3 Days & 14 Bun Shots Later

It's been 3 days since we had our Endo appointment and made some changes to our shot routine.  As I wrote on Wednesday, the first night of trying "bun shots" did not go so well.  I think for Natalie getting a shot in this area makes her feel like she has lost even more control.  She can't see where the needle is going, and well, it's a bit of an invasive area!  I woke up on Thursday morning feeling like I did when she was first diagnosed.  I was dreading shot time and nervous about her reaction. 

I'm happy to report that the 2nd time it only took 4 minutes and that night only 1 minute and no crying!  Every time since then has only been a minute.  She definitely likes placing the cold quarter on the area beforehand.  She quickly takes the quarter when the shot is over and puts it in her piggy bank. They have been learning all about money in school, so that's made it fun for her too.   She has also managed to get a new car each day which was not the original plan. Whatever it takes!  She does complain of pain in that area even 10 minutes later.  Not sure if that is from the lantus which tends to burn or just a sensitive area?  She never complained that much later with the leg shots.  As I type this the thought just occurred to me that maybe it does hurt more in the new area since scar tissue hasn't built up.  Scar tissue can cause the nerve endings to die and not feel the shot as much right??!  No wonder she liked it in the same spot every time.  Her blood sugars have been better at bedtime since not getting the shot in her legs.   

We are planning on trying to give a shot in her legs again (avoiding the bump area), but also keep the bun shot in the rotation.  I'm happy to have some more real estate to work with!  I pulled out the "Understanding Diabetes" book (Pink Panther handbook) we were given at diagnosis to look at the diagram of how far down we can do the shots in the bottom.  She gets really nervous that we are going to do the shot in her back since she can't see what we are doing.  Here is what the diagram showed.  Now, this was somewhat helpful, but panther buns are not the same as human buns!

This week has felt like a bit of a roller coaster ride, which seems to be typical of life with diabetes.  There are literally highs and lows every day.  Another Mom posted this week about diabetes being like a roller coaster as well.  Now, I am NOT a fan of roller coasters.  They even seem to have the same effect on my stomach as when we were dealt the blow of a T1D diagnosis.  At diagnosis our lives were turned upside down, and we felt like this:

Then we felt the lows this week as we faced the scariness of trying something new and the reality of the effects of scar tissue already effecting her little body, and the defeat of a higher A1C.  I felt like we were quickly crashing down like this:

Now we are back on the upswing as we again see how brave Natalie is as she was able to adjust to something new and scary and work through it.  Other T1D Moms have said the same thing and I must agree that I think our T1D kids are the most brave, strong and resilient children.  They adapt despite the physical pain and adjustments that diabetes requires them to make.  After the third shot which went quicker and without tears, I pointed out to Natalie how the first night was so scary with so many tears, but now it may still be scary and not comfortable but she didn't cry and we got the shot done super quick and THAT is what being brave is all about.  She got the biggest smile on her face and you could just see how good that made her feel to have accomplished such a big thing for her.

I'm also happy to report another new accomplishment for Natalie!  The last few weeks Natalie has had a few lows right after school.  A few times the minute she got in the car after school, she told me she felt low.  One day we saw a pretty low low.  Thankfully we don't see numbers this low too often, because it is scary.  When we do see lows this low, it makes me shake and my heart race as if I'm the one having a low blood sugar.

I have stressed the importance of her telling her teachers when she feels low and that she should not wait until she gets to the car to tell me. Every time she insists that she didn't feel shaky until she got in the car. Hmmm...how convenient. Then last week when I subbed in her class, she came to the back of the room and told me she felt low. We asked her if she would have told her teachers had I not been there. She just grinned. Her teachers and even the Dr. told her how important it is for her to speak up when she feels low. 

So...this week I received a text from her wonderful aide who takes such good care of her saying that Natalie told her she was low and she was 64!  I am so proud of her for speaking up and telling someone other than myself!   Her aide was excited too!  This is a HUGE step for her. I wavered between wanting to cry because I felt so proud of her to wanting to jump in the car, drive to school, and wait outside for school to be dismissed. It was the first time she has been low and not in my care or close by where I could see her and just see that she was okay.

I'm happy to have survived the last few day's roller coaster ride.  Another bump is inevitable, but I know we have to just keep on keeping on and hanging on for dear life!