Well, we made it through another year. That means K has made it through another 3000 finger pricks (give or take) and over 120 pump changes. We've all made it through more than a dozen or so delayed meals (because her BG is too high to eat carbs), or worse: the dreaded non-carb meals.
Not a lot has changed since last year: http://www.theysayitgetseasier.blogspot.com/2011_07_01_archive.html, except we found a responsible teenager with diabetes who babysits for us upon occasion. We were able to go to an afternoon wedding in Orange County only because this girl was here and able to do the carb counting and dosing necessary. K has also had a couple sleep-overs with a friend who's mom is willing to do the fun night checks - as well as carb count for dinner and breakfast. She also has frequent play dates at another friend's house who's mom is great about checking and carb counting for snacks. These experiences make K feel like a "normal" kid and we are so thankful for them.
It's actually hard for me to reflect back because what's coming in the next month is slightly overwhelming (for me). First, K's time at her preschool is coming to a close. The staff there has handled her diabetes so seamlessly. It will be a hard goodbye for ME because of this and because it's been such an amazing early educational experience for all our children over the last eight years. Additionally, on August 22, K will start kindergarten at the public school our middle child attends and our eldest child attended through this past school year (yes, adding to the emotions of our youngest child - our child with diabetes - starting kinder, is our eldest child starting middle school...). I haven't thought much about the start of school this summer, which I'm pleased with, but now that we're less than 4 weeks away, I'm starting to wonder: what will K's BG check schedule will be? (Hubby and I spent half of our date lunch talking about this yesterday.) How will she know when to go to the nurse for her regular checks? (Will nurse get her? Will teacher send her? Who's alarm will be set?) What happens when she feels low and the nurse isn't around? (Who should we train to check her as a back up?) Should we pack her own snack or let her have who-knows-what snack like the rest of the kids in the morning? Should we tell the class that K has diabetes and what it means?
I learned of our new school nurse this week, but she won't be back from summer vacation until two days before school starts... We won't have to "teach" her diabetes the way we do other people in our life - but she's not familiar with K's pump, or K herself (unlike our recently retired nurse). I'm trying not to panic. The beauty of not working is that I will be living at the school if need be to make sure it's all going smoothly.
So the passage of time continues, another year has come and gone. These children are growing and having awesome experiences (it's been a great summer). I just have to learn to be flexible and know (with constant vigilance), it will work out.
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