Ketones. Ugh.

I'm home for the second day in a row with a sick kiddo.   You know what that means: crazy-high stubborn blood sugars and ketones.   Only trace amounts of ketones, but still... another thing to worry about.

When the endo's nurse finally returned my call, she gave the standard list of to-do's: change pump site, give a correction dose by shot, monitor blood sugars (duh).  She also had us crank up a temporary basal rate of 200%.  That made me a little uneasy, but, it's been more than an hour now and Rosie is still high according to her CGM, so I guess that wasn't so crazy after all.  

Ketones, even trace amounts, put me on edge.  It's kind of like getting her A1C number each quarter... somehow I feel like I've failed as a pancreas when Rosie winds up with ketones. Of course I know that's not true, but that's where my mommy-guilt mind takes me.  

Here's hoping for a ketone-free weekend!

Free Webinar for Caregivers

What: a free webinar: Health Activists: Advocating for Others

Who: Health Activist Discussion with Health Activists Marla Murasko and Janeen Zumerling

When: Monday, August 29^th at 8pm eastern (the webinar will last one hour)

Where: Sign up here and you’ll get all the details

According to the WEGO Health site: 

"This webinar focuses on the joys and challenges that come with being a caregiver for someone else, especially for parents focused on the health needs of their children.  Marla and Janeen will share their own personal stories as caregivers and will discuss ways to educated and empower yourself to be a better, more effective caregiver while also maintaining your health. 

The webinar is for anyone who spends time helping to manage another’s health or caring for a patient.  Whether you’re a caregiver for a special needs child, advocating for your aging parents or relatives, or just want to know more about balancing your own needs with those of someone else, the webinar will offer something for everyone."

By signing up for the webinar, you'll also receive access to the archived version, in case you miss out on something or want to go back and watch it again.

Full disclosure: This post is my entry into WEGO Health's "Advocating for Others Contest."   In exchange for sharing the above information about the webinar on my blog, I am entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card or donation to the health charity of my choice.  You can do the same thing: just go HERE for more details!

Insight Panel Accepting Applications

WEGO Health is hosting a paid, online Insight Panel Group centered on family health, nutrition, and wellness.  I was contacted by email and asked to apply for this group, so I'm giving it a shot.

Want to apply?  Go HERE.

 
Do I seem familiar? :) This blog is new, but I've been around the DOC for a while, and I've been blogging about other topics for years. I'm AmyMCGS pretty much everywhere online- CWD, Twitter, etc.

Week One Down

My kids started school last Tuesday.  So far, so good, D-wise! 

I've only gotten one call from the clinic lady, with a question about whether she should treat Rosie a second time for a low.   Rosie said she felt she was "crashing", her Dex said 70-something with double-arrows down, and this was 15 minutes after she'd had a juice box.  Ummmm..... YES!   I resisted my urge to scream, and instead calmly reminded the clinic lady that she could rely on both Rosie's gut feeling and the Dex to tell her that yes, indeed, another dose of some form of sugar was needed.   (Rosie wound up poking her finger and she was 59.) 

This was last Tuesday, and Rosie mentioned this morning that she'll probably crash again today.  When I asked her why, she explained that on Tuesdays she goes straight from recess to gym class.  Uh-oh.  I told her to see how she does today (juice boxes are at the ready) and if she goes low again, next week we'll adjust things.  In the past having uncovered carbs for gym class led to highs... but we've never had recess and gym back-to-back before.  We'll see how it goes.  I don't want to make any changes until we know if it's a pattern or just a one-time fluke.... but I'm so proud of Rosie for thinking about these things!

Considering the numerous battles I've had with the clinic lady in the past, I've been pretty happy with her so far this year.  So far there haven't been any incidents of her telling Rosie something other than what I've instructed, and she seems to {finally} have a grip on what to do with highs and lows.  

Here's hoping all of our D-kids are having great starts to the school year!

 
Do I seem familiar? :) This blog is new, but I've been around the DOC for a while, and I've been blogging about other topics for years. I'm AmyMCGS pretty much everywhere online- CWD, Twitter, etc.

Getting Ready for School

Today is Open House at Rosie's school- the day we find out who her teacher will be and meet them.  It's also the day I try to educate the teacher (Or teachers? Rosie thinks they change classes in 3rd grade.) in a very quick format about Rosie's needs.  

In First Grade, this went well- her teacher actually invited me to stop by the next day so we could talk more.   In Second Grade, the teacher gladly accepted the material I'd printed, listened to what I had to say, and promised to call/ email if she had any questions. 

My problem every year has not been with the teachers, but with the Clinic Aide who is the one Rosie sees daily in the clinic.  The woman is not a nurse, and she has no interest in learning any more than the absolute basics about Rosie's care.  We have had many, many "discussions", this Aide and I.... some much nicer than others. One resulted in me calling a meeting with the principal, during which DH nicely says that I "was clearly in charge" of the meeting.  (I may have been a little upset. I came well prepared, including carrying a pile of ADA papers. They had poked Mama Bear!)  We'll see what today brings.

Supplies I'll be dropping off in the clinic today include: monitor, strips, lancets, big bottle of glucose tablets, 8-pack of juice boxes, glucagon, and copies of all the paperwork (doctor's orders and my own things.... our private school does not do 504s).     Additionally, Rosie always has a back-up monitor and sugar source in her backpack, which stays in her classroom with her.  

I'm praying for an understanding teacher, and dare I say it, a new Clinic Aide.  However, if we still have the same one, at least she has basic knowledge and I won't be starting from scratch with her.

Now, if only my voice would come back enough to talk to people today without coughing, I think we'll be all set. 

