Trick Or Treating - My How Far We Have Come

My thoughts about Halloween have changed drastically over the years.

I might have even come full circle. 

All I am thinking about now, is the delight in being able to restock my 'low blood sugar' pantry supplies.




From the Naturally Sweet Sisters, Happy Halloween!

Puberty (A Redoux!)

As I wrote before, our oldest daughter has somewhat stabilized in terms of blood sugars and insulin needs.  It seems that the effects of rapid growth and physical puberty induced changes are slowly tapering off.  Instead of worrying about running out of insulin (yes, 200 units!) every two days, I am now focusing on helping her navigate the emotional spectrum that comes along with growing up.  How is it possible that she can go from giggles to tears to shouting and back to giggles in five minutes???

Believe me, in a nutshell, it is like exchanging one full time job for another.  This parenting business never ends - and I say that with a HUGE smile, because I love this job more than any other in the world.

So I should be more prepared for the second time around, right?

Except I am not.

The truth of the matter is that raising another little girl up through the puberty ranks is just as hard.  They are two very different people.  One embraced wearing bras and the other, well, she has declared herself a 'bra burner' and is ready to throw them all out the window if I dare to look the other way.

It's kind of admirable to see that spunk, except, I need to get her to school on time!

And just when I get her dressed with suitable undergarments, I am faced with the realization that her nighttime blood glucose numbers spent too long of a time in the 'uncomfortably high 200's'.  Which means that my basal corrections did little to bring her back.

She doesn't realize what that means.  In her world, she just knows that she is changing.  Her new world consists of things like deodorant, Stridex wipes, more frequent showers and clothes that look more grown-up.

Part of me wants to deny this moment because it isn't about just doing a few adjustments, teaching about adolescent hygiene or getting better blood glucose numbers.  I now know from history that this point is marking the beginning of major changes to come.  Simply put, my baby is really growing up and there is nothing that I can do except guide her along the way.

There is no going back.

That's the interesting thing about type 1 diabetes.  It acts as an indicator of things to come.  Super high blood sugars out of no where?  Well, chances are that someone is getting a cold.  Super low blood sugars and a belly ache?  Most likely, we are dealing with a stomach bug. 

The proof is in the blood sugars.  I can't deny that she is growing up.  All that is left is to embrace this change of life and help guide her along the journey to womanhood. 

And to encourage her to remain true to herself, with the luxury of being both a little girl and a young lady for as long as she needs to.

One nice thing that I have learned is that there is absolutely no hurry to grow up!

Dropping

Earlier this morning, my phone rang.  It wasn't the typical time of day for either one of my little girls to be calling, so I wasn't overly concerned.  I finished my last sip of coffee and strolled into the kitchen to retrieve my cell phone.

Then, I saw her lovely face on the caller ID.

"Mom?"  She said, while sounding a bit breathless.

I answered her and immediately asked if everything was alright.  While waiting for the answer, the little hairs on my arm stood to attention in anticipation of a dreaded response.

"Yes.  I just finished that science test and I got a 93%."

Relaxing, for just a moment, I congratulated her and told her how proud I was.

Impatient with me she said, "No.  It's not good.  I went into the test and my blood glucose was 189 mg/dl and now, I am 83 mg/dl.  I feel terrible.  I dropped all that way in 45 minutes."

My concern escalated and I suddenly understood her reason for the call.  It wasn't to tell me that she did well on a science test.  It was to tell me that she was worried about her health and needed some reassurance on what to do.

We talked a bit more and I encouraged her to eat something to help both raise her blood sugar and to calm her nerves.  From the noise in the background, I could tell that she was between classes and most likely rummaging through her locker goody-basket for something that sounded palatable. 

A second more and while chewing, she said her good-bye and told me that she would call later but was already feeling better.  I wisely understood that, most likely, she felt emotionally better but not physically better.

And she will be fine.  I know this.  We have lived in this world of type 1 diabetes for me to understand that cycle of high to low and back again.

But what I will never get over is the fact that our life can never fully celebrate the joy that we have without some part of type 1 diabetes creeping in.

What I wish I could have said without having to say anything else is this...

I am so proud that you did well on that science test.  You are amazing.  You are smart.  You are strong.  You are wonderful!