Life Support Fad

 A fad or trend or craze is any form of collective behavior that develops within a culture, a generation or social group and which impulse is followed enthusiastically by a group of people for a finite period of time.

More on track ...

I don't think about it much.  They are a part of him; his CGM and his pump.  When I see him, I see Joe.  The devices are a seamless blur on the backs of his arms.  They help keep him safe; alive.

I remember when he was three.  I remember when the choice was made to start him on the pump.  It was a mere three months after his diagnosis; maybe not even that long.  I struggled with that decision.  Between the meals and the snacks, between the needles and the blood, and between the monitoring and the carb counting... he looked typical.  There was nothing "visible" about the disease.  There were no reminders that he had a chronic condition.  He looked like his peers. Adding technology, adding devices changed that.

Joe has never felt the need to hide his diabetes.  He wears his pump and CGM where people may see them.  Sure he gets questions. Usually, he responds to them.  Sometimes, if he is focused on something else, he may divert the conversation elsewhere. 

Last week, while we were at the track meet where Joe learned about kidney-pancreas transplants...

I was timing with a group of parents.  Joe came over to me, to my purse, for money.  As he walked away, a parent commented on the "new fad".

Timing Lady: "What is this new fad?"

Me:  "What?"

I followed her line of vision, she was watching Joe walk away from us.

Timing Lady:  "I've seen a lot of kids wearing those, what are they?  ... on the back of his arms?"

Me:  "OH."  I then saw what she saw.  "My son is a diabetic.  That is his insulin pump and a continuous glucometer."

Timing Lady:  "I thought it was some new kind of accessory the kids were wearing on their arms."

Nah,  just life support.

The "craze" of sporting some life support in his day-in-the-life.

Sub Flub

"Did it bother you?"

"No mom, I was OK with it..  ..  It really wasn't a big deal."

A couple of afternoons ago...

Joe was sharing about his school day.  He had a substitute teacher in one of his classes.  His Dexcom started donging off "Meep-Meep-Meep style" indicating a low I presume, from the history of numbers.

One of Joe's classmates started teasing Joe...stating he should put his "cell phone" away.  The students were trying to rattle the sub, not tease Joe per-se.  Another Meep-Meep-Meep and from the sounds of it, the substitute teacher was not impressed with Joe and his ding-donging cell phone.  She asked Joe to put his cell phone away promptly or she would be referring him to the Principal's office. 

 Joe then took a deep breath and went into the abbreviated version of he has type 1 diabetes and the ringing noise was from his continuous glucometer called a Dexcom.  Joe said the substitute then apologized and he added she was quite nice.

This is the third time something like this has happened this year.

I admired Joe's willingness to openly explain his medical condition and the technology that accompanies it in front of his peers to the substitute teacher.  He didn't appear to be too bothered by it.  To him it's part of it, of having t1d, the explaining himself.  Frankly, he knows no differently.

He will be put in this position where he needs to explain himself; to stand up for himself; to advocate for himself.  I think that is part of life for all of us.  Society does not need to handle Joe with kid gloves.  Friends, family, and strangers should feel comfortable to ask questions in a respectful manner.  I suppose... I guess what kinda bothered me about this situation for Joe is it was a potentially embarrassing scenario he was left to deal with, on his own, during the already awkward-y place called Middle School.  Not.Too.Cool.

I figured if I could lessen the frequency of events like this it was worth a try.  So, I emailed Joe's school nurse and requested the teachers add a note about his CGM to their sub binders.

Trying to save him a little bit of explaining about his day-in-the-life.

Losing The "Visible" LEASH

While "Cutting The Cord" has a nice ring to it, I think perhaps they could also name it "Losing The Leash".  Joe switched from the Animas Ping to the Omnipod yesterday.

