Day 1... A day in the life of Diabetes

So I am a little late getting started on this, but I am excited about the challenge of posting everyday and having a topic to write about. I’m even more excited about the 95 other bloggers I get to read their advice and supportive words. “A Day in the Life…With Diabetes” is a part of the Diabetes Blog Week 2010. For more participating blogs, visit Bitter-Sweet. In our house we have Jackson who is 4 and not diabetic and then Joshua who is 14 months and we are only 3 months in to our DX. So with a preschooler and a toddler the one thing I can tell you is that it is never routine.

I’m not sure the day ever really ends. To steal some things people have said Joanne at Death of a Pancreas compares it to the movie Ground Hog day and that is perfect! Someone else said you never really sleep it is just short naps around the clock. However for my log books we start at 7:00am so let’s start there:

7am- Wake up (usually by smooches from Jackson- he likes to wake the sleeping princess)
Test Joshua hope for anything over 100- we are still fighting lows we need to be between 100-200 and the Dr. prefers us to be high then low of course. For friends and family who don't know every test is a finger or toe prick for Joshua and more than one if the meter is acting up and gives an error. Joshua gets food first and insulin after since he is so young we don’t know how much he will eat. Breakfast is anything I can get him to eat. Usually he and Jackson split a banana, he might eat oatmeal, 1/2 frozen waffle, sausage no EGGS he spits them out every single time. Calculate carbs that he ate and didn’t throw on the ground. Give Lantus dose, and diluted insulin. This dose is vital as it sets the tone for the rest of our day. During this I am fighting with Jackson to eat quickly as I can already tell we are running late. Then I have to give Jackson his controller inhaler, brush teeth, get dressed and need be out the door by 8:30 to get Jackson to school.

8:45- running out the door (now we are going to be late) make sure I have the magic blue bag that as all of Joshua's essentials

8:47 run back in and put the dog inside... I saw her nose poking through the gate in the backyard

9:02 unbuckle both kids get Jackson inside and then get back to the car with Joshua. Praying Joshua didn’t fall asleep in the 15 mins it took to get there.

      Mondays we go to our kids class so we test before class to make sure I didn’t mess anything up enjoy class but deal with my used to be sweet and loveable child not wanting to go to anyone else. Ever since the hospital he is VERY CLINGY! 10:15- Class ends test again to make sure he didn’t go low... then he wants his milk (7.5 cbs= .5u) because he is exhausted as he still takes two naps. Figure out what I am going to do for the next hour because driving home and getting him out of the car is not an option just to turn around and get back in. This means he will only get 10 mins sleep. So I usually end up sitting in the car making phone calls for my business.

(Non Mondays)

9:30 Home from dropping Jackson off- try to do some house things done give Joshua milk for mid morning snack and he sleeps for 1 hour. Try to get house vacuumed, CM work done, Dishes done, shower, laundry, update log sheet for Dr.

11:15 leave to pick up Jackson-

11:30 realize I have to be at Jacksons by 11:45 and I have haven’t left yet... Get to Jackson's school Check to make sure he had a good day with no issues, explain that no we can’t go to McDonalds today with our friends (He would go everyday if we could)

12:00 Home to make lunch- TEST Joshua... is he high from the morning snack or just high..(it hasn’t been 3 hours yet hmm so should I correct??) Make Jackson lunch and figure out the carbs in Joshua's and do math-

1:00 Jackson to nap Joshua to play time with mommy- who cares that I have 50 emails and dishes and laundry and etc...

2:00-3:00 ish Joshua nap time, (if Jackson hasn’t woken up yet then I get to choose nap, work, or house work) hmmm what to choose

3:30-4:30ish Joshua starts to wake up TEST to make sure not low

6:00 Dinner ( I swear I want it to be earlier but it never is) TEST AGAIN! try to get a veggie and meat into Joshua (still struggling with Jackson probably because I haven’t spent enough time with him today) figure out how many carbs and dose.

7:00 Bath- Brian is helping a TON at this time (he usually does bath while I clean up from Dinner)

7:30-8:30 I put Joshua down while he does Jackson- Try and get Joshua to take 7.5cb milk =.5u if not HE WILL go low! Finished by 8:30 is usually now time for me to work on my job and business

10pm TEST to make sure nothing went wrong with dinner and milk dose.

12:00 am last test before we shut down for the night - if over 350 needs to dose. if under 150 must wake to feed as he will low.

3:00 am TEST if over 350 needs to dose. if under 150 must wake to feed as he will low. I have stayed up watching TV so that I don’t miss the 3 am test- although Brian and I are getting more use to the 3 am so we are waking up easier... I have hope that by next month can sleep at midnight.

** all of the above is based on no wake ups while testing, Jackson not causing a major meltdowns, no emergencies and no doctor appointments- we he had so many doctors appointments for so many things these days that it should be in our day in the life)