Stranger Danger? -Not this time!

So this week has been pretty blah!  It's spring break and Piper and I have the week off from mother's day out.  Yeah, it's rained every day so far.  So Tuesday, I decided to take Piper to Barnes and Noble for some indoor playtime fun.  Other than books, they've got a Thomas the Train table that she loves, a big "stage" where they do storytime (she just loves to walk around on it), and occasionally we get to meet other moms/kiddos and have some nice small talk. 
Now, before we go much further here, those of you who do not know me should know how horrible I am about talking to strangers.  I'm not great on meeting new people...not a good conversation starter...it's just very awkward and uncomfortable sometimes.  So if you did not know this...I'm not a snob or a hater...just not sure what to do.  So, of course, now that I'm in the "Mom Club", I feel obligated to talk to all these other moms at the park, store, etc and say how cute their kid is, ya know, the small talk.  Usually once I get "reeled" in, I can keep going on a conversation, but the starting it is a struggle. 
Back to Barnes and Noble...
Anywho...pretty much ever since Piper was handed the big fat D card, I've been slightly nervous about a stranger approaching me in public about her diabetes.  I obviously don't hide the fact that she has it.  We do glucose checks at the table in a restaurant/fast food and injections too for that matter.  We are discreet about it...we're not just jamming this needle for all to see.  And, to be honest, since Piper doesn't put on any kind of show when we do these things, people don't notice.  In addition to the sugar check and injections, Piper also has a luggage tag with a big red cross on her diabetes bag that says "type 1 diabetes".  I've just heard/read some horror stories of total strangers going off on parents about their childs' diabetes. 
OK, seriously, back to Barnes and Noble...
I met a very nice woman who was there with her grandson, who Piper played with at the train table...very cute.  We talked back and forth over the kids (she was obviously the conversation starter).  We even discovered we go to the same church.  I started to explain how I get to work at the church's mother's day out program and Piper gets to go to her own class and be around her friends.  I finally explained the big blessing.  With this job, I am able to work but also check Piper's sugars, give insulin, and be right down the hall if there is ever a problem.  Praise God! I am so lucky to have this!  She was very concerned and showed sympathy towards Piper's diabetes, but she was familiar with it since she worked in the school system for many years and had witnessed a student being diagnosed as well.  It was like she knew enough to not need explaining or maybe she didn't ask more about it out of respect.  Either way, I was so relieved!  Another part of me feels like I'm not fully prepared with information to talk about Piper's diabetes (so I've got some homework to do). 
Anywho--such a long post about something so silly!  But this meant so much to me.  I know that I will eventually come face to face with some random stranger accusing me of feeding her too much sugar and that's why she has diabetes or tell me that there is some crazy moss growing on a rock in Fiji that will cure my little girl.  I'm just so grateful that it wasn't this time, my first time of telling a stranger about Piper's diabetes.  God knows the little things count for this Momma!

Maybe Too Normal

So, this weekend I thought I would make Piper feel like any other kid.  So silly since she doesn't know any different...but I want to see her normal.  So we take a trip to Texas Roadhouse...eating peanuts, having a good time while we wait for a table.  She then, eats about an hour and a half past her usual 5:00 dinner time.  Then, she gets to eat 1 1/2 rolls!  Carb-o-licious!  Heck...I can down a whole basket and then some.  It's crazy how we take it for granted...silly things like Texas Roadhouse rolls.  Obviously, Piper is not limited to what she can eat but certain things can make her sky-rocket...as we saw with her numbers afterwards.  She was 400+ at bedtime and at 2:30 when she woke up crying.  I was able to get her to drink some water sippy.  Sweet girl (and Momma) both slept in till 9:40!!!  Numbers went down a little bit and fortunately there were never any ketones.
Then, this morning...two words: Krispy Kreme!!!  Piper had a chocolate iced donut with sprinkles (41g of carbs).  She ran a little high all day...but not as crazy as the rolls.  But seriously, how many times do our kids have donuts for breakfast?!
So, I got a little crazy this weekend and gave her all sorts of foods that trigger the highs.  But she's a sweetheart and never seems to mind what her crazy Momma does to her.  True, she's not really able to tell me when she feels bad like she's high or low, but she always caries on with her happy, sweet self.
Well, there you have it...Piper can eat whatever she wants (well, except poison...or cookies...made with poison), we just have to be careful and learn what those trigger foods are and treat accordingly.
Enjoy pics of my chocolate faced cutie!
***UPDATE***
Yeah after a weekend of highs, pretty sure I just checked Piper at 10:30 and she had a bedtime low of 101...needs to be at least 120.  I had to feed her an applesauce pouch as she was half awake.  I loathe diabetes!

                                                                      Yummmm-o!                                                   

 

So serious!!!

                                   

A Different Way of Doing Things

So I want to start this blog so I can remember everything our family has gone thru in the last 5 months and what we will continue to go thru for the rest of our lives.  It is definitely a blog just for me and if no one else reads, fine by me, but if this helps someone, makes them feel like they're not alone, or just gives them some insight in to what goes on with Type 1, then that would make my heart smile.  

So yes, as I said, our lives changed 5 months ago...but even before that, our lives changed 21 months ago when our Sweet P (Piper) was born.   What a blessing...a 7 lb 6 oz blessing.  She has definitely made our lives for the better.

