Gratitude Post 12

Today, I felt like I was going to rip my hair out. My kids were wild, crazy, unruly even. They didn't listen to a word I said, I raised my voice more than I do in a month, and by the time they finally hit the sack, I was utterly exhausted. Some days are a constant struggle, and others seem to just fly by so easily.

Gratitude Day 12: I'm grateful for Laila's insulin pump.

Sometimes, I think this should have been the first thing I was grateful for this month, but I've tried to steady myself and not get too excited when I do these posts. Each night before bed, Laila checks her sugar, anything between 130 and 180 at this time of night is a winner. I can't let her go to bed any lower than 130, but anything higher than 180 is just too high. Though her daytime numbers are a little lower than this, these numbers are still a good guideline when I discuss her sugar levels with people.

This morning, Laila's sugar was 402. Extremely, extremely high. She was able to give herself insulin with her pump, check her sugar again an hour later, and once it had come down, she was able to give herself more insulin to cover the food she was having for breakfast, all with her pump. Each time she checked today, every snack or meal she had, her pump administered insulin for her.

Laila checks her sugar roughly 8-10 times a day, which means 8-10 pokes to her finger. Each time she eats, she needs insulin, even the smallest cracker requires her to have insulin. With her pump, she's able to eat as frequently and as much as she wants (within the limits of what I allow). The pump automatically calculates how much insulin she needs to bring her blood sugar down to her target range, and how much insulin she needs to cover the food she's eating. The wizard truly takes so much stress and pressure out of my day, it's unbelievable. Shots are ancient history for her, there were times she would eat and still be hungry, or just skip a snack because she didn't want the additional poke. The insulin pump allows her so much freedom, it literally brings me to tears. No child wants to get a shot, my other two scream at the thought of getting poked, and my sweet Laila was getting 8+ shots a day. With the pump, she changes her site once every 3 days, one big poke and she's done. She leaves her site on and takes her tubing and pump off for showers, swimming, and any extra rough activities.

Amazing doesn't even begin to cover how I, as her mom, feel about Laila's pump. The advances I have witnessed first hand since she started pumping just over a year ago are breath taking. I'm proud to be a mom of a diabetic, I'm impressed by her every day, and I hope my endless posts reach someone out there who needs the support, someone who needs to know they're not alone.