This is such exciting news.  We’ve struggled for a while now with him having trouble feeling lows and not feeling a hint of a symptom of highs.  He craves freedom and I want him to have it more than anything.  He’s 12 years old.  Yet, sleepovers scare me to death.  The idea of him forgetting to test and not feeling a low; not feeling the high that comes from a site accidentally pulling out; the thought of him not having help while he’s out or a friend not knowing how to respond when it comes down to it.  These thoughts get to me and it’s hard to move past them.

We’d considered a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM).  C’s insurance does not cover it so we weren’t in a big rush, but have definitely discussed it many times.   C knows that I wanted it.  and I know that he doesn’t.  He does not like the idea of another site.  He hates the idea of carrying another item.  He’s already silenced all of the alarms on his pump so that they don’t go off in class and embarrass him…  But a dog?  He would definitely not resent a dog.  He loves the idea of a dog.  I love the idea of using a natural resource and tapping into its abilities.

This is the route for us and I cannot wait to start the journey.  Oh, that’s right… it’s going to be quite the journey.  The organization, Guardian Angel Diabetic Alert Dogs, is doing a sort of co-training with us.  Instead of us waiting 1 1/2 to 2 years for a fully trained dog, we will be receiving a brand spanking new baby puppy in January.  But not just any puppy, one who has been diabetic scent imprinted, meaning exposed to the scent we want it looking for since birth when nursing.  This puppy is bred to be a working dog and is being taught the scent we want to know about.

Still, we won’t be alone.  When we get the puppy (who’s due to be born in about 5 more weeks) we will get a full weekend of teaching us how to train.  We will enroll in a standard puppy training class, we will do scent work.  After 2-4 months, puppy will go back to the trainers for a month.  They will do more intense training including lots of public access work (remember, this dog will go everywhere!).  Then, it comes back to us for another 2-4 months with new instructions on what we need to focus on.  This cycle will repeat until the dog is 1 1/2 to 2 years old and fully trained.  We will be getting our hands held through the entire process yet by having the puppy live with us from the start, it will get precious bonding time with C AND will have the advantage of having real-time training by living with a diabetic.  Not just scent samples, but real-time highs and lows.

I started a facebook page to give updates on our process.  I’d love it if you’d LIKE it and pass the word!

www.facebook.com/camdensguardianangel

Last night, E and I went to the Dodgers game (they lost) and C stayed at his friend’s house until we got home at midnight.  This morning I decided to let him sleep when I went to work due to that.  I tested him and gave a correction bolus.  Woke him slightly to tell him I was leaving and that was that.

About an hour later I texted him asking if he was awake yet.  No answer, still sleeping?  I called about 15 minutes later, no answer.  I texted again with no answer.  I tried to call my roommate but got a text back that she was at work.  I called him probably a total of 20 times over the next 15 minutes.  I called the house phone (which we never answer because we only use it to call 911 and don’t give out the number) and of course, he didn’t answer.

I jumped in my car and headed home.  The entire way trying to mentally prepare for what could be the worst.  Picturing my son unconscious, maybe seizing, maybe dead.  Wondering if he had already been dropping this morning when I gave the correction dose and I’d pushed him too far.  Thinking about the people who have expressed that they don’t think I should let C stay home alone because of D and how I’m going to want to punch them for judging me if something happens to him.  Thinking of his Dr. and how she probably wouldn’t approve of ‘her’ kids being left home alone and how diabetes is the one to blame in all of this.  I’d never ever have these awful thoughts in my head if it hadn’t shown up in our lives.  But it did.  I haven’t felt that angry in a long time.  Granted, I have a lot of other SHIT going on in my life which probably helped me reach that level of being upset, but I just truly fell back into my old(er) thoughts of just feeling that C and I were cheated.

Of course he was fine.  Of course he was sitting on the couch playing video games and eating popcorn.  Of course he left his phone, on vibrate, in his bedroom and totally forgot to call me when he tested.  Ya, he heard the house phone ringing off the hook and thought it was weird but it never occurred to him that someone would be calling HIM on that phone.

