A lot of things are easier, better, and less stressful than they were before.
Most days are okay. Meals aren't a huge chore, blood sugar is somewhat controlled on the okay days.
But then there are days like last Friday.
Ideally, Sam's blood sugar would hover around 100.
Here are his numbers from Friday:
110
219
113
53
109
300
He was all over the map. And see that 53 up there? That was at 5:21 PM. We were heading out to pick up dinner to take to a family who just had a baby. After that, we planned to meet Charles somewhere for dinner after he got off work. Sam was whining before we left, saying he felt "low." When he gets low, his says his stomach hurts. I told him he probably wasn't low, but would check him anyway.
Keely, just trust him.
I knew I had some almonds in my purse and figured I would let him snack on those in the car.
Keely, always grab a carb-heavy snack, just in case.
By the grace of God, I went back in the house and grabbed some goldfish.
I checked his blood sugar. 53. I apologized to him for not trusting him when he said he felt low. Then I handed him some goldfish to bring his blood sugar up a bit. When he has too much insulin in him, he needs carbs to bring him back to normal.
We stopped at Coolgreens for the food. I had called in the order but it still wasn't ready. Sam was still whining. I was getting frustrated. Then I looked at him.
Have you ever seen a person right before they pass out? The color is drained from their face, their lips are gray, they're clammy to the touch?
That was Sam. From the way he looked, I thought he was about to puke. He asked me to hold him. That was when I felt how clammy he was. I took the kids outside to sit on the patio. I gave Sam the almonds and told him to eat. He laid his head on the table and nibbled a few.
At this point, I'm pissed that the food isn't ready. I'm panicking. My husband calls. I tell him what's going on and he's panicking with me. While on the phone with him, the food is finally finished. I grab it, I grab Austen, who is shoeless, I grab Sam, who is struggling to stay awake. I carry them to the car, Noah following behind us, probably nervous about the way Sam looks and the prayer I'm reciting over and over and over, "Jesus, please help Sam."
Back in the van, I put Sam in the floor and force him to eat the goldfish. The blessed goldfish. The goldfish that probably saved us from a trip to the hospital. The goldfish that I almost didn't bring. He ate almost the entire package. The color was slowly coming back to his lips and face. Still, he climbed in his car seat and almost immediately fell asleep. I was still nervous.
We dropped off the food, I kept asking Sam ridiculous questions to try and keep him awake. Eventually, he stopped trying and fell asleep, head thrown back, mouth hanging open.
Panic mode again- is he in a coma? Can he not wake up?
"Noah, shake his arm."
Nothing.
I'm on the phone with Charles again, "I'm driving towards you, you drive towards me. I just want to be together. I'm panicking."
We stop in a parking lot and I check Sam's blood sugar again. 109. He ate enough goldfish to bring him back up. He woke up. He looked perfectly healthy and normal. Charles got to the parking lot, and Sam was all smiles and laughs and full of energy.
I was a wreck.
At one of our appointments, our doctor talked about the danger zones of blood sugar levels. 30's and 40's are dangerous and scary. Sam had to have been that low when we were waiting for our food. Despite that first handful of goldfish I gave him, he had still been dropping.
So I've had my first big scare.
I've learned some lessons.
We know that we HAVE to get a Glucagon shot, for use in emergencies such as this one. Basically, it's an injection that we would use if Sam had dropped to the point that he passed out and we couldn't get him awake to eat.
Scary stuff, right?
Diabetes, migraines, brain cancer- these things (among others) make me say "Come, then, Lord Jesus." Come and take us to that place where you "will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) Until then, teach us to rely upon Your strength and Your grace and Your protection.
