Reality Check

We have had a pretty good winter as far as germs go in our house.  I have been insane pro-active with hand sanitizer, and hand washing is done constantly.  Really.  But no matter how hard you work at it, those germs still find a way in.

Sophia was the first. 

She had a big play date planned at our house.  A whole week of anticipation, then BAM!, her little school friend gets a stomach bug and can't make it.  Surprise, surprise, the very next day, BAM!, Sophia gets that wonderful stomach bug.  Really?  We quarantined her in the front room and told Madeline she was not allowed near her sister until we knew she was over her illness.  To our amazement, both girls followed our rule, and within a couple of days, Sophia was back on her feet, and Madeline had avoided "the bug".  Happy dance!

Two weeks later, while dozing on the couch in her dads arms, our little friend the stomach bug attacked Madeline.  Out of no where, it was a scene from the Exorcist, and my new off white carpet would take the lethal hit.  Rick did too, but geeeeez, my new carpet!  Really?  Then it dawned on me that just moments before the chaos erupted, I had given Madeline a juice box because her blood sugar was low.  Not good.

Madeline had only had dinner a couple of hours earlier, so she still had quite a bit of insulin working.  Now she had no food for the insulin to work with, there was no way she could keep anything down, and her blood sugar was slowly creeping lower and lower.  It was only 8:30pm.  Remain calm.  Don't panic.  Read the Diabetes Sick Day Management plan.  I tried this.  For 4 straight hours.  Blood sugars remained in the 50's and Madeline, God bless her, tried to drink regular 7-Up to help her numbers, but the bug would not have it.  It was time to panic.

After talking with the Endo Dr. on call at 12:30am, it was decided Madeline should go to Children's Hospital.  She had gone 6 hours since her last insulin injection, and her chances of going into DKA were growing.  Don't have to tell me twice, everyone in the car.

So this is the thing about diabetes.  I do not like it's sense of humor.  Once settled into the ER room, and feeling so much relief that we had trained professionals all around us, Madeline's blood sugar tested at 163.  Really?  I have been in total "freak-out-there-is-a-monster-under-my-bed" mode for hours, and now it pops back up?  I'm sure diabetes had a good belly laugh at our WTF moment.  We have decided if this should ever happen again, we will drive around the block, test blood sugar, then make our decision.  I'm being serious, really, I have it written on my Diabetes Sick Day Management plan.

Madeline is doing very well.  Rick has finally got the image of a spinning head spewing split-pea soup out of his mind.  Sophia is happy to be able to play with her little sister again.  And me?  Every time I walk into the family room and see that one "just not as new and off white as the rest of the carpet" spot, I say:

 "REALLY?"