ROAR

 

I look down at the meter and say "Ohhhh yeaaahhh buddy, that's a good number!!!"  Lately, this has become a reoccurring comment.  Let me tell you, I am becoming a blood sugar management specialist and am feeling like a bad ass!  For the past few weeks I have been dancing like a wild thing and singing Katy Perry's ROAR at the top of my lungs, it's the song that I have dedicated to Type 1 Diabetes....."I let you push me passed the breaking point......'cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR!"

The Pediatric Endocrinologist wants Connor's blood in a 80-200 range, and to keep it steady, my husband and I had to learn the following:

-The amount of carbohydrates in every piece of food in existence (we've got most memorized)
-How much correction he needs
-That Connor's blood sugar elevates everyday that he goes to school because he's so excited to be there
-That Connor's blood sugar elevates while he exercises
-That Connor's blood sugar reacts differently when it comes to 20g of natural sugars vs. 20g of processed sugars
-How to order multiple prescriptions and have them ready in 15 minutes....LOVE you Walgreens!
-That his long-lasting insulin peaks everyday 2.5 hours - 3 hours after his injections, be aware, he could go low
-That every night his growth hormone elevates his blood sugar while he sleeps and that he will drop back down
-That Connor's blood sugar elevates if he gets mad
-That Connor is as white as a ghost if his blood sugar is below 70
-I can now give you a range of his low number based on his symptoms and coloring
-When Connor's blood gets above 300 he is mean, irritable and emotional, for every 100 above that he becomes meaner and even more emotional
-That a vial of Lantus or Humalog can be "bad" upon opening and completely ineffective
-That just a .5 unit of insulin will make all the difference in the world....how can a tiny drop make such a difference?
-The importance of shot rotation!
-That Connor's wounds take A LOT longer to heal than they used to
-Where to "click" on Connor's fingers to draw the most amount of blood
-That if the insulin says it expires in 28 days.....it expires in 28 days, you're not gonna make it to day 29
-That the "Honeymoon Period" is absolute hell on earth, nothing comes close!
-That as a family we are in this together, we will get through it, we are champions!!!

There is such a steep learning curve with this disease and please know that this list doesn't pertain to all diabetics, no, every person is different.  You have to know your diabetic child and figure this out on your own and when you finally do, it's magical!  This list didn't 'just happen', nope, there were soooooo many tears on my part!  There were consecutive days and nights of high blood sugar that left me punching the couch and yelling expletives due to deep frustration and worry.  You can't just tell yourself, "oh well, he's at 450, we will get his blood sugar better tomorrow," no, his tiny organs are relying on you to get things right TODAY.  It has been 7 months since Connor's diagnosis and I can finally say that I feel confident! 

When Katy Perry's song comes on the radio you better believe that I belt those lyrics out loudly and fist pump like I'm on an episode of Jersey Shore.......if I can do this, then I can do anything!

To all the parents of children with disabilities, listen to this song, belt it out & fist pump, 'cause we're all champions!!!  What difficulties were you forced to overcome or what have you accomplished in your life that made you feel like a bad ass, like you could ROAR?

Dear Diabetes,

You held me down, but I got up (hey!)
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, your hear that sound
Like thunder, gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready 'cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, the fire
Dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!

Now I'm floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes
I went from zero, to my own hero