 



 

Originally ... six and a half years ago .... when I chose a pump, I was making that choice for a three year old.  I was making that choice for a three year old on very minuscule amounts of insulin.  I chose Animas because of the pump's ability to give basal insulin in 0.025u/hour increments.  I also recall there was some IOB issue with the Omnipod at that point, as in ... it.didn't.keep.track.of.it.  We have been happy with the Animas Ping: great customer service, minimal site loss, minuscule amounts of insulin delivery.  What I did not love about Animas was how Joe almost off-ed himself on accident, by inserting a full cartridge that was connected to his body into the pump with fully advanced piston, while he was at school...not the pump's fault at all...user error, but still scary.  We also had some "loss of prime" issues, which actually led to the previously mentioned almost off-ing himself issue.  Joe was trying to fix the pump issue at school and did not want to embarrass himself by disconnecting the tubing from the site, which was inserted in his butt cheek.  All-in-all though, we have been loyal Animas users.  Joe wants to try out life without a fanny pack strapped around his waist.  Joe wants to try a life without bulky plastic-y devices shoved in his pant pockets.  I understand.

So...here we are...here I was yesterday...pre-programming the Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM) for our pump start.

With the Omnipod, the basal increments are in 0.05 u/hour.  So, I currently have like 15 basal rates going (yes...head is hung down in shame).  There are two areas in Joe's day where his basal rates were at 0.075 u/hour and at 0.125u/hour.  I was not comfortable just cranking him up or down by 20 to 33% of his current rates.  I decided to do the back~and~forth basal thing for those increments in time (i.e. 9am - 0.15u/hour, 10am - 0.1u/hour, 11am 0.15u/hour).

Joe has never inserted a pump site on his own during his history with diabetes and pumps.  Yesterday, during his pump start, he did it.  He drew up the insulin.  He filled the POD.  He cleansed the site area.  He adhered the POD to his body.  He pressed the button on the PDM to "insert".  We hugged...yet another "first".

After the pump insertion, Joe went back to the lobby of the clinic.  There are computers out there.  The Rep and I continued to go over pump questions.  As  I was scrolling through the "temp basal" section of the Omnipod, I asked why it only went up to a 95% increase in basal.  I was explaining that I would crank Joe's basal up by 125% on the Animas Ping for road trips.  I wanted to show her what the temp basal program looked like on the Animas Ping...  I then realized that we had just sent Joe to the clinic lobby hooked to two pumps!  His Ping AND the POD!  Oy!!  I ran out and had Joe remove the Animas pump and his Tallygear belt.  He smiled and simply stated "Freedom".

Back to the temp basal...so I showed the Omnipod Rep the Animas pump's temp basal program.  She stated the POD could not go over a 95% increase.  I'll figure that out with bolusing or making a new basal program for travel days.

Now that Joe is "free", he is requesting a break from Dexcom.  He doesn't want to be tied down by carrying the receiver.  I have been quite liberal with Dexcom "breaks".  I told him that I preferred he wears it, but he doesn't have to wear/carry the receiver all the time.  He's been tied down to equipment for 70% of his life.  He is respectfully asking for a little break.  I get it.

A day-in-the-life of loosing the visible leash...the invisible leash remains, DIABETES.

D' Diligence

This just in...

By the way, I am grumpy...have a cold...

Car ride home from school, about 10 minutes ago. 

Me to Joe:  "You ordered the school lunch for the field trip tomorrow. Right?"  (We filled out forms for the all day hike a couple of weeks ago.  My mind is already carb-counting-out his lunch and trying to settle on some sort of basal reduction plan that may or may not work depending on the Universe's alignment and 'tude tomorrow...oh, and Joe's growth hormones, exertion level...hikes have notoriously left me a wreck in the past.  My worry of losing Joe in the woods connected to lethal amounts of insulin dripping into his body is a hard habit to shake.  He hikes fast.  I am usually clambering up or down some mountain paces behind him...yelling for him to slow down...it has been like this for years... yes, it is a little embarrassing)

DUH-faced Joe: "Mom!  You did not tell me to hand in the forms."