I went over the rules with him again and added a new one that if the house phone rings twice in a row or even more he needs to start answering it.  I have been really pushing myself to think of C, not a kid with diabetes, in all situations.  If he hadn’t been diagnosed with this would I leave him home alone at 12 years old?  Yes, without a doubt.  So, scary or not, that’s what I’m going to do.

When he’s at work, he sits.  All. Day. Long. in my office on a computer or reading.  And he’s snacking out of boredom. All. Day. Long.  His blood sugars are letting me know loud and clear that he should have more activity in his life.  His mood is telling me that he needs more stimulation than my small office (and Netflix) can offer.

I have alarms set, every two hours, on his phone to remind him to test and call me.  He’s been great.  He has strict orders to eat real-live meals and not snack on junk food all day.

Today I realized how independent he is and how proud I am of him.  I signed him up for a class at the community college for kids going into 7th and 8th grade.  It’s only for 4 day, 3 hours a day.  He started today.  I walked up to the teacher and said, “Hi,  I just wanted to let you know that my son, C, has type 1 diabetes.  You’ll notice him testing his blood sugar in class.  He also has water to drink and candy he may need to eat, would you like him to move somewhere else, away from the computer if he needs to eat or drink?”  He said, “That’ll be fine, did he bring me some candy, too?”  we laughed and I left.  I realized how much easier it was this year than the other times I’ve left him somewhere new.  The difference is the confidence I have in him.

*Yes, the Ping is waterproof.  Yes, I’ve let him swim even with the new one already.  No I don’t think it’s a problem.  C’s Ping has been in the ocean, many swimming pools, jacuzzis (oops! taken off quickly), and water slides and lazy rivers at the water park.  I completely trust its waterproofness.  I later discovered that there was a small tear in the rubber covering the buttons that allowed the water in. 

I called Animas and a new pump was scheduled to be delivered the next morning.  It would end up being about 18 hours later.  I tried to get a hold of his Dr. and another Dr. that he’s seen to double check the amount of Lantus I should give.  I didn’t hear back from anyone for about 3 more hours.  Only 15 hours left until he should be back on a pump.  As soon as the pump should have arrived, we were to be jumping in the car and heading to Dodgers Stadium for the game.  I did not want to deal with overlapping the Lantus and the pump’s basal.  I didn’t want to deal with trying to figure out when the Lantus quit working and the pump started.  I would’ve been happy to under normal circumstance, but not while we’re out trying to watch baseball and eat stadium food in under the blazing hot sun.  I wanted “easy.”

This may or may not be for everyone, so please don’t take advice from me…  I decided to forgo the Lantus and just give corrections every 3 hours. (Yes, I checked with his Dr. to make sure they thought it would be ok FOR US)  It ended up going really well and his numbers were suprisingly “in range” (I’m calling under 200 “in range” when we’re talking about no basal).

At bedtime his number was 117 and he wanted something to eat.  It would’ve only been about 3/4 unit of insulin to cover it and he didn’t need a correction.  I was torn as to whether or not he should give another shot.  I decided against it being that we’d be correcting soon enough.

When I walked in his room carrying a meter, alcohol, a syringe and a vial of insulin I felt fine.  I moved his blanket to find his hand and immediately it hit me.  My son looking so perfect was falling apart on the inside.  I knew his body was being ravaged from that stupid GoGurt he ate.  I realized how the pump masks the issue so well.  Sure there are highs and lows but they always seem so easily treatable.  Knowing there was no pump and no basal, the reality of what would happen if my son didn’t have insulin hit me very hard.  My stomach was so tight waiting to see his number 347 pop up and the 0.7 right after on the ketone meter.

I had to try to wake him from a deep sleep, get him down from his bunk bed and into my room so he’d wake up enough to give himself an injection (he did not want to grant me permission to do it in his sleep).  Two hours later he was in the low 200s with no ketones and had to get up to give another shot.  He was hovering around 100 when we woke up and 97 three hours later when we were getting ready to leave for the stadium.  It’s really interesting seeing how the body reacts when it’s in shock like that.  His numbers were actually super manageable.  Not what I’d expected.

p.s. whole other story but…. UPS didn’t get his pump delivered in time for us to have to leave.  Luckily I text messaged the rep in Los Angeles who we’ve gotten to know pretty well.  He met us 15 minutes away from Dodgers Stadium to hand us a loaner pump.  What a blessing!

