her up and treating the highs have just brought her crashing back down…

 

24 hour time period of blood sugar craziness

 

It has been very hard to know exactly what to do… The thing is we can do the same thing every day and never get the same result so it is VERY difficult. Trying to teach her, give input and instruction based on previous experiences is ongoing and an every day thing and she doesn’t always want to hear it. Eden is impulsive and quick to push buttons without thinking it through.. and sometimes pushing those buttons (ie: giving herself insulin) can have HUGE consequences…

 

case and point – this happened this morning.. 

 

5.57 am – D-dad was up and tested her just before my alarm went off at 6am.

  • BLOOD SUGAR – 89
  • YAY – pretty darn good!

 

I got up and was about to jump in the shower when I noticed on my Pebble that her blood sugar was dropping.. I watched and waited a few minutes before heading to her room.

 

6.20am

  • BLOOD SUGAR – 61
  • grab some fruit pieces – have her eat them and try to get her up for the day

 

20150924_065610

 

6.47am 

  • try for the 4th time to get her out of bed – tell her she needs to test again BEFORE she gets in the shower
  • BLOOD SUGAR – 189

 

20150924_065627

 

SAY WHAT ?!?!?!

 

Now EXPERIENCE and thinking about that number – I KNOW that it is very unlikely that her blood sugar jumped that much in 27 minutes.. I ask her to WASH HER HANDS and re-test..

 

She argues with me –  and yells at me ” MOM – I am not low !!! … ”

I stand my ground and she washes her hands and re-tests…

 

6.48am

  • BLOOD SUGAR – 48
  • yup … just what I thought…

 

20150924_065637

 

20150924_065555

 

This is not about WHO was right – Because we have to make sense out of nonsense so often and because I was paying close attention – I KNEW that 189 just could not be right..

It also goes to show that this oversight could have had a TERRIBLE OUTCOME..

 

 

A blood sugar of 48 is pretty darn LOW…

  • She did NOT feel low… 
  • She was about to give herself insulin…
  • She was about to go jump in the shower…
  • Hot water speeds up the rate of adsorption …

 

NOT GOOD… 

 

If I was not standing RIGHT THERE and she gave herself insulin (by the quick press of a button) when she was actually only 48 – and THEN jumped in the shower ?!?! The fact her blood sugar was still dropping – she would have been in trouble FAST and more than likely started to pass out in the shower.. HOLY MOLY – this is the stuff my nightmares are made of…

 

 

Insulin gives her life every single day –

but it could also take it away in the blink of an eye..

 

 

2 thoughts on “making sense out of nonsense”

  1. As a T1D mom, I am right there with you in experiencing these feelings of complete frustration! Even my own parents don’t seem to understand what type 1 diabetes is…it is reassuring to know I’m not alone. My son was diagnosed 5 years ago at age 7. The teen years will be a bit more challenging. Thanks for your efforts to raise awareness!

    Reply

Leave a comment