*internally going all kinds of ballistic*

Let me tell you the system.  The school sends home a folder.  Every.Friday.  The folder has two sides.  One side is labeled "home" and one side is labeled "school".  So the forms to view and complete are in the "home" side of the folder.  I view them.  I complete them.  I then put them in the "school" side of the folder.  The folder then makes it's way to school via Joe's backpack.  Now, I don't know how the folder traverses the school from this point on, but I am assuming that some-how, some-way those forms get to where they need to get. Hopefully the issue here is that Joe forgot about those particular forms on that particular week a couple of weeks ago.  Hopefully he is all set to go...for tomorrow.  Hopefully, I am frustrated for no reason.

Me:  "Joe the forms were in the folder." (firm, no-nonsense voice)

Joe:  "Ahhh .... what folder?" (mind you, there is only this one folder in Joe's life right now)

Me:  "Joe, this is your job.  I put the papers in your folder two weeks ago.  It had your permission form.  It had your menu choices.  It let them know that I am riding the bus and going on the field trip with you.  I am gonna blow a gasket on ya."

"And ...did you turn in your book order?"

*his blank expression spoke for him...he forgot to turn that in today*

"Fine.  If you don't hand in the book order, you don't get the books.  That is a logical consequence."  Using tactical parenting lingo while actually parenting is most likely not smart.  I am giving him an unfair advantage.

We pulled into the driveway.  I had, finally, calmed.

Bridget, Joe and I settle into the kitchen.  I look over Joe's daily diabetes log. We are still struggling with managing a large drop from pre-recess to post-recess.  At this point, I hesitate before looking at the numbers...depressing.

Joe notices me looking at his numbers.

Joe:  " I was double-downing before recess..." (he was 108 while Dexter showed the rapid drop)

Joe continued on:  "I didn't go for an Oreo~boost.  I needed fast-acting sugar for that number ... with the double-down and all.  I went for Skittles".

Joe's day-in-the-life of being a normal, forgetful nine year old boy while showing D' diligence.

KinKy In The Car

5:50a.m. this morning...Dexter was donging-off for "LOW", Joe was actually 223.  I corrected and planned on changing Joe's site when he woke.  It had been in since Monday (that is a long time, I usually change him out every two to three days).  I also made a mental note to rip out Dexter.  He was dead to me. Liar.

About an hour later, still wearing his clothes from yesterday, jeans and a long sleeve tee, he was snuggled in his bed with our Miniature Schnauzers.

"How was your sleep bud?"

"Great, I am just giving these little cuties a tummie rub." His face was buried in Oscar and Henry fur.  (See, I just call him a "troll"...he is a pretty darn good kid with a kind heart)

"Look it, you cannot go to school in the same clothes your wore yesterday and last night...change and come down stairs for a new site."

He changed.  New site was done.  Dexter was ripped out.  Pre-breakfast number was 189.

He ate 54 grams worth of wheat toast smeared in butter, peanut butter, and honey.  He was bolused.

Off to school he went.

9:30-ish a.m. The School Nurse calls.  Joe was in the 400s, washed his hands...rechecked, he was 388.  I tell her about the new site and that if his pre-lunch number is over 250 to check for ketones and to call me.  The site may be bad. 

12:00-ish p.m. Yep.  You.Guessed.It.  The School Nurse was calling to let me know that Joe was 468 with moderate ketones. "OK.  I'll be right over.  He needs a site change."  I shove my partially consumed salad in the fridge.  I don't want Joe to miss out on much of his lunch-time and am dreading the "recess" plan.  He should not be running around ketotic.  This was not gonna go over well with a 400+ Joe.

As I pulled into the school, the front of the school, Joe ran out to greet me.  Apparently, we are back to doing school~site~changes in my vehicle.  He plopped in the front of the car...upper body in the drivers seat...butt up over the console-y thing...I was in the passenger side with Joe's legs.  He wanted the door shut.  Fine, I crammed myself in and shut it.  The bad site was removed.  The new site inserted without issue.  I could not find the IV 3000 that I had placed in the car for the site change.  I was trying to hurry ... I grumbled at Joe about the ridiculous position he and I were in...in the car...and could he see if the IV 3000 was under his hands in the driver's seat.  As I grumbled at him, he grumbled at me..."Diabetes is ruining my lunch and recess...." 

