Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A Day in the life... With Diabetes

Karen over at Bitter-Sweet had a great idea to do a Diabetes Blog Week. We all thought it would be a great idea and Karen says there are at least 95 blogs participating!!

Today's focus is A Day in the Life... With Diabetes So, here we go,

A Day in the life... Diabetic Mommy Style

Being a mom is one of the most wonderful things in the world, next to being Wife to the worlds best Husband.

It's been quite the learning experience to balance Diabetes with Baby starting with the day I found out I was pregnant. We weren't planning her, I didn't have control over my diabetes. I had just started to get my butt in gear, ironically enough, so I learning to keep my blood sugars strictly between the 80-120mg/dl range was difficult. Definitely worth it for the health of my baby girl.

Fast forward to having a nearly ***17 Month Old*** toddler (!!) it's another new world of Diabetes+Motherhood.

She's always on the move. I'm always chasing after her as she shrieks in delight. 

Between getting up in the morning and making breakfast and lunch for Hubby, Myself and Rylee - then getting on with my day which could include anything from grocery shopping, going to work 3 days a week, taking the munchkin to the park, house work, puppy training, making dinner, bath time.... and on and on - all the while making sure Rylee gets the love and attention and discipline she needs - the time to take care of myself and diabetes slips through the cracks all too easily.

Today, for instance,  I woke up with a low blood sugar at 61mg/dl - I had a hard time getting breakfast ready and was pleased Rylee stayed asleep for once.

I had a dentist appointment. Finally wrapping up the TONS of dental work I've needed done. I forgot my Mom is several States away this week due to my Great-Grandmother dying last week, she usually watches the munchkin for me. Last minute I remembered this and begged my wonderful mother in law to watch her for "a couple hours" for me.

That "couple hours" turned into 4 after having to treat a low blood sugar right after the appointment, dealing with the car-licensing (which is another post in itself!), and picking up another late mothers day present.

Miss Rylee was so happy to see me at home. We ate some lunch together (where I forget to test my blood sugar before hand) and read some books.

I'm trying so hard to get a handle on my Diabetes control these days, so I'm trying to incorporate her into it. We went for a run together, I'm jumping back into that Couch to 5k program again - it was a wonderful bit of exercise today and did wonders for my blood sugars! Stupidly I forgot to check my blood sugar before going for my run/walk/interval training and when I got back I was low at 61mg/dl.

No, I didn't bring my meter or back up sugar in the jogging stroller with me. Yes, I am that stupid. - Which is a huge issue for me that I need to resolve.

What would happen if I was to go low enough to pass out or just not be able to even move on the side of the road with Rylee buckled into the jogging stroller? I do bring my phone but if I'm low enough to pass out there isn't any point to the phone. - That's another thing - a medical i.d. bracelet. I have always been terrible at wearing one. Does anyone in the 'real world' wear those anymore? I really should have one "just in case" that worst case scenario does happen.

Anyhow, back to the day.

After we get back Rylee and I play around outside, then inside, then her Papa gets home and we help him clean out his work car. It was a little out-of-the-ordinary for a normal day but that's our 'normal' life. Every day is different. Nothing is ever set in stone and we're flexible to anything.

I had to leave shortly after that again - this time for Pilates. I LOVE Pilates! I feel so energized and awesome afterward. Before starting class I checked my blood sugar at was dismayed when I saw 71mg/dl pop up on the screen - especially when I realized that I also did not have any snacks to bring it up before starting my class. Disconnecting my pump I went ahead with the night, realizing I'd probably have to leave 1/2 way through.

Surprised and pleased I finished the class at 71mg/dl. It didn't budge one bit. First stop on the 30 minute drive back home was at Taco Bell for some good low fat, low grease food.

I've spent most of my day on the low side of the blood sugar realm. Which tends to be tricky when handling a toddler. My energy gets zapped and I don't feel like keeping up with my very active toddler, sometimes I get short tempered with her as she's screaming "ah!ah!ah!" at me for the 100th time. Yet, I still have to be a Mother. I still have to be a Wife. I am still Diabetic. There is no break from any of the 3. 

Some days are great. Some days are rough. Chasing after a toddler is awesome. I'm always busy and she is so full of life my days are wonderful, regardless of what happens in the diabetes realm. I love her, I love my husband - and because I love them I must incorporate diabetes into my every day. even when I am "too busy" or "forget." (...just another excuse for getting a CGMS...)

My baby girl is going to be a great adversary to me, as my husband is. 

2 comments:

Saffy said...

Darn you make motherhood sound fantastic :)

Sorry about your great gran. Were you close? I miss my grans.

r.e. the meter thing. Um I've done that too hon. It's called being human :) Could you get another one to keep in the stroller? That way you don't have to worry about remembering.

And about medic braclets, I'm not very PC on these I'm afraid but I do have 3 of them. From a crowd called Lauren's Hope. I've read a long message board on this on TuDiabetes with people singing the virtues of MedicAlert and they're probably right. However I like the prettiness factor of the ones I went with - honestly, they're great.

I'm glad our paths crossed. I'm really looking forward to hearing more about how your make diabetes and motherhood + everything else work :)

Anonymous said...

Miss Rylee sounds very sweet!

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