It was 4:07 am. The night has begun on an up note...all the known variables pointed towards a quiet sleep. But then...the pebble (watch) vibrated with an alarm. Next came the dexcom (continuous glucose monitor AKA our lifeline) alarms -- with a panicked sound. 54 with two double arrows down. This equals BAD. My first instinct would be grab juice, test second. For some reason though, stronger instincts took over and fuzzy thinking cleared. That doesn't make sense -- knowing full well most of the time diabetes doesn't, but still...I tested his blood sugar first -- 149. What the what? Okay, washed his hands, my hands, retested. 153. Okay -- third time will be a charm. (Background noise is the dexcom screaming its head off..BEEP BEEP BEEP) Third poke, third finger, different hand 161 -- clearly not 49 with one arrow down at this point. Was technology out to get me? Well no...but it was a sharp reminder that as great of a tool as it is -- a CGM is not bullet proof.
It takes a village to get through the day with diabetes. Parents, Nurses, Teachers, Friends, Siblings, Doctors. It takes modern medicine, and hard core parental instinct. Today I read through social media following several situations where people were struggling with diabetes. There were also A LOT of opinions given on what to do,..what not to do...things that I am fairly certain could have been covered by insurance and written by physicians. The "problem" is -- most of our support comes from people who are not doctors. I am completely okay with that -- if you remember first that you have a team of medical professionals for a reason -- don't be afraid to call them -- and you have your own instinct -- don't be afraid to follow it. Every child is different, every situation is different, and sometimes the best responses might be very different too. You and your doctor will know what's best for you and your child.
Technology didn't mean to let me down last night -- and concerned people don't really mean to say things that might not be in the best interest of anyone..The best response to both situations? Big girl panties and carry on...
