BS testing for pumpers???

[MrsBadshoe]

Just got off the phone with our Social Worker from CHOP. Delaney is having learning issues and a few depression issues ie..when presented with a challange at school she shuts down rather then try to figure out how to do something....

Any how we discussed how many times a day Delaney is tested usually about 10-12. She is very much effected by exercise so we always test prior to and after PE....So, testing at school without any issues includes: Prior to PE, After PE, prior to Snack, Prior to Lunch and before leaving to walk home so minimum of 5 times. Then add prior to breakfast, dinner and bedtime snack then again while she is asleep before I go to bed; so that is 4 more. Then add in a time or 2 of hypos and you get at least 10 or 11.

The social worker felt this was excessive. And that it could be effecting Delaney negatively.

So, my poll question for pumpers is how many times a day on average does your child test???

[AmberO]

8-10 times a day and much more when she is sick!

[sammysmom]

Kimball, sorry that Delaney is having some problems. It really breaks my heart when I see kids struggle. Good thoughts and prayers coming your way. Does Delaney complain about the bg tests, is she saying specifically that is what's bugging her??? When you were describing the problems that she is having I really did not see how the frequent bg testing came into play......

We test sammy as often as you test Delaney...the school prefers to test that often to make sure no "situation" occurs......... With all the swimming that Delaney does and everything else, how could you not test her that often??!!

shannon

[Abby-Dabby-Doo]

I was told we test too often also. It makes me angry to hear that. Do these people just think we like our kids to do this? It's for their health, not to see how much blood we can get out in one day.

We test 10 to 15 times a day.
Before and after meals-6
Before and after snack-2
When she arrives at daycare from school-1
Middle of the night-1

That's 10, and no extras for lows, before a trip to the park (with daycare), PE like you listed, after a correction for a high, or I'm trying to figure out some food trends (such as pizza) and that requires extra testing.

[Jana]

We test 5-8 times per day: at 4 am, before breakfast, before lunch, before snack, before dinner, before bedtime snace, and before Eric and I go to bed. If Gabriel doesn't have a snack or a bedtime snack, then we skip those tests. On days when Gabriel really runs around like crazy on the playground, we add one or two tests to the routine to make sure he doesn't drop from all the exercise.

[MrsBadshoe]

Kimball, sorry that Delaney is having some problems. It really breaks my heart when I see kids struggle. Good thoughts and prayers coming your way. Does Delaney complain about the bg tests, is she saying specifically that is what's bugging her??? When you were describing the problems that she is having I really did not see how the frequent bg testing came into play......

We test sammy as often as you test Delaney...the school prefers to test that often to make sure no "situation" occurs......... With all the swimming that Delaney does and everything else, how could you not test her that often??!!

shannon

I think she was relating the fact of her shutting down rather then attempting things might be part of her being overwhelmed by her testing???? She said that she would think that that amount of testing is only need for when you first get on the pump or are adjusting basals...

I can't imagine how to get that number of tests even lower. It's not like I'm aiming for lowering her A1C just trying to make sure she doesn't go hypo....

[sammysmom]

I think she was relating the fact of her shutting down rather then attempting things might be part of her being overwhelmed by her testing???? She said that she would think that that amount of testing is only need for when you first get on the pump or are adjusting basals...


I have learned that not every problem that a child has is related to diabetes...you and Bennett do a good job to make sure your kids life does not revolve around D.....maybe it is releated to her having some academic difficulities.......I have no doubt that you guys will figure this out...delaney is a very lucky little girl to have parents like you....

shannon

[wendyc]

Abby is tested:

Breakfast
930am
Prior to snack
Prior to recess if it is a very hot day and or if her bg was below 150
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Snack
10p-11p

Additional checks:
Pre/Post sports
During the night if her bg's are questionable at 10p
Every 2hrs if sick
If she is acting off

She said that she would think that that amount of testing is only need for when you first get on the pump or are adjusting basals...

No she would not think this amount is excessive if she had spoken with an endo prior to speaking to you.
Best of luck with this.

[sam1nat2]

we test just like you. I also see my ds get frustrated with things and almost shut down at times. Personally I think it is more his personality, he is such a little perfectionist. The testing bothers him only when his numbers are out of range.

[Momof4gr8kids]

We were testing about 10 times a day until recently. Julia started expiriencing diabetes burnout. So I took her to see a child phsych. The child phsych said we needed to cut back for a while. Julia is doing pretty well for the most part, and we aim for 4 tests per day now, but tend to do 6 minimum still because of excersize, or hypo's.

Julia's also having issues because she was made fun of at school for not being able to eat a cup cake one day. The school nurse wasn't there, and I didn't know she wouldn't be there.

I really don't know what to tell you. It's kind of one of those things that is a no win situation. Trying to balance mental health, and health is a hard issue.

Do they think that the testing is the issue, or the D, or is there something more there that is going on that no one knows about yet?

(((hugs))) You'll make it through, and figure the best for her, and your family.
Jamie

[Hollyb]

Aaron tests a minimum of 4 times, usually more like 7. When he had phys ed every day, though, it was often 10.

If the minimum is 4 (before meals and bed) and, as we were told, you should test before, during and after phys ed, then that looks to me like 7 is pretty much minimum. Throw is just one low and a night test and you're pushing 10.

I can understand how a kid having that many tests could start to feel that her entire life was revolving around her blood sugars. But it's hard to see where you could safely cut down.

[MrsBadshoe]

We were testing about 10 times a day until recently. Julia started expiriencing diabetes burnout. So I took her to see a child phsych. The child phsych said we needed to cut back for a while. Julia is doing pretty well for the most part, and we aim for 4 tests per day now, but tend to do 6 minimum still because of excersize, or hypo's.

