Monday, May 10, 2010

Reenactment (A day in the life of Our Diabetic Life)


I am going to attempt to give ya’ll a glimpse into our diabetic life. In doing so I’m afraid you will also be given a glimpse of my swelly hurty brain. I can’t write out everything that I think in one day…my brain will explode and your brain will surly over heat, so I’m going to attempt to give you a little looksie into our craziness. A typical Wednesday… Enjoy :)

1:30 am: BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP x 10,000

(That is my alarm…I sometimes jump up on the third or fourth beep…but usually I let it go for awhile, sometimes for even an hour. Unknowingly of course, but ridiculously annoying none the less.)

1:30-2:30am: Up I go…zombie in motion.

Pee. (If I wait, I usually get the rush to go while wrestling with B’s hand. He has a tendency to yank it away when I test at night. He also likes to sleep on top of his pump. Every night I dig for it, like I’m fishing for the elusive white whale. Inevitably, if I haven’t gone first…I have to go at this point…NOW!)

Check L. Check B. Correct L if need be…correct B if need be. Check J. Correct or feed. Feed B or L if needed.

Set alarm as needed…sometimes I check again in a couple hours, usually it is set for 6:30.

6:30am: BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

I’m up like a shot. I don’t want my alarm to wake the boys…this is ME time.
On goes the computer…and I check out the D community blogs, email and facebook.

7:00am: LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

I usually sing to wake up the kids, something annoying…annoying enough to get them up, but with silly words so they won’t get too mad at me.

Check sugars x3. Negotiate breakfast…they would have waffles everyday if I’d let them…and then bolus x3 accordingly. (I am not a weigher…I’m a guesser, although an educated one. The boys have 4 different breakfasts that they rotate through, and the carb amounts are all stored in my swelly hurty brain.

Lunches. Shower. Dress. Clean. Cell phones? Sometimes more blood sugar checks, depending on how the night has gone. Off they go to school at 8:30am.

9:00am: Worry, second guess myself.

10:00am: B calls with his blood sugar reading and what he plans to eat for snack. B boluses himself. (This is actually one of my favorite parts of the day…he is always in such a euphorically good a mood, it is contagious.)

10:15am: I’m out the door to L’s kindergarten class to check his sugar and bolus for the snack that was brought in for the day.

11:00am: Worry. J usually doesn’t call anymore. Did his check, did he bolus?? Send J a text telling him the President called and it is a matter of national security that he test his blood sugar.

11:50am: L has All Star Reading after school. I bring him his lunch, and check his sugar.

I brain scan his meal, carb guess, bolus, pray he eats it all, and leave him for another hour with his teacher.

12:35pm: B calls with blood sugar number and gives animated explanation of what he ate for lunch, that usually sounds something like…”Three bites of apple…3/4 of my sandwich…most of my chips, all of my yogurt and 1 cookie that Bobby gave me.” After which I “confidently” guess…and he hangs up.

12:36pm: (one minute later) Worry.

12:50pm: J checks in for the first time. Fills me in on his blood sugar readings that day, if he in fact did test, and then he runs through what he ate, and tells me the carb amounts he is going to give himself. If he is way off…I’ll correct him, but 90% of the time I agree with him and he hangs up.

1:00pm: Pick up L. A quick trip home and then…

1:15pm: I usually get a call from B. Someone has brought in a special snack for their birthday, or report, or holiday. Honestly I get this call a few times a week. Why must these people celebrate EVERYTHING with a cupcake??? Long conversation ensues about the size of said cupcake, the frosting and accompanying candy decor. Guess a carb amount. Hang up.

1:45pm: They boys get out an hour early every Wednesday for Teacher meetings. Pick up B, J and M.

2:00pm: Home. Blood sugar checks. Small snacks. Guess carbs, bolus.

3:00pm: B to scouts. Snacks in his pocket and a blood sugar monitor clipped to his belt loop.

3:30pm: Lawton usually alerts. The odds of all three boys experiencing blood sugar nirvana at the same time are against us.

4:00pm: Pick up B…and off to in laws for dinner.

How many carbs in homemade German noodles….hmmmmm…let me guess!! I LOVE to guess!!! I must think it is the funnest thing to do in the world…because I do it ALL. The. Time!

EPIPHANY! When someone asks if I have a hobby…my answer will be GUESSING!!

5:30pm: Blood sugar checks, corrections ect…

6:30pm: Leave in laws and off to scouts for the older boys. Cell phones? Snack in J’s pocket? Blood sugar monitor clipped to his belt loop? Off they go. Will they be tying knots…or running the mile? Who knows? I REALLY try not to think about it, and TRY to believe that J has got it all under control.

7:00pm: Usually another alert. Check out the situation and fix whatever is going on.

8:30pm: Ryan picks up sweaty/blood sugar dropping boys, while I put the two youngest to bed.
“Check before you go to sleep!!”