Do I seem familiar? :) This blog is new, but I've been around the DOC for a while, and I've been blogging about other topics for years. I'm AmyMCGS pretty much everywhere online- CWD, Twitter, etc.

Walk Shirts?

Does anyone have a good site for getting cheap shirts for our upcoming JDRF walk?  I need adult XXL through kids sizes.  Last year even the local places couldn't do them any cheaper than $14 each.  (That was for one color imprint on the front of a colored t-shirt, with an order of 15 shirts.)   I KNOW there has to be a cheaper way!
 
Do I seem familiar? :) This blog is new, but I've been around the DOC for a while.
I'm AmyMCGS pretty much everywhere online- CWD, Twitter, etc.

D's Attempt to Ruin Camping

This is one of those I-hate-Diabetes vents.  Feel free to skip it.  :)  Sometimes I just have to let it out.

Diabetes couldn't let itself be left out of our Girl Scout camping weekend... instead it decided to show off and drag Rosie through every possible D-related scenario on Saturday:

• She woke up Saturday at 400, despite never being above the lower 200's during night checks.
• Breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and milk= seemingly easy to carb count.  Rosie was feeling fine and had come down from that crazy wake-up high. 
• Within an hour and a half Rosie suddenly CRASHED while walking to a playground about ten minutes from our cabin.  All I had on me was one tube of glucose tabs and her Dex... since she'd been so high, and we were so close to our cabin, I didn't feel the need to carry juice or her meter with me.  Another mom walked back to the cabin and got juice and her meter for me while I stayed there, trying to get her to chew glucose tabs.  (When she's crazy-low Rosie won't chew the glucose... and of course this was one of those times.)  Rosie stayed in the 40's for a good half hour or more.. a bad low, complete with her trademark "zombie eyes".  Rosie sat with the adults while all the other kids played.  After 45+ carbs and turning her pump down, she finally came back up to 97.  She got to play for about five minutes before it was time to leave the playground.   (In hindsight I'm wondering why I didn't just turn her pump completely off instead of just turning it down.  Duh.  D-mom brain, I guess.) 
• We went back the cabin and changed for the pool... her blood sugar was still only up to 120.  I had worried about a rebound high... actually would have welcomed one at that point.   I was still trying to get Rosie's blood sugar up a little higher before swimming, so I gave her 20 more free carbs.  I think she was only up to 129 when we hit the pool.
• Swimming went great.  Every 45 minutes there was a mandatory break, during which we ate lunch and/or snacked on pretzels.  Blood sugar after swimming for nearly three hours- low 100's.   Yay!
• We got back to the cabin and discovered that the IV patch over her pump site had basically disintegrated in the chlorinated water.  As we're changing it, her pump site pops out and she's bleeding.  New site inserted after telling the other girls about 1,000 times that they had to leave the area and not stare.  Rosie usually loves to show off her d-gear, but she was upset and tired of D holding her back that day!
• An hour after the site change, she was suddenly 300.  Argh.
• The rest of the evening her blood sugars were all over the place.: 70's to mid-200's. Then around bedtime she finally leveled out, and stayed in the 100's most of the night.  I was especially happy considering the guesstimating I had to do on those bedtime snacks.  :big sigh of relief::

I did take advantage of the chances to educate the other moms when they asked questions, and they were all very supportive, which we appreciated.  It's not that.  I just HATE that all of this had to happen while on her one and only camping trip this year.. why couldn't we deal with a crazy d-day on a regular day at home?   Arrrrghhhhh!

In the end, of couse, WE won.... D did not get to spoil the trip for her.  She made crafts, played with her friends, had a s'more, did chores, and did everything else that her friends did.   I just hate that D had to make itself such a big, obnoxious presence on what should have been a fun, carefree weekend with her friends.

Do I seem familiar? :) This blog is new, but I've been around the DOC for a while, and I've been blogging about other topics for years. I'm AmyMCGS pretty much everywhere online- CWD, Twitter, etc.

The D-BB House Plan :)

Rosie and I watched Big Brother tonight.  (And yes, I have an internal debate with myself regularly about whether an 8 year-old should be allowed to watch that show or not.  Argh.)   Towards the end of the show, Rosie asked me if there had ever been any Diabetics on the show.  I told her that I didn't think so.  She said that was good because then she would be the first one when she gets on the show.  :)   She went on about her plan to have her best friend try out with her so that they can be in the house together and how much fun they'll have.  

I love it.  Not the Big Brother part, specifically... but the fact that she knows there's something a little different about her, and she's not only willing, but proud to show that off to other people.  I think she's picking up on the idea that Diabetes used to hold people back, but it won't stop her.  Love it.

Oh, and after I was so worried about getting the doctor's orders for school, it turned out to be nothing.  I called the endo's office, left a voicemail for the nurse, and within a couple of hours they called back and told my DH they'd fax the orders directly to the school as well as mail us a copy.  No questions, no comments about the time limit.  Whew.  

Do I seem familiar? :) This blog is new, but I've been around the DOC for a while, and I've been blogging about other topics for years. I'm AmyMCGS pretty much everywhere online- CWD, Twitter, etc.

Blame the Sleep Deprivation.

Rosie starts school on August 16th.  Guess what I just realized?  I haven't called the endo's office yet for school orders.  The always-crazy-backed-up-in-August endo's office.   Argh.   I thought about this at the beginning of July, figured it was too early to call, and promised myself I'd call later in July.  And now, here it is, August 1st, and I haven't called yet.  Oops.  I dread having to make that call and plead our case tomorrow!

 
Do I seem familiar? :) This blog is new, but I've been around the DOC for a while, and I've been blogging about other topics for years. I'm AmyMCGS pretty much everywhere online- CWD, Twitter, etc.