I knew that adjusting to the pump would be hard, but I had no idea how hard.
So, we now have set number 3 in since he started on Friday. He spiked up to 378 last night. I changed his set. Since he was high and was woken from his sleep, he screamed like a banshee. ( The first thing Holden asked this morning when he got up was "Why did Riley scream last night like someone was trying to kill him?") By the way, this set also had blood in it that was clogging it. So, I couldn't just not give him a correction. His sugar was so high and I didn't know how long he'd gone without insulin. So, I think I'm being conservative by giving him .3 units. (The pump recommended .85) I took into account that it was 11:30 at night when he got it. Long story short, I kept checking his sugar to make sure it was coming down. When he got down to 73, I gave him his trusty drinkable yogurt. 15 minutes later, it was fifty-freakin'-eight!!! Now, how did it drop so much after he got his 15 g carbs.? Keeping in mind that he would probably rebound I fed him one cheese cracker and rechecked 15 minutes later. Now he was 118. I could live with that, he was coming up. But, alas, then came the rebound, 286. He woke up at 214. He stayed in range until just before lunch when he clocked in at 49. Once again, Danimals to the rescue. Got him up to 124 after 15 minutes this time. Then, he had lunch. Next sugar, 290. Are we rebounding again? Or is his set screwed up again? I check after his nap and he's 326. I gave him a conservative amount of insulin again. (Screw the no corrections in between meals. This is my baby we're talking about!) The last sugar I checked was 294. Down a bit, but not great. I think his set is OK, he just rebounded again. I'm going to deplete all of his glucagon reserves if I keep this up.
Riley is currently outside playing ball with Holden. Holden is such a sweetheart. He has always been what I call "tender-hearted". He can't stand to see other people hurt or in trouble. He's the one that always befriends the kid that everyone else picks on. I'd like to take all the credit for it, but I can't. I did raise him to be nice to everyone, but I think most of it is just his wonderful, big, heart. Anyway, when he heard Riley's last sugar, he said, "Won't it help his sugar if he goes out and plays?" Since, no ketones are present I say yes. So, Holden bundled him up and took him outside to play. Riley was just grinning from ear to ear when they walked out the door. I'm going to go check his sugar now and see what's going on. It's almost supper time anyway.
Am I ever going to get to where I trust the pump? I feel like I'm putting it in right. It last all day, but then at night something happens. What am I doing wrong?
Just as I was getting ready to end this and go out and check Riley's sugar, Holden walked in and said, "Do you want me to check his sugar?" So, he did. It is now 233. It would go up if his basal wasn't working, right? Now they are out playing ball again. What did I get us into? It will get better, right? Please tell me it will.
6 comments:
It will get better. My son is 15 and his needles get clogged occasionally with pieces of skin or something. I'm surprised that the doctor wanted the set in his backside. Maybe that's easier for toddlers. We use the tummy. I hope it gets better soon.
I agree. It will get better.
For me, it took about a month before I felt like I had real control. Granted, I went from NPH to the pump, so I wasn't used to the basal/bolus routine.
It WILL get better. Good luck!
Well, just for the record, pumping is not perfect or easy. It's just different, and occassionally, easier.
I'm sorry the first weekend was rough. It does take awhile to figure out the kinks. 5 years into it and I still mess up sets or have them fall out. Right now, my set is being partially held in place with a band-aid, because the IV3000 tape won't stick to my skin because of where I put it on my stomach. It's very odd-looking, but I don't want to waste an set on something so silly.
It will get better. It can take a while to fine tune the basal rates, and even when they're good, keep in mind that they will change, usually at the drop of a hat. Being sick, honeymooning, exercising more or less than usual for weeks or months, having a lot of stress, good and bad, and if the moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars, all means that your basal rates will need to be adjusted.
My advice is to write down your basal rates and keep copies in a couple of places. That way you can refer back and see where adjustments need to be made. Also, if the pump should die, you'll have them on hand.
It's a constant adjusting process. You can go for weeks with the same rates and sometimes, you'll be changing them once a week, for weeks at a time. It gets frustrating, but it does get easier to deal with.
Olivia has been pumping for a year and a half and we still make a ton of adjustments on a regular basis.
My son Cade is 3 1/2, he was diagnosed a little over a month ago. I have gone back a read most of your blogs to follow your progression with Riley.
My wife is a doctor, so just like you she 'knew' what it was before we were told - but that does not make it any easier.
One of the things that has suprised me the most is how quickly they adapt at this age - my son is already choosing where he wants his injections and putting up with the finger pricks, he grumbles about it but is never difficult. So brave..
I am still positive and thankful for a lot of things, the treatments for Diabetes have got better. The city I am in has an absolutely amazing diabetes service.
Reading your blogs makes me feel better, we still don't 'know' anyone else with Diabetes and certainly not in a young child - hearing about another persons experience helps, more than you can imagine. The thoughts of 'just like Cade', the smiles about how a 3 year old deals with this, and the tears - remembering that day.
I just wanted to say thanks.
Thinking of you, Chris
Chris, Your comment brought tears to my eyes. It brought back a flood of memories for me. I know what you are going through. But, I do want you to know it will get easier. It will never be easy, but it will be easier. You can tell from reading earlier posts on my blog how far we've come in the past 5 months. (Yesterday was 5 months exactly).
I sometimes feel like my family is all alone in this. But, just when I feel that way, I'll recieve an encouraging word from someone who has been there. I was a little down yesterday and out of the blue I recieved an email from a mother who had heard about me from another mother I had been talking with through email. Her son was diagnosed at age 2 1/2 and had started on the pump at age four. He is seven now and doing fine. It was nice and comforting to be reminded that I'm not alone and we will get through this. I've been helped so much by other people I have met through thier blogs. If you ever have any questions of just want to "vent" feel free to email me at any time. (pennylane5001@mchsi.com)
You said " hearing about another persons experience helps, more than you can imagine" I don't have to imagine. When I responded to the email I recieved yesterday, my exact words were (re. the encouraging words) "This means more to me then you know." So, I've been there too,Chris.
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