KINKED SITE

IV 3000 was found, under my butt.  I slapped it on Joe's butt.   (the IV 3000 keeps Joe's sites situated and allow Joe to be the ever-loving...always-moving Joe that we know and love).   Joe then got his shorts situated.  We hugged; both of us knowing and needing to convey to one another that none of this is our "fault". Diabetes was being a turd today.  Period.
 
The lunch bolus was gargantuan.  I gave 2/3 of the correction and a full carb bolus.  I have learned that bad sites followed by good sites...can drop Joe quickly...thus the 2/3 correction.

I've got the mechanics down.  The numbers, the boluses, they don't make me second guess myself often.  It is here, with the recess issue, that I struggled.  Moderate ketones...huge bolus...and recess...are not a good combination.  I knew that this was not going to go over well with Joe.  The School Nurse offered some fun hang-out-in-the-Health-Office-time with a good buddy of his choosing.

Nope.  This did not sound like a good deal to Joe.  He did not whine or complain.  He was, however, firm.

Me:  "Joe, do you think you could do recess without running?"

Joe:  "I just wanna do the bars...back flips."

Not really back flips...but going backwards around the bars...he has been learning tricks from the girls.

Me:  "OK...the bars ONLY."

Joe:  "How about swinging and the Gyro?"

Me:  "Fine. Swinging, NO Gyro." (Swinging seemed harmless...just some leg pumping...no to the Gyro because it is kind of high off the ground ~shoot...just realized the swing is high off the ground as he pendulates... back to the Gyro.... he has to hold on for dear life and it spins...it just seemed like a good idea to have denied it, as he hopefully euglycemi-tizes (a word?).

So, I am left here second guessing the activity and the ketones.  If they were HIGH, I would have said "NO" to recess.  Moderate...with known cause...I "modified" recess.  What do you guys do?

Our kinky day-in-the-life.

Thank You Phone Caller Friend. Community.

You can thank the letters "W" and "M" for the following post.  I have been up.  I have been up at 1:40 correcting a 300.  I have been up at 4:15 making sure the correction worked or that it didn't induce coma.  And I am now...just up..because who can sleep with all these ups and downs.  I wonder how Joe's body feels while it is "W"-ing and "M"-ing?  And I swear that right before the "W" there is like a finger pointing at me...like I did something wrong.

**********

Phone call the other day after school.

Me: "Hello?" (newish phone, didn't have friend in my contacts yet, hence the "?")

Phone Caller Friend:  "Hey...we just saw Joe pushing his bike up Brickyard (a street)...he looked a little .. tired.  Does he have a phone or something?  ... Just thought you would want a heads-up..."  Now I am pretty sure she was calling to give me a diabetes "heads-up", but maybe it was a normal "heads-up" call.  My mind almost always goes to "diabetes" where Joe is concerned.

Me:  "Thank you so much.  I just checked his number at school.  It was in a good range for him to ride home.  He is walking because ... bike is a BMX bike ... no gears (by the way, let me insert here ... a total blood sugar buster).  Please always feel free to call if something looks off.  There may be times Joe could use some help."

A village.  Did I ever tell you that I actually do live in a village.  Essex Junction is a village.  A village, by definition is a community smaller than a town.  I think the term "It takes a village"  really hinges on the "community" part of the "village" definition.  Community:  A group or society helping one another. 

**********

This year, after school is going to be a bit different.  Joe will bike home and go to after school activities.  I reflected this on his daily log; the piece of paper with carb counts and instructions that accompanies Joe to school daily via Woodchuck.  I have added a "sugar sliding scale" of sorts to boost him according to his 2:45pm number. 

Presenting the 2012 "LOG"

Here is the blown up part of the "sugar sliding scale" instructions.  I also like to use it for P.E. Days.

Community in our day-in-the-life of looking out for Joe.

"Same-Same" At 70mph...

I think this was the first wedding ceremony that I actually enjoyed a beverage, an alcoholic one at that, while spectating.  Tara and I clinked bottles, as we waited for Chloe, Bridget, and Joe to escort Mom down the aisle.  My mom got married at my sister's lake house this weekend.  Congrats Mom!