When I’m filling out the paperwork this one question really sticks out to me.   Like, seriously, is there a weirder question to ask on medical paperwork regarding a child on insulin??

Yes. Countless. Eat Sugar.

It was about how much they love me.

I wish I’d had a video camera so I could watch it when they hate me.

A few doors down from them is a Marble Slab Creamery.  A couple months ago I gave in and we stopped there for some dessert.  I explained C’s celiac disease.  I asked to see their ice cream ingredients, I asked them to use a clean scooper and I asked them not to mix C’s ice cream on the slab, just to put the toppings on top.  Like toppings.  They gave him an extra big bowl so he’d have room to mix his own gummy bears or sprinkles or whatever it was he had.

Since then, we’ve gone a few times.  Maybe 5 or 6?  It not always the same person working, I think we’ve come across two or three people.  The last time we went in something magical happened.   As I was about to order I noticed her walk over and grab a clean scoop, I didn’t think much of it.  Just thought it was time to grab a new one.  I ordered “one scoop bubble gum ice cream with gummy bears…”

She cut me off.  “Not on the slab, right?”

She remembered us!  Can you believe that?  It was so rad realizing that the more we go out, the safer C gets.  The more people we inform of his needs, the more people will help him.

Last night I received a mass-email from E’s soccer coach. He was telling us that he got coupons for free pizza from that same nightmare pizza place I spoke about before. Most teams locally have their party there because they give free pizza/drinks.

I was torn about whether or not I tell the coach our big schpeal about why we won’t step foot there or if I should just not tell E about the party and call in sick at the last-minute. I decided to do a little schpeal.

I emailed him and said that I thought the idea of a team party was great, and that I didn’t like to be the party-pooper but that we’d had personal issues with the owner of this particular joint and would not be going into her restaurant again. I also told him that we normally don’t go to pizza places due to my other son’s celiac disease and need to be on a gluten-free diet. I told him that RedBrick has a great gluten-free option and that was really the only place we went for pizza (our first team-meetup happened to be at RedBrick without me even suggesting it).

Today, I received another mass-email from the coach to the team asking if Tuesday at 6:30 would work for everyone and stating that we were planning on moving the party back to RedBrick since that’s where our team began anyways.

I sent him a thank you and told him we’d definitely be there. It’s crazy how just a little accommodating gesture can make you feel so good. That and the fact that I took 7 other families out of that crazy bitch’s restaurant!! Score 2 for me!

I never really bought soda for the house before diabetes came along but if we went out somewhere that had a soda fountain though, I’d let them have at it.  I’m no longer a fan of the mixed soda, but they always love it. 

We went to see the Clippers play the other day.  On our way home we had a car full of four hungry kids who were driving me nuts.  We HAD to make a stop at McDonald’s.  And guess what?!!!  The one in Encino had Diet Coke AND DIET DR. PEPPER!!  C was so excited to make a diet suicide!  Woohoo for restaurants that have more than just one diet option!!

***

p.s. A lot of people around me think that C can’t have sugar or soda BECAUSE they see me giving him diet sodas.  I just want to clear it up that diet sodas = no hassles with blood sugar.  He CAN have regular soda, it just means it’s one more thing to THINK about.  I have to figure out how many carbohydrates to give insulin for it, assuming he’ll drink all of it.  I have to factor in the amount of exercise he’s getting.  I have to understand that the sugar from the soda will hit him fast, there is no protein, fat or fiber to help slow it down.  Full on, liquid sugar is just tricky.  Diet is not.  When we are at a party though and C’s only option is DIET COKE, just like everywhere else, and everyone else is drinking Sprite or Root Beer and that’s what he wants, as long as we’re not already in the middle of a blood sugar nightmare, I let him go for it.