Just let It Go

 Sugar Bear got a haircut.  He still wants it buzzed but I've talked him into waiting just a bit.  I like how he looks with a little bit of bangs.  :) The boys surprised me with the new do when I got home from work on Wednesday.  It was a nice surprise.  Friday I took Sugar bear to the orthodontist to get molds made.  His appointment was at 2 and he was 204.  I just let it go and he went back high before snack time at 2:45.  He didn't come out until 3:30!  We tested again and he was 88!  He got his snack and we headed home.  I was amazed how just a trip to the orthodontist changed his BS.  It seems when he's nervous it drops.  Next appointment isn't until June when he gets his appliance.
Saturday was another day of firsts.  I had to work and couldn't attend one of their best buddy's birthday party.  And the party was a laser tag event!  I was nervous how things would go.  I have Goofy Teenager still dealing with headaches from his concussion and then there is Sugar Bear's diabetes not to mention hubby with all his issues.  I was concerned.  I packed out the kit, gave hubby some suggestions and headed to work.  Got a text as soon as I got to work that hubby had done a 10:1 ratio accidentally instead of the 8:1.  I told him to not worry the party was at 1:30 and a little high blood sugar wouldn't hurt.  At lunch he was 173 and hubby just gave insulin to cover carbs.  He tested right before they went to play laser tag and he was 320!  He panicked and called me because he didn't know what to do. I suggested letting him play the first round and then checking again.  Just let it go!  Hubby didn't get to go back (only those playing are allowed) so Sugar Bear played without the encumbrance of his kit.  At 3 his BS was 131 and I got the text "like I nailed it?"  I smiled.  Then another call, how do we do cake?  We gave a small piece and guesstimated 42 carbs and decided to leave it as well.  He had more running around to do.  They stopped afterwards at work to say hi.  Of course only Goofy teenager showed up at my counter, panicked, and said Sugar Bear had a seizure I started to freak.  What?!?!  Then I see Hubby and Sugar Bear coming through the store.  Goofy Teenager thought it was hilarious.  We have since had a few conversations about how inappropriate and cruel that was.  He said he won't do it again.  They had a blast at the party.  Both have decided their next birthday's will be celebrated there.  Sugar Bear came in second in one of the games and Goofy Teenager came in second in a dance contest.  Overall a very successful event for us! I'm so proud of my boys and my man!

My sweet ornery boy

Finally, midnight last night we got his blood sugars back in range.  To the point I had to give a juice box to make it high enough for me to sleep.  All his BS checks since lunch on the 20th were over 200 except for two yesterday that were above 150 but less than 200.  Lots and lots of corrections.  I guess this was a good holiday for him.

This pic is my Sugar Bear around 3 or 4 years old.  This is how I pictured he must of looked like clutching his precious chocolate before consuming it.  He is still my sweet ornery one.  Love this kid.

High

So much for peaceful.  Sugar Bears number were high at lunch and we corrected, at afternoon snack they were even higher and we corrected, and dinner they were up even more.  That's when I thought something was off.  Maybe the new frio pack hadn't kept the insulin cool enough and now it wasn't working, or something?  Sugar Bear had consistently been wanting chocolate and then when I offered some with dinner he was hesitant.  Now I know why.  He'd eaten 50g of carbs in chocolate without telling us!  He actually said he was surprised his dinner blood sugar wasn't above 300!  There were tears by him and me.  No yelling, he already felt guilty but as he said "the chocolate just looked too good!"  We called the endocrinologist and she helped guide us a bit.  We just tested for bedtime and he's still high but not as high as dinner.  We corrected again and will be ever more vigilant tonight hoping we haven't over corrected.  Lesson learned, don't let chocolate be easily accessible to your sneaky child.  This has never been an issue before.  Now, now there were hugs, tears and apologies by both of us.  I apologized for not realizing how much his basket of goodies would tempt him and being a bad Mom for not taking that into consideration and he apologized and promised to never sneak food without telling us.  We could have covered it with insulin had we known.  Now it's a guessing game to get it right.  Fingers crossed we did.  Now I have six months to put a game plan together for the craziness of Halloween through Christmas.  Halloween especially is the one that could be tough.  We'll figure it out.  For now, I think I'll hide any chocolate in the house.

Hoppy Spring

Our first food holiday (besides his birthday) and I think we got this.  A little bit more planning on the Easter bunny! And both boys love their baskets.  They both got silly putty eggs, bunny pez dispenser, some chocolates, a chocolate bunny in a tin, bunny carrots, a drinking cup, pen or pencils, and individualized baskets.  Every food item is either 5g or 15g of carbs or has nutritional information on it.  I think the Easter bunny did all right.  The boys seem happy and that is what counts.  Now to hard boil and color eggs today.  Happy Spring.  May your day feel fresh, new, and hopeful.  I know mine does.

