speech class has been great for our sweetie and her brother but also presented challenges for our diabetic sweetie. If I take her brother, she stays home with grandma and I, from afar, advise my mom on how to care for her. This can present problems and uncertainty as to if she is getting all that she needs. My mom tries and cares but is not completely versed yet in caring for a diabetic child. So we try our best, but still it can be uncertain.
When I take our sweetie to speech and leave brother home, that can work well but then she is in a speech class for an hour with uncertainty. So I stay nearby, like a hovering mother, ready for anything to happen.
Today the weather was really warm again. She had lunch before we left the house, but she didn't want to eat much. My husband had given her 1/2 unit for the food she had eaten but I had a feeling that soon she would be dropping because she didn't eat a lot. And he gave her diet soda at lunch instead of milk. Lots of carbs that she usually has to sustain her were missing today.
I tested her when we arrived at the school, as I always do. She was 212. For her, lately, when ever she is right around 200, she might as well be 80. She tends to drop fast. She seemed tired today too. The heat, and it is nap time, even though she doesn't nap anymore.
I walked her in to her class and told the teacher that she seemed tired today and may drop so I would stay nearby on a bench and take care of some business.
I ended up talking on the phone with my mom about our big college decision. The class finally walked by to head to the playground for play time. I waved "Hi!" as they went by and kept talking.
Soon they were headed back again. I waved "Hi!"and finished up my conversation.
I headed over to the class and waited for them to be dismissed.
It's funny watching how the highs and lows affect my little spitfire of a sweetie. When she was 400 one day at speech, she came running out of her classroom when class was over and I had to grab her hand as she steered me in the direction she wanted to go.
Today, she walked out of the room and slowly walked the wall next to me as her teacher updated me on her progress. I commented to her teacher, how her behavior could be observed based on how she was feeling too. The higher she got, the more out of control she got. Today we could talk and I wasn't worried where she was headed. She definitely was lower.
When we finished with the teacher, we made our walk back to the car. we pass the big kid library, where she peaks in the window and the kids wave "Hi" to her. we pass the office where she likes to use the big kid potty in the nurses' office. we stop and say "Hi" to the bear statue and examine how many spider webs are in his nose and ears. we then navigate around the cars parked in the closest pick up/drop off spot possible for kids that will be dismissed soon. and finally we arrive at our car.
I buckle her in and test her as I usually do. One hour later, she was now 70. my guess was right. I grab her some smarties and she gets to munch on candy on the way home. I check her again when I get home and give her a bowl of cereal. she eats all of it. She begins to perk up and talk again and run around again.
Looking back...before she was diagnosed...she had gotten very quiet and very content at playing by herself. definitely not feeling well.
now we know.
The normal sweetie is the curious, talkative, can't stand still, always wants to know what's going on and has a project going in addition to the other project just in case she has some spare time.
and this is why I sit outside the speech room waiting for her, playing the role of a hovering parent. I know that she can drop low and need attention. and I will wait for it to happen to make sure that she is always okay. Just as I keep my cell phone in hand when she is left home with Grandma.
Hovering parent; diabetic child. we go hand in hand.
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