I will start with Wednesday November 21. Was like any other day I got up went to class while Sweet and Sassy stayed with a friend, she did not have school that day. Sugars were wacky all day but nothing new in the life of diabetes. After her third high number for the day she called to tell me she was still "HIGHER" then normal. I told her to give herself 1 unit of injection and change her pod. It was pod change day anyway. A little over an hour later an we are down to 144. Pod change was needed we are good, She feels fine acting like a normal 9 year old girl. Hold on...do not get to excited at dinner a little later than normal but it is Thanksgiving Eve nothing is normal!!! We can't be getting sick although in the back of mind I knew that is what was going on or at least I think.
7:22 P.M back up to 327. WHAT we were fine 4 hours ago. Eat, correct and get ready for bed for TURKEY DAY!
9:17 P.M. BG is 417. We are in for a long night. Did a 2 unit injection and increase basal rate. Being the over protective mom and worried what is going on I check again at 10:08 P.M. BG is still 415.
My next thought is something is wrong with the pod and or insulin. I get a new pod and a new bottle of insulin just to be on the safe side I change pod and use the new insulin.
Oh I should add in all this time she never had Ketones. I checked with the blood ketone meter as well with the urine sticks
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Time for me to get a couple hours sleep... checked at 12:45 A.M BG 248. We are getting somewhere was it the pod or the insulin?!? Who knows I am just grateful she is coming back down. Correct and back to bed for 3 hours.
3:40 A.M. BG 351 check ketones again they are Trace okay no biggie she has had high numbers all day. More insulin to bring down the numbers and drinking more water. Back to bed and alarm set for 6:30 A.M.
Sweet and Sassy comes crawling in our bed around 6:00 so I checked her then BG 267 not bad. As all my "D" mama's know all I can think of is SLEEP. So I go back to sleep with my arms wrapped around my child.
She wakes at 8:00 A.M. crying " Mom I am going to get sick." That is right our crazy "HIGH" numbers were a Virus. Get her calmed down and sugars and ketones checked BG is 347 again...ketones are LARGE. How is this happening I have been keeping a close eye on her all night.
More insulin and for ketones and high sugar. She is one sick little girl she can not keep even a teaspoon of liquid down. I give Zofran. Having her take a spoonful of liquids every 20 minutes and it comes right back up.
Check sugars and ketones again at 10: 48 BG is 322 and large ketones still. She screams "mom I need you!" Not even 15 minutes have gone by and her breathing is rapid, fruity breath, flushed face and all this vomiting. She is soooo weak she cannot even hold her head up. I took one look at her and knew I had to get her to the ER she was going into DKA! Those 3 LETTERS are my worst nightmare coming true.
We get to the ER and she is vomiting non-stop and her little body is shaking uncontrollable. The Dr says " Has she ever been in DKA?" No she has never been in DKA not even when Dx. I am really scared ! Let me rephrase that I am more than scared I feel like my worst dream is coming true I am going to loose my baby to Diabetes... knowing all that is involved with what her little body is going through. I have to stop thinking this way but I can not my head is spinning and I am going to be sick. I quickly tell myself to pull it together you are at Children's they will take care of her, About that time I hear Code Blue Rm 14 my heart falls, oh no this is not good. Everyone takes off running, I feel so bad for that family of that child. I did not ask many quetions as to what happened but I do believe he/she did make it through, During this time all I can think of is "Please God do not let that be us" as I feel so bad for thinking that and saying it as well. Why am I thinking this way is it I have read to many stories on kids going into DKA and not living or am I just being a normal Mom of a diabetic kid?!?
We are hooked to an IV and insulin drip her Ph level is elevated, electrolytes are showing DKA and blood gases are elevated too.
The Dr came in and said to me " you got her here just in time she is going into DKA within 2 hours she would of been FULL BLOWN DKA. Right now she is in a Mild Stage of DKA." I am speechless as look at my little lifeless girl laying there and to think this is "MILD DKA" Hate to see Full Blown DKA. Lots happened in the nearly 12 hours we spent in the ER. I will not go into detail as it was a long day and seems to be a blur or maybe I just want to forget that it even happened. I still am asking myself " What did I do wrong or could I have prevented this from happening?" As I have learned over the past 2 1/2 years with Diabetes it is always a guessing game and you never know why?
On this Thanksgiving 2012 I am thankful that I have educated myself and those around me on Type 1 Diabetes and for all the Dr's and Nurses who cared for my Sweet and Sassy at Nationwide Children's hospital!