Yesterday....

As we were driving home from Connecticut...where the ceremony took place....

I was zoning out in the front passenger seat, as Dave drove.  Then I saw it.  A Connecticut license plate had the letters "D" "I" "B" "E" "T" "E" "S".  No, that could not be.  I wondered if the "DIBETES" was short for "DIABETES".  My answer quickly flashed by before I had time to verbalize all that had been going down on my side of the car with the license plate and my curiosity.  My answer was in the form of an arm site...a CGM?.  I caught a glimpse of it as Dave whizzed by the young adult female.

"Dave!!!  I gotta get by that car again." I think I was kinda excited.

"She has a license plate that says D-I-B-E-T-E-S...and she has diabetes!!!"

"She has an arm site of sorts."

" I think it was a Dexcom."

I desperately wanted to share some sort of "uniting" moment with this woman.  So, I talked Dave into slowing up and positioning the car so that I may "interact" with her on some level while we careen down the highway.  My idea was to wave some sort of diabetes paraphernalia out the window.  Bridget was horrified.  Joe did not even know what was going down as he was head-phoned and engrossed in The Princess Bride.

Dave maneuvered us in and out of traffic.  He slowed.  He weaved.  He got us over to the right lane.  She, "DIBETES License Plate Lady", was in the middle lane.  She passed us.  Dave then crossed the middle lane and got us into position in the left lane.  He stepped on it.  I rolled down my window.  I had Joe's Dexcom receiver in my hand.  I was waving it out the window ... kinda fist pumping it in the air ... at "DIBETES License Plate Lady".  I think I was screaming "WOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!" or something.  She and the passenger, another young adult female, took notice of me and responded in like with multiple fist pumps, while "Wohoooooooo-ing".  Huge grins were gracing our faces.

Upon closer inspection, her arm site was a pump site.  It looked "Medtronic-y".

A day-in-the-life of wanting to express "same-same" at 70 mph.

"Marks", "Squirts", JUVIE, and PODs...

So, this post-concussive thing isn't working out too good around here.

I am finding Joe even more "work" as I am trying to keep him from tripping, careening, falling, or flying to the ground to smash his already damaged melon into the asphalt, dirt, wood chips... pick your poison... it is all dangerous to a concussed cranium.

As his body has slowed, interesting things have been discussed and divulged as his thoughts have time to stew. The discussions are particularly titillating on "Oscar's Business Walks".

During the "Business Strolls"...

Joe counts how many times he "marks", "squirts" (what is the difference?), and "pees", and well you know ... does the "big business". As we walk Joe continues to keep track and reports with each "mark", "squirt", and "real-business" the updated tally. I just "uhm" and "ahhh", not really listening, just waiting for the mother load of business so that we can head back home.

On our walk last night....

"So, am I to young to go to Juvie?", Joe sprang on me after a "mark, squirt...etc...tally update".

"What?" (dear God, seriously?)

"You know Juvvvie ... " (I guess the extra emphasis on the "v's" was employed to jostle my knowledge base) Joe then waits patiently for my response while he lets Oscar tangle himself on 30 feet of retractable leash.

"Ah, yeah ... too young"... I was not gonna go 'there' ... and I certainly don't wanna know why in the hell he is asking.

This morning, on another Oscar "Business" walk ...

Joe was talking about his tubing from his pump. Apparently it was giving him a "feel" in the "nether regions". I have never heard him complain about his tubing. It is all he has known since he was three years of age. So, I asked ... thinking he would answer "no"... I asked if his tubing bothered him. A simple "sometimes" was expressed in the soft-lisp-kissed-nasally voice.

Hmmm.

"Yah know, there is a pump that doesn't have tubing." I then asked, "Would you want to try that sometime?"

"Sounds nice mom ... I think so ... maybe."

Wow... Not sure how I feel about this...

Pre-Ping, I wielded the Animas Insulin Pump like a pro while keeping up with an "On-The-Go-Joe". I could check the time, IOB (Insulin On Board), and bolus while Joe ran, slid, scootered... and ice skated. Not once was a site dislodged due to my pancreating feats and prowess.

