D-Mom Blog

The sweet life with a diabetic child

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{Our Story} Proud

My daughter’s preschool teacher had to unexpectedly take a few weeks off. In her instructions to the sub and the other parents who work in the class, she reminded them about my daughter’s snack requirements, etc.

And the teacher said that my daughter is a terrific child for dealing with her diabetes so well.

Of course I think that, but it is good to hear it from others who know her well. Even if the other people who see her on a daily basis only get small glimpses into what the life of a diabetic child is like.

She rarely complains and instead takes it all in stride. She has a lot to complain about and I wouldn’t blame her in the least bit if she did complain once in a while.

Tonight she and my husband were leaving for dance class and in the darkness she ran into the edge of our gate bumping her head.

She came back inside crying and sat beside me in the chair. She said that her head hurt and we gave her an ice pack.

I had been reading the pamphlet that came with her NovoPen Junior insulin pen to make sure I had been changing the cartridges correctly.

NovoPen Junior

NovoPen Junior

She had just about stopped crying from her bump when she looked over to see an illustration of the pen and needle.

She said, “I don’t want to have diabetes and I don’t like getting injections.” And she burst into tears again.

All I could say is “I know, I know” and put my arms around her.

At bedtime I finished reading a chapter of the 33rd Magic Tree House book, turned on her Christmas music that she listens to year round, turned off the light, and snuggled in.

She normally talks for a few minutes. She reminded me to dream of snow. Asked what it was like to get the very first bath after being born. And then she said, “I don’t want to be diabetic.”

I said, “I know. But I am so proud of you.”

She asked, “Will I have diabetes when I am a grown up?”

“Maybe they will find a cure.”

Then she proceeded to tell me that when she is a grown up, her kids will only have to take short two minute naps and can watch two episodes on TV with their bedtime snack.

I didn’t break it to her that the nap is as much to give the parent a break as it is for the child to rest.

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Simple Math (part two)

The only thing easy about caring for a diabetic child is picking out a snack. Stay away from high fructose corn syrup and tons of added sugar and there are a ton of appropriate choices.

Fruit, popcorn, cheese puffs, graham crackers, most kinds of crackers, fruit strips, yogurt, milk, cheese, veggies and dip…the list goes on.

And if you balked at providing an appropriate snack for my child, why don’t you come over and see what the rest of the day is like.

Four + fingers pricks a day.

Did you go wash your hands? Did you actually use soap? Go wash them again.

Four + times that you hold your breath waiting for the beep and the number to appear.

Is she high? Is she low?

Four + injections.

Make sure you rotate injection sites because you don’t want crystals building up under the skin or infections.

Trying to get food on the table for a hungry toddler who isn’t completely self-sufficient while also trying to check the diabetic’s finger, count-weigh-measure her food, figuring out the correction and dosage based on carb intake at that meal, and give that injection before more than half an hour lapses from start to finish.

Oh, and then there’s worrying that her BG might drop during the night.

It’s awfully quiet in there. Is she okay? Should we check her?

Or adjusting dosages because her numbers have been too high or too low lately.

Keeping meticulous records of BG’s, dosages, and carb intake at meals.

Calling St. Louis to recite a weeks’ worth of numbers and try to recall the current regimen (1/2 unit per 50 over 200 BG, plus 1/2 unit per 10 g carb at dinner and breakfast if it’s a school day or 1 unit per 15 g carbs at lunch and at breakfast on non-school days. And 2 units of Lantus at bedtime.)

And trying to get prescriptions filled, all eight of them. And the insurance is denying coverage yet again because they will only give x number of needles in x amount of time, but we use both pen needles and syringes, and do we have to call for an override again?

And taking her to the ER because she vomited and now her ketones are high and so are her sugars. But you can’t get a hold of your husband and it’s been three minutes since you paged him and the grandparents have just left town and who is going to watch the baby? And you finally get there and there’s no parking and there is a line and she throws up again in triage and the nurse can’t get the IV in her tiny arm and has to try the other one.

Nope. Snack time is a breeze. No finger prick. No injection. Just 15 grams of carbs. She gets to feel like a normal, healthy child when she sits down next to other kids at the snack table and doesn’t have to worry about all that other stuff.

And that is why I am upset. Because someone was “uncomfortable” providing an appropriate snack for her.

And because someone tried to blame her child’s whining (her words, not mine) on my child’s diabetes and restrictive snack regimen.

I’m thankful that her child, and all my daughter’s other playmates, are perfectly healthy and capable of eating more than 15 grams of carbs at snack time (including juice which has 15 grams of carbs per 1/2 cup) and get to feel normal at every meal. And have not lost their innocence.

Yep, if all I had to do was provide her with 15 grams of carbs at snack time, life would be a breeze.

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Simple Math

(We were having issues with some parents at the preschool who did not want to provide appropriate snacks. I called it the Juice Box Drama.)

Here’s your challenge:

  • Go to your cupboard and pull out any of the snacks you usually give your children.
  • Anything will do. Graham crackers, potato chips, fruit strips, applesauce.
  • Look at the label including the serving size and number of total carbs.
  • Figure out what the portion size would be to total roughly 15 grams of carbs.

Do you remember how to solve simple equations from 8th grade math?

So if 10 crackers are 20 grams of carbs, how many crackers would be 15 grams of carbs?

X/15 = 10/20

(X)(20) = (15)(10)

20X = 150

X=7.5

Was that so hard?

Or even easier: 20 grams / 10 crackers = 2 grams per cracker.

Okay, here is the info from our box of graham crackers:
Serving size: 2 sheets
Total Carbs: 24 g
So, one sheet would be 12 grams of carbs and each half sheet is 6 grams.
That was easy peasy.

And that is why it is so difficult to shop for an appropriate snack for a diabetic child.
(And that was sarcasm!)

Did it make you “uncomfortable,” too?

Mealtimes and recipes are a little harder. And eating out is worse, particularly if it’s not a chain. But snacks, so incredibly simple. You could do it with your eyes shut, especially if you were given a list.

Diabetes Awareness Month: Day 27

“When a child’s blood sugar is low it’s difficult for them to think. During a low blood sugar, the brain literally doesn’t have the fuel it needs to function properly.”