We have a good mix of news here on the home front.
First and foremost - we SURVIVED HALLOWEEN. Actually, we did better than survived, we sorta thrived. She had a great day, enjoyed some candy (and a piece a day a few days following, too) and her numbers were fantastic. Probably because we were checking a little more frequently - but even then, it was fun to see her take part in the day and just enjoy being a goofy little girl in a cute mermaid costume.
(obligatory gratuitous kids in costume photo:
Max always picks his nose these days, so this photo is totally legit.)
After Halloween I have to admit November is a bit of a blur. We've been working on getting approval (read: COVERAGE) through insurance for the brand spankin' new G4 Platinum Dexcom CGM - that's quite a mouthful huh? We'll just call it the G4 or the Dex from here on out, ok? If you want a real view of what this handy little gadget is all about click on the link and watch the 1-2 minute video - it's actually pretty darn cool. We wanted to give Sierra a handful of months being used to having something attached onto her body before adding more to the plate, but with the level of control and visualization this tool could give us we think it's time.
A CGM doesn't replace the need for the finger pokes - however - it CAN *reduce* the need for so many. Remember, we do 9-12 pokes a DAY. No joke. Sometimes simply because she's acting like a 4 year old and we want to be sure it's not a high or a low. Understanding and seeing 24/hrs of data and trends will help us learn how to adjust and tweek her insulin amounts, how we administer for the really tough foods like pizza and pastas etc. I really think this could help us. It also alarms us if she's trending to go LOW.
Yep. It warns us. It won't always be 100% accurate, we'll have to calibrate every day and probably still do a fair amount of pokes - but if it's right on catching a low before it even happens even half of the time that right there is wonderful.
It'll also take care of some of the guess work we really struggle with at bed time. Say she's 190 at bed - do we correct her (give her a dose of insulin to bring her into the 140-150 range) or do we let it ride because she's already on her way down? Or is she going up? We have absolutely no way of knowing unless we test her 3-4 times in like an hour and a half to see what it's doing. We're not going to do that every night, obviously, for many reasons. But it's guesswork and we're not always right. It's sort of a crap shoot. This will help us tremendously there! And an alarm to let us know if she's going low?? Yes please!
The wireless 20ft range on the remote/viewer is also super handy! We can leave it on her most of the time, but at school the teachers can have easy access to see what's going on as well.
I'm really feeling good about this! Not so stoked about having to stick another object on her body - but the good news is that this one doesn't have to be changed every 2-3 days like her pump set. These can stay in 10 days (some say 14 is no problem!). Due to the fact that there is no 'infusion' as there is with the pump giving insulin all of the time, these don't get irritated or inflamed like pump sets, thus allowing us to leave it be for longer periods of time. Bonus points.
Anyway, long story short - we were given a few warnings that our insurance is one of the most difficult to work with (figures) and that she'd need to have 3 BIG lows (under 50) every month for 3 months to qualify (we try to avoid those at all costs, hello!), that it may be a long battle. Despite all of this, two days before Thanksgiving we were told we were approved and covered! YES! Only a copay and our monthly fee for the sensors :)
This is AMAZING news. I was giddy. We're working through the process now and hope to have the new G4 by the end of December. Merry Christmas indeed!
For a bit more on the fam, things here have been up and down as usual. Sierra's numbers have been a little erratic ever since Thanksgiving. We drove up north to visit Franks family (Grass Valley) and at first I think it may have been the altitude that messed with her and gave her a bunch of highs, then it was just lots of rich and different foods. We did our best to keep it normal. What else can you do?
When we came back, Max came down with some kind of illness. I know now it was a 24hr flu bug :| Awesome. Our first flu. Despite Sisi and I both having our flu shots, she and I both got sick Monday night. It was not pretty. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Following this flu, which is thankfully almost completely gone now, her numbers have been running pretty consistently high. I have to assume it's because she's dehydrated so I'm trying to shovel as much crystal light lemonade into her system as possible, because she's sick of water. She's 4. I can't really blame her. I'm not a huge fan of artificial sweeteners in general, but you do what you need to do with a diabetic kiddo and when you need copious amounts of fluids ingested this is a good trick. It's working, anyway. Hoping her numbers level out soon.
Christmas is coming and we're all enjoying the season. The tree is up (she helped me - it was a mommy & Sisi tree day! Max was asleep and daddy was on a bike ride).
All in all we just keep keeping on with the new norm here.
Sometimes I feel bad I don't share very much here about Max - I guess the design of this blog is to explore our life with diabetes, which is obviously very Sierra based due to the obvious. I hope as he grows we can help him always feel as loved, cherished and connected to our lives as Sierra is. And he is - so it shouldn't be too tough. But I guess I find myself worrying about him feeling like he's a little in the shadows due to all of this. I'll always do my best to be sure everyone is included day to day, that diabetes isn't our life but just one piece of it that requires frequent attention. I think it will be fine, but I also remember being a younger sibling, and what it's like in those formative years where for some reason it feels a little like a competition. Those who are involved in our 'real life' know how much my little man means to me, to us, so they probably know this is a fruitless concern, but as a mom I guess you always want to be sure all of your kids feel your unconditional love. Its not always an easy balance when you get lost in tasks, but that's what I want for them most.
Sorry, side step there. See, diabetes isn't just about the disease. Not really. It effects your daily life, your family life, the way you do everything. You have to really think about all of the things you do, what you need to remember ahead of time - basically try to be a step ahead (when technically with diabetes you're actually always a step behind :) ). It's easy to slip into the day to day and ignore the big picture - Sierra's life - just to make it through. Sometimes, still, if I take a moment to reflect on what this means for her as an adult, as an adolescent, as a mother, it's a little more than my heart can take. I like to think I'm a relatively strong individual, but having a child with a chronic illness that is bigger than you can grasp with both hands can take a toll. So for now, it's the day to day. I mean what else is there? So many what ifs - what if they find a cure? what if they find some kind of temporary cure that gives a few years reprieve? what if they create something that is nearly as good as a cure? - you never know. So I try not to think about those future years, and focus on what I can do now for Sierra, and for our family, to keep normal feeling normal.
Here's to the season, and what was I most thankful for on Thanksgiving? My beautiful children, and research and advancements in medical science.
Indeed.
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