The following depicts some of my adventures with a 3 year old, a 4 year old, and a 5 year old Joe (pre-Ping) ...

Time check on the slide...

Scootering down the street during a correction bolus...

The "traffic-cone-appendage-skateboard" incident....

Running down the street during an IOB check ... I didn't dislodge his site even though the tubing was as tight as my Jordache Jeans were in High School.

The seriousness of this conversation has not been determined. I am willing to look into it for Joe if he is, indeed, curious about the pod. I have heard that they get "knocked off" easily during high intensity sports like basketball. Is this true? And, I have also heard there is/was an IOB issue. Laura ... Lorraine ... Penny... anyone? I guess I am willing to think about it. Also, does anyone know if Dexcom is as close to coupling with Omnipod as they are with Animas? Another concern of mine for sure.

A day-in-the-life of wanting to lose the "leash".

DEXTER and a PUDDING "Roll in the Hay"

...and no I am not making this shit up.

Again, another exhausted morning post after a "wild ride" of a night. I am chuckling and in good humor though and was laughing during the pudding incident.

Note...for non-D friends...a normal blood sugar number is 80-120. We try to keep Joe's blood sugar between 90 and 200 at night. A true LOW, is a blood sugar less than 70 for a young child.

Joe was running a little LOW yesterday evening, I had given him some glucose tablets to boost up his number before going to bed. A couple (8 grams) usually does the trick and buys us blood sugar points so that we are not chasing "lows" all night...sadly for me, this was not the case in the wee hours of the morning.

Usually at night, when Joe is low he will chew on Glucose Tablets while he sleeps. Unfortunately, there were no more glucose tablets to be had in the Maher Household. CostCo is not currently selling them, so I didn't pick any up this weekend. Trust me, I will be heading out to the drugstore this morning to purchase the coveted sugar.

Anyways...back to the story...

I know you are on the edge of your seats wanting to know about the PUDDING.

At 1:30am...I am woken up by my snoring husband, who is sleeping off a Stanley Cup Playoff win by the Detroit Redwings. I decide to check Joe's number and then hope to sleep through the rest of the night. Dexter is running right on (BG=127/Dexter=121) with a diagonal arrow down...which means Joe's number is slowly dropping. I decide to give a glucose tab...and am hoping not to hear from Dexter for the remainder of the night.

YEAH RIGHT, all good plans get foiled...

2:30am rolls around...beep...beep...vibrate...vibrate...YEP, you guessed it! Dexter is calling. I stumble out of bed, eyes half open, shuffle to Joe's room, peer at Dexter...bummer...64 with a stable arrow. I go to the kitchen...glucose tabs are now depleted. I think of my good on-line D-mom friend Meri (HI Meri!)...and her "pudding" solution to nightly LOWs. I had bought some a couple of weeks ago thinking I might want to give it a try. So, what the heck...I pull out the CHOCOLATE pudding, grab a spoon and head into Joe's room.

Now, I should take pause and let you know...I didn't really go over this plan with Joe at all and he is a VERY DEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeEP SLEEPER.

So I scoop up the pudding...I am trying to wake Joe just enough so that he will take in the sugary-goodness. Nope, not gonna do it...in true Joe style. Joe's gonna do what Joe's gonna do even while sleeping. So I try to drag his limp carcass up to a sitting position. I didn't want the pudding to surprise him...and for him to choke on it while laying down. The zombie-like flail-y (not a word I am sure) noodle, otherwise known as my son, won't BUDGE. So I tried to place the spoon to his lips with just a touch of pudding, thinking he will like the taste and just eat it in his sleep. He took a small amount...like a teaspoon. I decided to cram a little more in his mouth and Joe resisted, turned his face, which is now smeared with Chocolate Pudding by the way, and proceeds to get it all over his pillow case and sheets. Turning and dodging his head away from my persistant but fruitless attempts, the "smear-fest" continues. This went on for a couple of more minutes...me scooping, trying to entice the slumbering Joe, Joe refusing, the sheets becoming more and more soiled with the chocolate. So I scrapped that plan and went for the juice and a straw. That took me a good 5 minutes to get into him...but FINALLY I had Joe sugared up and was able to go catch some Zzzz's.

