For those who are wondering what happened, I wanted to explain where I have been and why I haven't been posting.
On December 7 (yes, the date of my last post), my son, Christopher, was rushed to the ER almost completely unresponsive. He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and extreme DKA. DKA happens when cells are not getting the food they need (carbs) and instead eat fat and muscle. The problem is when fat and muscle are consumed by cells, the byproduct is a toxin that essentially poisons the blood.
Our hospital doesn't have the tools or proper doctor to handle Type 1 Diabetes, so the helicopter was called from the nearest hospital that does. His DKA was that bad. Unfortunately, it started raining on the way, so the helicopter was forced back and we took the two hour trip in an ambulance. Christopher was admitted to the Pediatric ICU as soon as we got there and was started on a pretty severe regiment of insulin and other medications. He had to have two separate IV sites because of all the stuff he needed to not die.
The doctor told us the worst thing that could happen is that Christopher's brain would swell and they couldn't get it down. Then they would have had to drill into his skull to relieve the pressure. Of course, he woke up at one point and said his head hurt, so the nurse ran to get the doctor and the doctor ran in with a bollus of cold fluid to cool his brain to reduce any swelling. Luckily, it worked and there were no other major issues after that.
We were in the hospital for 4 days with Christopher, learning how to give him shots, how to check his blood sugar, how to count carbs, and how to live with this new normal we now had. It has been over two months now and we're dealing with it as best as we can. Most days are good, but there have been some bad days as well.
We have received unbelievably great care from the hospital and our new doctors and nurses. Living with Type 1 Diabetes is not easy. Christopher can no longer eat whenever and whatever he wants. We have to measure, weigh, and count everything that goes into his mouth. He has to check his blood sugar 6-8 times a day, sometimes more if he's having a bad day.
Christopher has been a trooper through this whole thing. He's dealt with it much better than my husband and I have. He knows when he has a low or a high and he knows to tell someone about it. His school has been amazing and I have had people I didn't even know come up to me to tell me how inspirational he is and how much everyone admires him for how he has handled what life has thrown at him. That makes me more proud than anything. Everyone else gets to see what a great kid my sweet boy is.
Type 1 Diabetes does not run in my family. We have never heard of anyone in our extended families who have had it, so doctors have been dumbstruck as to how Christopher got it. But he does and now that's our life. We knew we lived in a great town, but after Christopher got sick, we realized just how great it is. Our community has shown such love and support and offered to do anything we needed. I don't often use the term blessed, but in this case, there's no other word to describe how we feel about living where we do and having the kind of support we have.
So now you have the story. I hope to post lots of reviews over the next week because I've been doing a lot of reading. I believe i have read 20 books so far this year. My goodreads.com goal is to read at least 120, and I'm well on my way to achieving that.
Thank you for being patient with me. Happy reading!
On December 7 (yes, the date of my last post), my son, Christopher, was rushed to the ER almost completely unresponsive. He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and extreme DKA. DKA happens when cells are not getting the food they need (carbs) and instead eat fat and muscle. The problem is when fat and muscle are consumed by cells, the byproduct is a toxin that essentially poisons the blood.
Our hospital doesn't have the tools or proper doctor to handle Type 1 Diabetes, so the helicopter was called from the nearest hospital that does. His DKA was that bad. Unfortunately, it started raining on the way, so the helicopter was forced back and we took the two hour trip in an ambulance. Christopher was admitted to the Pediatric ICU as soon as we got there and was started on a pretty severe regiment of insulin and other medications. He had to have two separate IV sites because of all the stuff he needed to not die.
The doctor told us the worst thing that could happen is that Christopher's brain would swell and they couldn't get it down. Then they would have had to drill into his skull to relieve the pressure. Of course, he woke up at one point and said his head hurt, so the nurse ran to get the doctor and the doctor ran in with a bollus of cold fluid to cool his brain to reduce any swelling. Luckily, it worked and there were no other major issues after that.
We were in the hospital for 4 days with Christopher, learning how to give him shots, how to check his blood sugar, how to count carbs, and how to live with this new normal we now had. It has been over two months now and we're dealing with it as best as we can. Most days are good, but there have been some bad days as well.
We have received unbelievably great care from the hospital and our new doctors and nurses. Living with Type 1 Diabetes is not easy. Christopher can no longer eat whenever and whatever he wants. We have to measure, weigh, and count everything that goes into his mouth. He has to check his blood sugar 6-8 times a day, sometimes more if he's having a bad day.
Christopher has been a trooper through this whole thing. He's dealt with it much better than my husband and I have. He knows when he has a low or a high and he knows to tell someone about it. His school has been amazing and I have had people I didn't even know come up to me to tell me how inspirational he is and how much everyone admires him for how he has handled what life has thrown at him. That makes me more proud than anything. Everyone else gets to see what a great kid my sweet boy is.
Type 1 Diabetes does not run in my family. We have never heard of anyone in our extended families who have had it, so doctors have been dumbstruck as to how Christopher got it. But he does and now that's our life. We knew we lived in a great town, but after Christopher got sick, we realized just how great it is. Our community has shown such love and support and offered to do anything we needed. I don't often use the term blessed, but in this case, there's no other word to describe how we feel about living where we do and having the kind of support we have.
So now you have the story. I hope to post lots of reviews over the next week because I've been doing a lot of reading. I believe i have read 20 books so far this year. My goodreads.com goal is to read at least 120, and I'm well on my way to achieving that.
Thank you for being patient with me. Happy reading!