It all started last September...Piper was 16 months old and I noticed that she started to drink more her sippy.  "Yay!" was my first thought since the sippy was quite the struggle.  Then, it got to be a little too much.  I remember randomly google-ing  "increased thirst in toddlers".  One thing that popped up was diabetes.  I brushed it off, like whatever! But the longer it went on and when P started to get sicker, I had a very bad feeling in my stomach.  September 24th, Piper got a treat...donuts!  She loved them, but afterwards barfed.  One week later, we were visiting Grama in KC, I kept shoveling in chocolate custard from our favorite place to eat, Culver's, the next morning, she barfed.  My poor little sweet P became very lethargic...barely had energy for anything.  The increased thirst and leaking diapers were an everyday ordeal.  I finally took Piper to the doctor on October 13th...even if this was some kind of bug she caught at school, this was ridiculous.  I almost canceled the appointment because her regular pediatrician was not in the office, so Piper would be seeing someone new.  The doc explained Piper had high levels of glucose and ketones in her urine sample and they would like a blood sample for further testing.  That horrible feeling in my stomach begins to grow more.  Piper did great for the blood draw...she barely moved...but she was SO sick.  I had to wait about 2 hours before I heard back about anything.  The phone rings...the doc says it's diabetes...horrible feeling in stomach then explodes.  I couldn't talk.  She tells me I need to get Piper to the ER now and not to be alarmed that they may have to put her in the PICU because of her age.  Excuse me what? PICU???  First things first...call Eric (he had gone out to get Sonic drinks...it was happy hour, you know).  I tell him to get home now we need to take Piper to the ER, she has diabetes.  I then start to get really cold...since this happens when I get really upset.  My sister lets me know that I should pack a bag cause we'll be staying the night most likely...do what now?  My mind can't even wrap around what's happening.  Eric's mom was able to meet us at the ER and help out with anything/everything.  We spent over 2 hours in the ER...apparently it takes that long to get a room.  Piper's veins were practically flat from the dehydration and they had a horrible time starting an IV.  She had so many pokes and pricks...made my heart break.  She was so exhausted, that she barely noticed.  Finally a line is started...praise the Lord.  But then they say they need two...oh jeez!  That finally gets done but ends up being no good.  They ask if they can start a line in her head.  Holy heck! NO! I understand if that's what we need to do, but you try by any means possible to not let that happen.  They were successful...they needed the master line starter with his bright light under the arm tricks! We make it to the PICU...they let us know Piper's sugars were over 600.  They check her sugar every hour with this horrible lancing device...it had the biggest blade!  Piper had a total of 10 lines/cords attached to her...from IVs to oxygen saturation devices, blood pressure cuff...

 My sick little girl

 Just want to sleep!

 Feeling better...even got to steal the head scanning thermometer!

Not long after we arrived in the PICU, Grama (my mom) is here! Piper was so happy to see her Grama (her momma was happy to see her too)! We attempt to sleep that night...me in this horrible lounger, Eric on the floor...nurses coming in every hour to make my sweet baby bleed.  

DAY 2...out of the PICU...the educating begins.  My mind is closed...I don't want to hear about diabetes and how my child will be dependent on insulin the rest of her life...I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!!! We get handed books, educating material..."please read this over before we meet again" she says...whatever lady! I eventually gave in and learned that for whatever reason, Piper's body has started to attack her beta cells (from her pancreas) that make insulin...she no longer makes insulin to regulate the sugar she takes in.  It's an auto immune disease and is completely different from TYPE 2...so please don't tell me how your grandfather cured his diabetes by taking cinnamon!  Piper had this disease dormant in her body then some kind of stress caused it to show it's ugly head.  

Piper immediately became her normal sweet self!  My sweet girl was back!  Now it was time to see how she would handle this poking.  Not a care in the world about it!  I couldn't believe it...this child is getting poked at least every 2-3 hours now...doesn't care!  Piper is the one who got me thru this...and she's the one that has diabetes!  

The hospital we were at had this beautiful atrium with large glass butterflies hanging from the ceiling.  Piper LOVED going there.  We would take the wagon or cozy coupe provided by child life all over the hospital.  There were only 2 cozy coupes on our side of the floor...and they were quite the hot item!  They also had a floor dedicated to play!  The 6th floor was a great play area with activities, toys, a Wii.  

Piper also had some visitors...her teacher (and my good friend from college), Lisa.  Lisa had taken a picture of Piper at school the day I took her to the doctor.  She was laying on her nap mat as all the other kids played...very sad.  I am so blessed to have her as Piper's teacher...she gives her some extra TLC!  Another good friend, Cassi came by.  And, David Yount was the first one to see us (we were even still in the PICU)...he and his wife took very good care of me while I was in Shawnee for college! Eric's brother-in-law, Jess, came and brought Eric and me some essentials from 7-Eleven.  Piper always had a special place for her uncle Jess...always snuggled with him. 

Well, fast track 5 days and it's time to cut the cord and let us go home and out of our safety bubble of the hospital.  Now we're really dealing with this!!!  I can't even remember how many times I called that emergency pager!  I am also very blessed to have a husband who works from home.  I wasn't completely alone in figuring this out during the day.  We would get up together for those horrible 2am checks and consult each other in how many carbs we thought this had based on how much she ate.  Good grief...nothing like a toddler's eating habits.  There's a chunk of food over here...half her veggies in her bib...a few pieces in her chair...bleh!  We'll be treating her carbs that she eats after she eats for a while...Lord knows when she will be able to say "I'm gonna eat this" and then she does! 

Diabetes is something that you'll never make sense of.  You'll do the exact same thing, eat the exact some stuff...and your numbers are completely different!  I hate the knowing of not being able to completely control this.  I can do the math right, calculate what I'm supposed to do...and just because it worked the day before or even the meal before doesn't mean that it will keep her from going super high or plummeting low.  It really makes you feel like you fail every day.  What a crappy disease!

Well, this is our account of our new life with diabetes.  We have many more things to learn...new obstacles to face, but I feel like we are "ready" for what gets thrown at us...BRING IT ON! (but bring it on nicely, please)

Our Little Stinker!