Sleeping through the night...

(NaBloPoMo Day 19)

When you hear those words "sleeping through the night", you probably think about a baby and their sleep habits.

Well, in the Diabetes world it has a whole new meaning. Diabetes is a 24/7/365 job. It never sleeps. And neither do we. Unless we are lucky enough to have The Superhero sleep at NaNa and Pompa's. And in that case we sleep, they don't.

The Superhero can have GREAT blood sugar's one night and have complete opposite numbers the next. We can change things and then change them back. The highs and lows still happen.


So, this means that...

YES...we often stay up to check tiny fingers.

YES...we often have to treat lows with juice, marshmallows, skittles, or ANYTHING The Superhero will eat/drink (Reyna posts here about PUDDING and a night time low for Joe)

YES...we often stay up making sure HIGH blood sugars come down SAFELY

YES...we often "nap" in 2 hour increments (if we are lucky)

YES...our kids lose sleep too.

YES...The Superhero can eat/drink in his sleep (most of the time)

YES...we do this EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT.

YES...we are TIRED all of the time.


BUT, HE IS WORTH IT!

I would lose sleep every night forever if it means I get to have him wake up in the morning.

Meri posted here about a time when ONE of her THREE Diabetic kiddos slept in LATE. He was low when she went in and checked him. (She also wrote an homage to the night time check.)

We (parents of children with Diabetes) can never sleep in, at least not without worrying and/or checking fingers and going back to sleep. EVER.

Reyna posted about The Painful Truth of Her Nights and the thoughts that run through the mind of a parent doing night checks on their diabetic child.

There are children who DIE in their sleep from Diabetes. This is called Dead in Bed Syndrome. These children go to sleep like it is any other night. And they do not wake up in the morning. Their parents (or whomever goes into their room) finds them in an undisturbed bed not breathing. This scares me.

Here is a post I wrote after the death of one of those kids. I could not bring myself to post after the most recent death in our Diabetes community, but I think if sweet Eilish often.

And I KNOW those parents checked their kids every night too. And they still LOST them.

So, I check every night, and PRAY he will still be alive in the morning.

If I did not check, and I lost him, I don't know that I could ever forgive myself.

By continuing to check The Superhero every couple of hours, I know I am doing everything I can to fight this disease for him.

And if someday, I still lose him, I will know I did everything I could to keep him alive.

Diabetes Fact #19:T1 Diabetes is a 24/7/365 disease. It NEVER sleeps and neither do the parents of the children who have it (or T1 people themselves).

Diabetes Fact #18: T1 Diabetes can happen to ANYONE, it is not necessarily hereditary. This means that yes, it CAN happen to YOU or to someone YOU know.

Diabetes Fact #17: People with T1 or T2 Diabetes (and their caregivers) are more likely to experience depression than their peers without Diabetes.

Diabetes Fact #16: The out of pocket cost of managing T1 Diabetes is EXPENSIVE.

Diabetes Fact #15: Having Type 1 and getting an illness (especially a tummy bug) CAN be dangerous.

Diabetes Fact #14: Without insulin, a person with T1 Diabetes would DIE within ONE week.

Diabetes Fact #13: Type 1 Diabetes usually strikes children, adolescents, and young adults, but it CAN be diagnosed in adults as well.

Diabetes Fact #12: It is important for families of Diabetic children or the people with Diabetes themselves to genuinely try to understand what we go through, to learn about Diabetes along with us, and to support us through encouraging comments.

Diabetes Fact #11: Diabetes is ALL consuming. It is NOT our life, but it is a HUGE part of it.

Diabetes Fact #10: Parents of children with Diabetes HATE when people say "I could NEVER do it!" when referring to the management of their kid's disease. In reality, YOU could, and WOULD do it if you HAD to. We probably had the same thoughts as you and now look at us, doing it 24/7.

Diabetes Fact #9: The term "Juvenile Diabetes" is outdated. We now call it "T1 Diabetes" or "Insulin Dependent Diabetes". People with this type of Diabetes will NEVER outgrow it. EVER. They will have this relentless disease until a CURE is found.

Diabetes Fact #8: A cure would be great, but a long life without complications is a close second for people with T1 Diabetes.

Diabetes Fact #7: Diabetes kills more people each year than cancer and AIDS combined. It is serious. We NEED a cure!

Diabetes Fact #6: While people with T1 Diabetes strive for blood glucose (BG) numbers from 80-120, it is NOT uncommon to see numbers MUCH lower or MUCH higher. There are SO many factors that go into each number and it is very challenging to see readings that are “in range” for EVERY reading.

Diabetes Fact #5: Type 1 Diabetes strikes 15,000 children every year in the US. That's 40 children per day. On July 10, 2008 The Superhero was one of the 40. Today, it could be YOUR child, or someone you know. This is why it is SO important to take the time to learn about the disease.

Diabetes Fact #4: Type 1 Diabetics may take insulin through syringes, insulin pens, or insulin pumps. What they use is a reflection of their choice and/or finances, NOT disease severity.

Diabetes Fact #3: People with Diabetes CAN eat anything they want as long as they match the carbohydrates with insulin.

Diabetes Fact #2: T1 Diabetes is NOT caused by eating too much sugar or being over weight. It IS an autoimmune disease and cannot be prevented.

Diabetes Fact #1: T1 Diabetes CANNOT be treated with medication. The only way to manage T1 Diabetes is with insulin. Without insulin, T1 Diabetics would die. Period.

*Disclaimer: I am a mom of a T1 Diabetic child. I am NOT a doctor. I just play one in real life. Please do not take anything in this post or any other post on this blog as medical advice. If you have questions or concerns of your own, please seek advice from your doctor.*