Julia's also having issues because she was made fun of at school for not being able to eat a cup cake one day. The school nurse wasn't there, and I didn't know she wouldn't be there.

I really don't know what to tell you. It's kind of one of those things that is a no win situation. Trying to balance mental health, and health is a hard issue.

Do they think that the testing is the issue, or the D, or is there something more there that is going on that no one knows about yet?

(((hugs))) You'll make it through, and figure the best for her, and your family.
Jamie

Personally I don't think it is the testing...she has issue that may be just because the entire life with D is overwhelming not just testing. She has never made any issues of D with us. Hasn't ever refused to test or bolus.

I think her personality and life with D just makes her not want to try. It's very frustrating she just had a battery of testing with the school and a psychologist and the findings were average intelligence plus some pretty sever learning issues with regards to reading and decoding. Her older brother has the same just more sever and without the D stuff.

I just let the comments get me down...I really like this social worker and respect her opnion I just was floored by her comment.

[hold48398]

Wow, you know it's funny because as I was reading about testing BGs yesterday, I was thinking well maybe we DO test a bit excessively, so after I picked up Mia from her last (half) day of school today, I let her play for a while with her friends before bringing them home and testing her (our normal routine). Well, guess what: She was 40!!! Aha. Lesson learned. Do what you think you need to do to keep your child safe!!

Our testing routine will continue to include tests for:

Breakfeast
AM Snack
Lunch
PM Snack
Dinner
Bedtime
9:30pm
Midnight
3am

+ anytime there is a hypo, we test 20 minutes and an hour after correction
+ anytime there is a hyper, we test 2-hours after correction
+ anytime we change sites, we test immediately after as well as 2-hours after

I guess you can add us to the camp of testing too many times or WHATEVER.

[Momof4gr8kids]

One of my sons has some learning issues as well, so I can understand.

I think for someone on the outside looking in it is hard for them to understand why we feel we must test so much.

I'm sorry all of this is getting you down. It would me, too. You guys are wonderful parents. I look up to you both.
(Now to copy you)
LY,MI!
Jamie

[Mama Belle]

we test just like you. I also see my ds get frustrated with things and almost shut down at times. Personally I think it is more his personality, he is such a little perfectionist. The testing bothers him only when his numbers are out of range.

Ditto on both accounts. We've been testing a lot more in the past month due to adjusting to the pump. But when she was on injections she tested easily 8-12 times per day depending upon the circumstances. I doubt that will drop off much on the pump.

Samantha also used to tend to shut down when faced with a problem. She sometimes still does. I think it relates to a few things. One is personality. Two is sometimes just needing to walk away. When you are always trying to solve D problems you can't walk away from those, you have to face them, so sometimes you shut down on the problems where you can walk away. Three, for us was age. As she has matured over the past year she seems to take things more in stride and not stress out soooo much about everything. I think when she would stress over every little thing she was much more prone to shutting down.

[Noel]

We, too, like many others test about 8-10 times a day....

I would just always rather test then have the opportunity to say,

"Oh, I should have tested him" "If only I had tested him"

We deal with enough with diabetes, I don't want to have to deal with the "What if I had tested him, more/sooner/before/after"

So just like Nike....I "Just do it"!

[selketine]

Well....she isn't complaining about it nor does it seem to be an issue right? And she didn't tell the SW that it was a problem right?

I think if you don't test - and YOU know her better than anyone else - and if you pull back on the testing and she starts having lots of highs and lows and passes out and gets to walk around school feeling like a freaking zombie half the time then THAT might affect her don't you think!!!!!:mad:

I'm sure there must be kids who do just great on 4 tests a day but I'm not stupid and I've researched and thought and tried and about everything and William STILL has numbers sometimes that I don't expect. If I didn't test him as much as I do I'm sure he'd have highs and lows we didn't catch - or didn't catch until he was sick or passed out. I haven't yet seen a post by someone with a CGMS who said - "wow - all of my readings are so stable - no surprises there at all!" Most are surprised at spikes and lows they never would have caught even WITH testing 10+ times per day.

I have really just dealt with my quota of idiots already today so if you want to have me tp her house or something let me know.:p

[Tamara Gamble]

I'm with Carol. We test 9 times a day when Ty is not having any issues and he is almost thirteen and pumping. He doesn't complain about the tests. In fact when I check at night and he is good and I am just ready to drop and I skip that three hour mark he knows, he looks back and interogates me about my laziness. He counts on me to make sure that he is okay at night. So even when his number is good he wants me to just double check so that he can rest well.

Does this social worker have type 1 and how often does she test and by the way what is her A1c. Perhapse she should acknowledge that kids with chronic diseases go through recurrent depression. This is an unpretty fact but it is true. Sometimes it is not the disease, it is just the whole ball of wax.

And what about hormones? How old is your daughter? Whew, I have been through and am still at the mercy of my daughters hormones and it started to show long before menses. We had it timed and marked, tred lightly. Some girls get weepy, depressed, many things. For us the earth shakes if she is upset, everybody just holds on for the ride. Our dog hides. One look from her and he runs under the table or under my legs which ever is closer, during that time. We laugh at that one.

Maybe your daughter is just done for the year with school. My kids are. They are counting down the days like they are months and one of mine is dropping the ball a little lately or maybe alot because she is just done this year.

There could be so many different factors here, maybe just ask. She may hold the key in what she say's and what she doesn't say. I love how they instantly blame it on the D. You guys are amazing with this disease, I highly doubt it has anything to do with what you are doing wrong at all. That husband of yours keeps all of us on our toes.

So go tell that social worker she needs to get back to the reefer she was smoking before she questioned your methods. I'm with Carol. Just loaded up on tp from walmart so I'm game.

Hang tough!

Tami