D-Blog Day 2--One Great Thing

Today's topic for D-blog week is this: Living with diabetes (or caring for someone who lives with it) sure does take a lot of work, and it’s easy to be hard on ourselves when we aren’t “perfect”.  But today it’s time to give ourselves some much deserved credit.  Tell us about just one diabetes thing you (or your loved one) does spectacularly!  Fasting blood sugar checks, oral meds sorted and ready, something always on hand to treat a low, or anything that you do for diabetes.  Nothing is too big or too small to celebrate doing well! 


This is an interesting topic to write about.  Trying to parent a child with Type 1 Diabetes automatically comes with a truckload of guilt. Then you add bad blood sugars, poor A1Cs, long nights, or your child suffering because they are feeling sick due to high ketones and the general issues that come along, it gets too easy to start listing every way we feel we are failing our children.  I like this topic because it forces us to take a look at our parenting habits and realize that we are strong. We try hard. We think hard. We learn hard. We stretch ourselves to the limit making sure our children are well integrated, happy, and loved--the last one being the most important of all. No matter what happens, our kids know they are loved.  So, what do I do well, as a D-mom? After considering some options, I decided to write about our organization. 


Sydney never leaves the house without her "d-pack."  Every night we re-stock the d-pack with anything she might need at any given time.  I'm proud that we got into this habit of restocking every night. Syd helps with the process as well which is wonderful because it's teaching her what she should carry with her at all times so she can properly manage her diabetes...or help out a fellow diabetic--which has happened more than once where we were able to help treat a low for another person with D. 


So, without further delay, meet Syd's d-pack--which is labeled on the inside with her name, Type 1 Diabetes, and a contact number. Her pack always contains: a glucometer, lancets, 2 vials of test strips, 2 extra batteries for pump and glucometer, 2 juice boxes, 1 glucose fast acting drink, glucose tablets, laffy taffy or similar candy, glucose gel, glucagon, syringes in case pump breaks or the battery dies. (You can use a needle to draw insulin from a pump reservoir, (That has come in handy more than once), immunization records (she always has her pack with her so when she is at the dr and needs an update, I always know it will be with us.)  And last but certainly not least, alcohol wipes to clean fingers that are laced with food or drink that would taint a blood sugar reading. If you aren't in the habit of carrying a kit, I highly suggest it. While it might be a nuisance keeping it stocked every night, I can guarantee you will be patting yourself on the back when the time comes where the pack is needed to treat the nasty side effects that come from living with Diabetes.