9:00pm: AHHHHHHH>>>>Grown-up time! TV…computer…chatting…loving…

9:05pm: Stop! J comes out remembering he is almost out of insulin in his pump. The 3 insulin pumps are gathered. Supplies, insulin, rocket are accounted for, and the set changes ensue.

10:00pm: Grown up bed time. (If I’m lucky. Depends on the results of the checks.) Check the boys. Correct, feed or change basals as needed.

10:30pm: I think this is when I go to bed…but honestly I don’t remember anything once my butt hits the bed…I am down for the count…until…

1:30am: BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! X 10,000

26 comments:

  1. I'm tired... I need to go lie down.

    Seriously, I don't know how you do it. You are my hero. All hail, Queen Meri!

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I read your posts, I feel like my life with diabetes is easy! You KNOW when you get to heaven there will be a special little place prepared for you and your swelly hurty brain to recover! You are a great Mom.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good Hell Woman!
    I'm exhausted! My life is a cakewalk. Thank you for sharing your day - I've been looking forward to reading about your D day x3.

    You are a rock star mom with a rock star family!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I know I can always come here for a smile. I am so glad I'm not the only one who loves "guessing!" No time for weighing and obsessing at my house, so we GUESS!! And like you are becoming pretty darn good at it if I must say so! Happy belated mothers day! I hope it was a fabulous one for you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Meri, I want to come over and give you a big, huge, super duper gianormous hug..and not because I think you need any comforting but because you. are. amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love your comment..."Why must these people celebrate everything with a cupcake" Love it, love it, love it.

    You're a great mom!!! (And you make me smile!)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Meri, I LOVE LOVE LOVE how you tell your stories! I always laugh out loud! And even though I can relate, I don't know how you do it?!?!? Your love for life (and for your family, of course!) shows through in all of your posts. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Worry, worry, worry. Ain't it the truth. Clock watching and worrying. You are a master though, raising four great boys. I hope that helps with the worry, but as moms, there's no getting out of it completely.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am standing, giving you an ovation Meri cause dear Lord woman, how are you still standing??? I applaud you, honor you and am blessed to know you. You are a fantastic mom, extraordinary guesser and extreme juggler of all things D. Rock on Meri!

    ReplyDelete
  10. LOL @ EPIPHANY!!

    And dude, I so feel you on the ubiquitous cupcakes. What's UP with that?

    Thanks for this reenactment. I read it with a smile. Bittersweet, but still smiling.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't know how you do it girl, you are superwoman! I love the epiphany too! I think all us D Moms have that as our "hobby"!

    ReplyDelete
  12. You are such an AMAZING mommy! I loved reading about your D events x3. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Good grief! You are amazing. I am with you on the cupcake thing too. They aren't so special anymore as they seem to be everywhere. See you tomorrow... (note my newly acquired use of the ellipsis!)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Everyone already said everything I wanted to say... So I'll just say...

    =) I love you, Meri! =)

    ReplyDelete
  15. You have the cutest sons and...
    You are quite funnily (hmmm, is that a word?) amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow. Diabetes x 3. I'd say that you're the president of the "guessing" club. (I'm going to run for secretary) Can't imagine what it's like for Lawton. When Dixie (my alert dog) is around groups of people with diabetes, she pays attention to everyone. Then later, she'll crash from all the hard work.
    Thanks for posting.

    ReplyDelete
  17. YOU- are the "D" Diva!!!! Can I get your autograph??? :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm a guesser too :)
    Nothing wrong with that!!!

    LOVE YA MERI!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. From one great guesser to another.....and look at that! (..........) He he

    Now I'm REALLY tired.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ain't that the truth? 5 minutes of grown up time! Love you, Meri! You're superwoman!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Your AMAZING - As are all parents of t1 children!
    Thanks for giving me a window into what my parents went through!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love guessing :)

    You are so incredibly amazing. I am so proud of you and pray for your swelly hurty brain every day.

    xoxoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm laughing. "I usually get a call from B. Someone has brought in a special snack for their birthday, or report, or holiday." Those "special snacks" drive me nuts! And your hobby...oh, that's soooo funny (in a way that only a D parent can appreciate)!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hugs to you Meri...when I am feeling stressed about having two daughters with T1D I have to remind myself that you are handling it with 3!!! And doing an amazing job, I am so glad that I have someone like you in my corner to inspire me.

    Thanks for the wonderful post, I loved it :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love your hobby of GUESSING!

    Meri, as always, you inspire me daily. Thank you for the glimpse into your daily life with D X 3.

    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  26. I will never complain again.

    Having one is hard but not that hard.

    I feel for you.

    And guessing is my hobby too!

    ReplyDelete

Comments=Love
Moderation now enabled, so comments will not immediately be seen.