I just need to get this out of my system! I really hate this illness!!!! For the second day in a row my daugher has had some pretty good lows. Here is a kid that LOVES school! She missed a half hour to fortyfive minutes of her favorite class yesterday, a half hour today, missed the end of her 5th period class and now is late to 6th period. She just sounded so sad and tired of this! I know this happens at the beginning of every school year until we get the kinks worked out, but still. Right now I just want to sit and cry when I think of this bright, beautiful child who wants to be in the class and learning and she missing some of it. I know I am sitting her and hearing my grandma saying that life is not fair get over it, and my mother-n-law saying "god does not give you more than you can handle". You know what? I don't care, it's not fair and I want it to go away! Ok I know it is not going to go away, but I do feel a little better. I now get to go and pick her up from school, and I won't be so emotional when I see her. Thank you for letting me get this off my chest.
Hi Kathy, any venting is always welcome - we all need it.
My son started high school this year and is one of those kids who also loves school. He decided a long time ago that he does not care if kids know he has diabetes - he figures if what he has to do bugs them then too bad because he is the one who has to live with this crappy disease.
When Alec is low he does not leave the classroom any longer - he tests there and does whatever he needs to do. After the first time nobody even cares anymore.
Would your daughter feel comfortable just taking care of her lows right there in class - that way she won't miss anything.
Kathy,
Know that you are not alone! I have been tired and frustrated with our daughter's diabetes. Our daughter, Baylee, missed her 1st period class more than I can remember because of her b/s. Thankfully, we coordinated with her counselor this year that she has a non core class (chorus) for first period so if she was late it wouldn't affect her learning/grade.
Family and friends will try to encourage you with words of advice but sometimes you just need an ear to vent or a shoulder to cry on. I think all parents with children with diabetes would LOVE for it to disappear...I know I would LOVE for a cure! We've learned to take one day at a time and not let it beat us!
Stacey (mom of Baylee, 14, dx 8/07)
Kathy - School is tricky to manage. However, we actually like it because it is a controlled environment - meaning that we have her pump set to precisely the right settings for the day and her lunch is packed with the exact amount of carbs she needs. (Of course it took some trial and error to get there.) Why do you think she is hitting lows during the day?
Many diabetic kids go low from the excitement the first week of school. Plan for it by eating a few extra carbs at breakfast or letting her blood sugar run a little higher than usual to give a cushion.
Why isn't she treating her lows in class? I was diagnosed before starting kindergarten and never had to miss a class to treat a low. You may need to experiment with how she's treating the reactions to make sure she's recovering quickly. A good backpack option is a juice box or sugar packet or prepackaged Rice Krispy treat. Glucose tabs are ok for a mild low, but you have to eat a lot of them to treat a bad low.
Having said all that, the frustration you feel about your daughter's diabetes is totally natural. It isn't fair that she and your whole family has to deal with this. Not sure if this will help you, but I'd probably had diabetes about 20 years (and rebelled against it for 10 at that point) before I realized that diabetes is a part of who I am, not some detour from the great life I was supposed to have. It's an integral part of me and my life and health are exactly what God intended. Diabetes has brought trouble into my life, but it's brought good things too. It won't keep your daughter from doing well in school or keep her from having a good life.
Take care. -Jenna