Tape And Glue Just Doesn't Cut It

In the beginning of Brendon's diagnosis, when we left the house to go somewhere, I'd carry every supply necessary with me to ensure that Brendon would be well provided for in the event he was high, low, whatever.... I'd bring his kit, glucagon, snack, water, juice or tabs, insulin, needles. Even if it was a half hour trip to a store, supplies would ride along. Granted about 90% of the stuff went unused for a very long time, but you just never knew what would happen.

Over the course of the 4 yrs he's had diabetes, I've perhaps become overconfident (however you want to label it) that he'll be fine and that nothing significant will happen while we're out somewhere that would warrant me bringing all of my supplies with me. Unless of course we were doing an over nighter, or an all dayer far from home. I typically just bring his kit and some tabs....if I remember...and even then sometimes I don't bring anything at all with me.

That overconfidence has bitten me in the ass more than once over the years, but I never really corrected my lack of preparedness because I was always able to get away with fixing the problem with an application of "tape and glue".

But recent events have tossed me back to the beginning....

The other day, Brendon came through the door after school looking pale and like he was about to pass out. He didn't have the energy to take off his coat and boots. Collapsing on the couch, he told me he was tired and hungry and he wanted a snack. I checked him. He was a 43. Give him a juice....give him a peanut butter sandwich....give him some cookies because his sister spilled her guts and told him she and Jacob already had some, so of course all things have to be equal amongst the siblings.

I went over the food list he had just scarfed down to count the carbs and he added in the juice he drank while walking home from the bus stop. Oh really....I didn't know he drank a juice he had in his backpack....a juice I hadn't even known about. I looked at the log the school nurse fills out and at 3:00 he was a 130. Because he had gym that day, she noted that she sent him home with a just-in-case-juice and it proved to be a lifesaver so to speak. I asked if he felt low on the bus and he told me he didn't feel low until he started walking home from the bus stop....45 minutes from the time he was last checked. A drop that fast...ouch!

You see, he normally doesn't have a juice in his backpack at all times. You see, this is the first time he dipped low like that on his way home from school. You see, if he hadn't had that juice to hold him just enough to allow him to walk home (which is several houses down the road, but still) he may not have had the ability to make it home safely. That sends chills down my spine and makes me feel like an awful mother.

So now, I pack a just-in-case-juice in his backpack for the occasions he may drop low.

This morning, he woke us at 6 a.m. telling us that his infusion set pulled out while he was sleeping. The tubing made a clean disconnection from the cartridge. Luckily it happened not too long before he told us because he was a 216 this morning.

Because the tubing had the ability to do what it did while he was sleeping, who knows what would happen during a game of football, or climbing around on the monkey bars at the park, or any other activity little boys love to do.

So now, I will make sure he has EVERYTHING he needs to ensure that he is safe and sound. No more taking for granted that he'll be fine.

I've been getting away for far too long with "just enough" because I took for granted that nothing really bad would happen and that tape and glue would fix everything.

The walk home from the bus stop struck me especially hard because I wasn't with him and he was so vulnerable to the effects of a low that could've proven to be much worse had he been subjected to my lack of vigilance.

The cold slap in the face hit me pretty hard and I've snapped out of it. I'm back to being a vigilant mom.