Preparing

So excited to get our frio pack.  With the weather warming up this will come in quite handy.  Insulin needs to be kept cool so it continues to work properly.  This cooling pack is already doing the job.  All it takes is water so this would be handy in emergency situations too.  Of course the crafty part of me immediately was like I could have made that!  Lol. Just happy to have it.

I've been pretty busy with work this past week, thus the non blogging.  I should be able to be on here a bit more this next week.  I hope.

So Sugar Bear has been doing this thing when we give him his shots.  He pretends to faint and then giggles.  Recently he switched his tactic and now slowly fills his cheeks with air like he's about to burst, And then let's all the air out loudly when we're done. He has such a great sense of humor.  It will definitely help with the road he has to travel.

Dropped off the teenager at a friend's birthday party in the afternoon.  His first "real teenager" party.  Basement party with video games, teenaged boys, and pizza.  I hope they wore their deodorant.  Lol. 

I'm sure I had more to talk about just can't remember very well.  

"Gadget"

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/health/even-small-medical-advances-can-mean-big-jumps-in-bills.html?_r=0

The link is to a NYTimes article that was published a few days ago.  I've had some time to read it, read blogs expressing how people felt about it, and try to process my own reaction to it.  I found the overall focus of the article to be about the outrageous nature of healthcare costs.  But the author lost focus.  She rambled.  She used phrases and words that could give a not so great impression of type 1 diabetics. My son's life sustaining and fulfilling (because who wants to live a life without joy) tools are not "gadgets".  I took issue with that term and her portrayal that these "technology upgrades" were not necessary.  So that got me to thinking.  We're really new at all of this.  At first we did syringe injections of vial insulin.  The basics.  Did it work?  Sure, absolutely.  We were given a Jr. Pen for the novolog with insulin cartridges.  Goofy Teenager has a friend with type 1 who told Sugar Bear to "never do the pen, it hurts more and left a scar".  So Sugar Bear was very reluctant to even try it.  It took awhile and some bribing but when he finally acquiesced he couldn't believe how much it didn't hurt!  And then was disappointed we didn't have pens for the Lantus as well.  It took more than a month to get the Lantus pen and now all of his injections are less painful.  Do the syringe and pen do the same thing?  Absolutely, they both deliver insulin.  Does one make my son's life more comfortable and easier for us?  Absolutely.  Is one less wasteful?  Yup.  My point, tools that are for people to live are not "gadgets".   They are necessary tools and sustain life.  Advancements in technology make life better for people with disease that would otherwise kill them.  They need these things.  I agree that the cost is exorbitant.  I don't understand why lancets can be fairly inexpensive but testing strips are not.  I don't know why on a lot of the costs for medicine but if it's helping to advance research and new inventions that will make Sugar Bears life better then I think it's worth it.  My worry is how will he get his supplies when he's older? Will insurance be helpful enough so he doesn't go without?  But we'll figure that out when we get there.  For the time being the pen wins over syringes at our house!  They're also a pretty cool "gadget".  ;)

Movies

New INsillion to carb ratios and new amount for evening Lantus.  Still getting wonky highs after a day but at least a few more are in range and of course the lows have returned.

My cold returned full force yesterday.  I feel miserable and we had plans to all go to the opening of the drive in.  Instead hubby took both by himself and I slept.  They did great!  Sugar Bear got to enjoy some snacks and hubby gave INsillion during the show.  I'm impressed with my boys.  The drive in is a spring to fall almost every weekend ritual for us.  We're not going to let diabetes stop that.  At first Sugar Bear was reluctant to go.  He was worried about highs and lows.  And then he wasn't happy I wasn't going.  But this morning he has talked non stop about the movie.  It is the right move.  We can do this!  Pics are from last year at Mother's Day.  The drive in has gone digital since then.  I'm sure we'll have some pics this year when I finally get to go.

Good Day

So we've noticed a trend.  Whenever we get together with our good friends, Sugar Bear's numbers drop.  When we've been over to their house for dinner and he's within range he drops low.  Today we went out and met our friend's kids at a museum and Sugar Bear was high (289).  I didn't correct it and by the time we were leaving (only an hour and a half later because Goofy Teenager had a massive headache and it was about lunch time) he was 115.  His comment "We should get together more often with them.  I seem to have better numbers around them."  Considering his numbers have continuously been high recently that wouldn't be so bad.  I'm thinking we'll be making some ratio adjustments as we can't seem to keep him in range.  At first I thought maybe it's been because we all were sick.  Now, I'm not so sure. 

For the testing today in the van, it was a group effort.  Goofy Teenager got the site prepped, I got the lancet device ready, and Sugar Bear did his own poking and reading.  I was so proud of both my boys.  

We had a fantastic time at the museum.  Lot's of learning and running around.  Made me miss the days when I was "just" a stay at home Mom. 

These are my two favorite pics from today.  The Goofy Teenager and my Sugar Bear.  I love these boys with all my heart. 

In the van when we were leaving the museum, we saw a van with some JDRF walk for a cure shoe placards.  It made us smile.  We're not the only ones.