More of a vent, only you will understand, post.... But can I just put my son in a bubble and keep him there for my keeping? I'm so tired of the adults in his life just "messing" up by him constantly. He's going through a lot with other stuff right now which is a whole-other Oprah show, but last month he was hospitalized for mental health reasons and his A1C went from a 7.0 to an 8.0! I talked to the nurses responsible for his care and this was how the conversation went. RN: "He had a snack a little while ago. His sugars are 400 now." Me: "Did you give him insulin?" RN: "No the orders say to give insulin during meals. Not snacks." Me: "Well, food is food, carbs are carbs, and carbs break down to glucose which will cause his sugars to go up. So you really need to give him insulin for all 'FOOD' you give him. Make sense?" RN: "Yes, ok, we will have the orders changed to say food." Me: "Great!" <walk away in hopes they understand> Phone call the next day: RN: "He's sick and doesn't want to eat, so he just drank some hot chocolate and his sugars are 600." Me: "Did you give him insulin?" RN: "No, he didn't eat anything." <OMFG!!!> Now that he's home, his sugars are back under control. Then his school places him with a private tutor. He's with the tutor for 2 hours a day and both days he comes home with sugars over 200. I email the tutor and ask him if he's eating anything while he's there. His email back, "Yes, he had an icecream sandwich and chocolate milk yesterday; and cookies, chocolate milk and a poptart today. Are there any dietary restrictions due to his diabetes?" Are you kidding me? As my cube-rat mate said, "Are you dumb, or just plain stupid?" I'm becoming more and more speechless as the days continue. C7
That sounds so frustrating! I know you're venting, so I'm not going jump in with advice, but in the grand scheme of things especially with all that he's got going on in his life, I think the jump in a1c is probably just a passing blip. Hang in there.
Yea, I know. It only bothered me when the social worker there called to tell me he won't be released until is diabetes is under better control. That's when I went up the ladder and prooved over and over that it was their fault his diabetes was not "under control" to which the dr responded, "I don't feel like this is the right environment for him and that the best place he can be is home." Thank you! Someone reasonable!
It is frustrating that not all medical people know how to treat diabetes. You have to be specific with them.
Wow. That is so frustrating! I think, in this case, it might be best to take this opportunity to educate. Maybe, if you have the time, stop in and give a short education talk on diabetes, including food and insulin, etc.
I feel your pain! we have been fighting this same exact thing everyday since my daughter started kindergarden. Makes you wanna grab them by the neck, start shaking as you yell "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!" We started keeping her home on days that we were afraid something might happen, but truancy officers don't tend to like that very much.
I was just thinking of you and your son this week! It is good to see you back, but awful for such a reason. I hope that they can remember to bolus for carbs - that is just plain stupidity there.
I would not worry about a truancy officer. You need your 504 read for no penalty for medical absences. Then they can't touch you.
So sorry you're dealing with this. (((Hugs))) It's one thing for a tutor to have no idea, but a nurse at a hospital? Even a mental hospital nurse should have an idea of the basics of type 1 diabetes, IMO. And *everyone* shoudl be expected to know that hot chocolate has carbs in it! I totally understand your frustration. Good luck getting it all sorted out!
We were in the same boat this school year - I could guess which nights we were going to have goofy numbers based on the "special" activites on the school calendar that came home each month - extra parties or activites - Whatever I told the teacher I think went in one ear and out the other b/c she didn't have to deal with the end results of her unwillingness to learn or comprehend what I told her. Hoping next year is better
No I didn't keep him home those days but prepared for the worst and actually the 1st half of the year the teacher sent him home either the day before or the morning of the activity by saying he was having "seizure" activity as he also has a seizure disorder - she just didn't want to deal with counting his carbs, doing extra checks ect - my favorite was the one time they called me to come get him right before a party at school not knowing I was actually on my way to the party to help with it! He seemed to be just fine once I got there and was going to stay for the party but prior to that they seemed to think I needed to come get him and he go home for the rest of the day.
Aw, thanks! I wish I could come here more often. But work is often too busy to stop and check in, and at home I'm lucky if I get to sit down with a cup of hot coffee without a kid sitting on top of my head (or trying to drink my coffee!) So for the next act, I guess on Monday he "fell" down on the floor with the tutor and faked a seizure. The tutor responded, "Wow, that was weird how you just laid down and started shaking like that. Lets work on this assignment now." ha ha ha! I wish I was a bug on the wall! He reported the incident during a group therapy session with peers and they were all appalled that he would fake a seizure. We're hoping that will deter him from doing that again. Kudos to the tutor for not making a big deal out of it. <sigh> C7
