Round 2

I have been layed out again with another rotten cold only this time had laryngitis for about 7 days and couldn't get any work done.  I am feeling better and finally caught up so I can do some blog posting!

Dealing with Morgan's diabetes and basketball has always been a 'trial-by-fire' thing.  We do what we know how to do, (control carbs, give insulin and pray) and hope that everything works out okay.  During the previous 3 tournaments we would watch his blood sugars sky-rocket into the 300 and 400's.  This was primarily due to being early morning games, 8AM and having eaten breakfast less than an hour before.  Adrenaline also causes his blood sugars to climb.  So the combination of the 2 was a sure fire way to end up playing basketball with high blood sugars.

At this last tournament, I asked Morgan if he could try to keep his morning carb intake to 50 grams.  You would have thought I asked him to chew off his left hand!  I tried to explain to him my reasoning and he agreed to give it a try.  so he limited his breakfast to fruit, potato's, and protein.

About 20 minutes before the start of his game, one of the other moms tell me that Morgan blood sugar is low!  WHAT?!?!?  When I ask him he was 59!  Go figure!  We finally got him up to a safe level, 130's I think, but he didn't start.  I told him that he was good to go, but he was still very wary.  

When he did go in, his mind was just not on the game.  He had passes hit him square in the chest that he missed, not 1 but 3.  It wasn't until halftime and his glucose over 200 that he finally became comfortable enough to play the game. 

Just when I think we have it all figured out, Diabetes shows me that it can still kick me in the pants!

56, 58, 60....

just a couple of Morgan's blood sugar readings from last night/early this morning.


You see, his numbers have been awesome this week. Hardly any highs, maybe 1 or 2 lows.

I knew to be on the lookout. Numbers like the ones he has been having usually come at a price.

He went to bed with a blood sugar of 109 mg/dL after having 'dessert' but with about 4 units of insulin still coursing through his system, so I knew that we would need to check him in a couple of hours.

When Pat came to bed at 11:30 (2 hours later) he checked Morgan and was clocked in at 56. We give him 4 glucose tabs.

A re-check at 11:45 shows a whopping...58. I give him 4 glucose tabs and found another one in his sheets....he only got 3 the first treatment.

12:00 AM check....60....4 glucose tabs.....I really hope this ends soon and without the help of glucagon. Turn down the basal rate on his pump to about 50%.

12:15....54... O.M.G.... I really am praying at this point.
4 more glucose tabs and a sip of milk....his mouth has got to be like chalk dust. I'm not sure how much more sugar he can eat and am seriously considering giving him a little glucagon.

12:30...94....FINALLY....1 cup of milk and 2 peanut butter crackers.

Final count: 15 glucose tablets.. or about 60 grams of glucose. YUCK.

He woke up this morning with a blood sugar of 178, which is really quite impressive since he had 50% of his basal insulin all night long and there really wasn't a 'rebound' from his overnight low.

In the mornings, I always check his blood sugar and bolus for him. He always eats the same amount of carbs so I can get away with this and it kills 2 birds with one stone: 1) I can pre-bolus him to help with his breakfast spike and 2) it actually forces him to get out of bed!

So, this morning after I checked his glucose I was greeted with a much needed hug and a "you are the best Mom, thanks for taking care of me, I love you!"

Diabetes is that way. Keeps us guessing and on our toes.

Note to self: buy more glucose tablets and make sure glucagon is up-to-date.