It was a normal Thursday afternoon. I didn't expect anything unusual. I work on Thursday evenings, so Thursdays tend to be slow paced around here. I don't schedule much -- in fact, if anything, I try to take a little nap and come up with an easy dinner (you know...cereal, oatmeal, pancakes -- or tacos, like tonight). The girls generally have a quiet day after school (HA HA HA HA!!!), often just hanging out in their rooms or watching a movie....with a few little arguments thrown into the mix.
Well, Sugar has been asking to play with a new classmate off and on for a couple weeks. Today I was finally able to cross paths with her mom at pick up, and it turned out that this afternoon would work for everyone. This other little girl had a couple other friends coming to play which meant Sugar would get to hang out with a gaggle of pals!
I shuffled the two extra kiddos I usually pick up home to their abode, followed by my 3 girls who were all talking at once trying to tell me about their day. I can't say that I was paying attention as my brain had already moved to the next step...preparing Sugar for a playdate at a new friend's house -- WITHOUT ME THERE. I promised myself that I'd regroup and ask each of them individually about their days once I jumped the hurdle in front of me.
Once home, we checked her blood sugar (147, after a cupcake at school 2 hours earlier, thankyouverymuch), made sure the bag was stocked, and ran through a few scenarios:
"What will you do if your blood sugar is less than 100?"
"What will you do if your blood sugar is over 300?"
"Recite our phone number."
**RING RING**
We got the phone call, I wrote down directions, and then....you know....mentioned that Sugar has diabetes.
Because you can just throw something like that into a conversation, right?
Forget the fact that we've been playing this game for 5 years and *I* still don't understand all the rules. Or the fact that Sugar is only 7. Or the fact that this little drop is such a powerful thing. Or the fact that she has celiac on top of it. I mean....it's all arbitrary, right?
Worried that I'd scare my new mom friend away, I quickly followed with an explanation that Sugar can check her own sugar, knows how to operate her insulin pump, should keep her bag in a safe place, will bring along her own gluten free snack, and knows to call me for any reason at all.
With that, we packed up and headed over.
It just happened so fast. I tried to focus on how well she did the other night with a new babysitter. I tried to tell myself that she can do this -- and I'll only be 2 minutes away --and it's just going to be okay....
About 20 minutes later, the phone rang.
**EEK** PANIC -- RUN -- JUMP OVER THE DOG -- FLY TO THE PHONE!!!!!!
"Mom, we're going to go swimming."
Ummmm...say again?
Let's pause for a moment here. Seriously. Go find the D Mama nearest to you
and mention these three words:
"SWIMMING. BOUNCE HOUSE."
Watch what happens. I guarantee you'll get the same universal response. Those words will send shivers down a D Mamas spine so fast it could turn the desert heat into Antartica.
"But you don't have your swimming suit" (YEAH RIGHT! Like that's going to work when she's playing with TWO other girls the same size!!!)
Think. Think fast, Wendy. THINK THINK THINK!!!!!!
"Okay. Well....check your sugar first....and take off your pump..." (I figured losing the basal would be best for this scenario)
After a little chat with her mom (I hope I didn't sound nervous), she offered to set the kitchen timer and have Sugar test every 30 minutes.
God love that woman!
And that was that.
I proceeded to pretend everything was normal....you know....I'm just a normal mom with a normal kid who is enjoying a normal afternoon in a normal backyard pool with normal friends. Yup. It's all normal.
Normal. Normal. Normal.
This image kept flashing into my brain from yesterday...
 |
| TARGET BLOOD SUGAR 90 - 150 |
But, you know....it's all normal.
Ho Hum....HO HUM....HO HUM!!!!
The next 90 minutes went like this....
180
120
80 -- Phone call while I was getting ready to pick her up to let me know that she was eating her snack.
Ya know, I think this newfound friendship is going to work out quite nicely.
(And everyone had a great day at school, by the way!)
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Glad it all went ok and you had a normal afternoon being a normal mom with no worries at all. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd Woo Hoo for new found friendships with moms who rock!
YES! Success!!! So happy for you all!
ReplyDeleteYou are a brave woman. We are not there yet. I get nervous thinking about it. You give me hope!
So glad it all went OK! We are dealing with the same thing and I have just had the playdates at my house for my own peace of mind, but clearly that cannot continue forever...thanks for your brave example!
ReplyDeletesuccess! YEAH! Great post letting us (with wee ones)know that eventually all feels NORMAL, at least kind of sort of, right?!
ReplyDeletej\Just when you think you have a handle on things...WHAM! The wrench is thrown in! I'm proud of you for handling it so calmly!
ReplyDeleteSUCCESS and swimming! Whooooaaaaahhhh - Awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud right now!! :)
Take a deep breath Wendy, these little bits of independence are helping Sugar grow into a healthy capable young lady, who will do a great job caring for her diabetes.
ReplyDeletegood for you! :-)
ReplyDeleteI am SO proud of you!!! You are a braver woman and D mama than I. I'm not there yet. But you give me hope. You give me courage. And, again, I'm so proud of you! And of Sugar, too!
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you!!! Im glad it was a great experiance!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that all went well!!!
ReplyDeleteBIG Hugs to you for doing something that is so hard :) Just being apart from my little ones with D is sooooo dificult! My heart feels your pain and fear, you did good and this new friend sounds like she could be a keeper!
GULP! is all i have to say. We just had our very first playdate invite and I am going to call the Mama of said friend tomorrow to arrange for it to happen at my house. I hope I can figure out how to handle this one and hopefully possible future one's away from home with your grace! Thanks for sharing your courage! So glad it was a great experience with the new friend! I am taking notes :) Cheree
ReplyDeleteSOOOO glad I have all of you amazing D-moms to blaze the trails and handle these things before I get there. Now if I can just remember how you did it . . .
ReplyDeleteGood job Momma! Not sure I would have handled it so well.
ReplyDeleteOH.DEAR.GOD!!! NOT the freakin' "S" word! Wendy you are super mom over there. The vision of you jumping over the dog to get to that phone is priceless! Sugar is doing a great job with her independence. I wish she and Joe lived closer...I think they would be a great match. She could even take care of him and his "d" from the sounds of it. LOL.
ReplyDeleteOh my! My eyes did that buggy thing that they do when I see a number in the 30s on Lily's meter. Heart rate speeds up. Panic-mode sets in. Wow, you are one awesome d-momma for taking all that in so calmly! And yay for awesome non-d-mommas who make you feel a bit better about those playdates!
ReplyDeleteGlad it went well!! YOU did great- keeping a level head and all. Cuz I would have gone nuts. :)
ReplyDeleteI would have been nuts too! I have yet to allow J to go anywhere without DH or I except school (I know I know). Sugar and you did amazing! And god bless that mom, sounds like its a perfect match!
ReplyDeleteYour right... that is the universal response. I had before I read it! Good for you though. You have done an amazing job preparing her to live "normal" right along with everyone else.
ReplyDeleteYep, same response! She is growing up before your eyes. I am not ready for any of this as Lovebug gets older.....oh Lord, help me.
ReplyDelete