...for an hour and then...

3:30am ...you guessed it...beep...beep...blah...blah...blah. OK I am up. Dexter is alerting me that Joe is now 55 (yep, confirmed by a blood glucose level of 61)...so I went the juice route again...no biggie this time.

And for the grand finale...the final beep that woke my tired, sleep-deprived self up for the day...6am...beep...beep...beep. Another LOW ALARM, Dexter saying 55 - LIAR! His blood sugar was 140.

So I am up, sharing with you my PUDDING "ROLL IN THE HAY" with Dexter...who is a liar ...and interrupted my precious sleep. At least he cannot cheat.

I'll be doing laundry today and maybe, just maybe I should discuss with Joe the "Pudding Plan" before executing it next time. For those of you who don't live this way...our lives are truly so outlandish...you cannot make this stuff up. Another story of the day...ahemm...or should I say...the NIGHT-IN-THE-LIFE WITH A CHILD WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES.

MY NEW BOYFRIEND

There is a new "man" in my life...and yes, my husband knows about him. His name is "Dexter". Joe went into the clinic yesterday to start our month long Dexcom Continuous Glucometer trial. When gazing at Dexter in the office, I had a beautiful feeling wash over me. He is small in stature, but his data supply runs deep, he is relatively painless with numbing cream and he can be told to "be quiet" with a push of one button. In less than 4 hours I was 100% in LOVE with Dexter and all the precious, quick information he provides me with.

Pre-post EDUMACATION: For any of you are not familiar with diabetes, let me start by saying most people with diabetes monitor their blood sugars by testing their blood, via a finger prick and a glucometer, between 4 and 12 times a day. This still provides a very incomplete picture of what your blood sugar is doing, since there can be hours of gaps between readings. So, for a "more complete" picture Continuous Glucometers can be used. They are sensors that you stick into your body and wear all the time. They give you a near-continuous (every few minutes) picture of what your blood sugar is doing. Some models also give you trend arrows, so that if you’re climbing or falling quickly, an alarm will go off — it’s a great way to prevent a high or low before it happens.

We had decided to give the Dexcom a try after chasing Joe and his lows for years. He is an extremely active boy. He also had an episode this past winter where he had a severe low where he passed out after playing hockey in our backyard...see My Life Through a Snow Globe.

OK back to my long...passionate night with Dexter: Keep in mind this is a night, post-hockey game and a dinner out at Moe's. With that said, not a typical night at all - thank God.


Dexter has had me up most of the night...but I am not angry with Dexter; I am thankful for what he has done.

• 1:30am: Dexter started alarming for a HIGH, I went into Joe's room and did a blood sugar check...yep, 300s...ok, bolus, set my alarm for 3:30am, and back to bed.

• 3am: An hour and a half later, Dexter is alarming...me trying to focus on the annoying beep in my sleep induced state, figuring out it is Dexter beckoning me to come to him. I go back to Joe's room... Dexter's receiver is stating that Joe's blood sugar is 45...alrighty then, I did a blood sugar check to make sure Dexter was telling me the truth, and sure enough Dexter would not tell a lie. So, 4 glucose tabs for Joe.

• 4am: At this point Dexter's titillating information has me up for the day. I went back into check the receiver at 4am and Joe is a steady 130. NICE.

• 5:30am Dexter calls again...Joe is 55...OK...more sugar

In the throws of blood sugar checking, insulin bolusing and sugar pushing...my LOVE for Dexter has grown. I am obviously hoping Dexter's and my affair isn't so hot and heavy every night, but what a great learning experience. Dexter is deep and caring, a guardian of my most precious son, Joe. I will charge him every 3 days, or so, to keep him lively and I will protect him from water so that he doesn't fry from this day forward, until Joe or Insurance coverage do us part.