Charlotte's November to remember

November started out pretty exciting, we were getting ready to celebrate Charlotte's 2nd birthday on the 5th. Her birthday wasn't super eventful but she's 2, what do you expect? We reminded her all day that it was her Birthday and every time she would say "Happy Bowday". For dinner we went to Costa Vida because they have a little play area and thought that would be more fun for her. But come to think of it, that just meant Ryan and I could enjoy our dinner while the kids played and occasionally grazed. But she also loves beans and that was our other reason for choosing it. We came home and had cake and opened presents with my mom. She didn't take a nap so she was starting to get a little ornery. When we brought out the cake she was too scared to blow out the candles and was even more scared of the smoke???






Sunday we went to Ryan's parents house for more celebration but she wasn't into it, she was feeling sick.




For a few weeks now she has been peeing a ton, like leaking through her diaper every couple of hours and always asking for a drink. I suspected she may have diabetes but kept pushing it out of my mind. I thought, no I just need to be more strict about letting her drink so much. It started getting to the point that she would wake up at 2 am and her bed would be soaked. I was constantly googling her symptoms to try to figure out what was going on. Hoping that it wasn't diabetes, I also came across the possibility of a UTI. On the 6th we went to a play place full of blow up slides and she was not into it at all and had fallen asleep for her nap earlier that day at 10:30 a.m. While making dinner she was totally crashed on the floor and would not get up, that is not like Charlotte at all. So Sunday I decided to take her into the insta care clinic because I didn't want to deal with the wait of the E.R. on a Sunday. I asked them to test her for a UTI and diabetes. They gave her a catheter to get a sample of her urine, so sad. And both tests, diabetes and UTI, came back negative. phew, what a relief that they didn't find glucose in her blood but they did find very high ketones so they tested her for strep throat. I mentioned to them that her older sister came down with it about 5 days earlier. She ended up testing positive for strep.
We went to Ryan's parents for dinner and I had asked his mom to test Charlotte's blood because she had the equipment (Ryan's older brother has type 1 diabetes). Normal blood sugar range is about 150-200, Charlottes' was "high above 600", the tester only went as high as 600. His mom looked at me and said "she has diabetes." In my mind I thought "be strong, hold it together, it could be because she's sick and just ate, be strong, don't cry." I knew. I had known for a while. I couldn't deny it any longer. After getting back home it was dark out and I took the trash out and broke down. I was outside in the dark where no one could see me and no one had their windows open so they wouldn't hear me and I cried. I cried because I felt guilty, what did I do wrong, how could've I prevented this? I cried because of what Charlotte's life was going to be like now, I would have to poke her all day and she wouldn't know why. I cried alligator tears and then asked myself why I was crying. I had fasted that day to know what was wrong with Charlotte and now I knew and I also knew that she would live a full life and millions of people have diabetes. I also knew this could be worse, why am I crying? But I just couldn't stop, I needed to let it out.
Monday morning I called the pediatrician and said I needed to come in that morning. She woke up happy healthy Charlotte but after eating she was starting to get lethargic again (because her blood was now full of sugar that wasn't being used. It's like eating 15 pieces of cheesecake, you feel disgusting) When they tested her blood, their machine only went up to 400 so they sent me to get her blood taken. About an hour later, I was at Wal Mart and the Dr. called to tell me her blood sugar was actually 866 and she needed to get to the hospital now. Luckily I was wearing a hat because I ditched my cart, put my head down and started to cry again and no one could see my face because my hat :) Ryan gave her a father's blessing and we were off. I prayed for comfort and I prayed for Charlotte as I drove, when I parked and as I made the long walk to the pediatric floor. The nurse quickly showed me her room and I cried when I saw the hospital crib (thanks to that trusty hat, no one knew). In the procedure room, she just sat on my lap and wasn't doing much and they poked her all over and gave her an I.V. I had three doctors briefing me on what was happening and what will be happening and I couldn't talk because if I did, I cried. And then I asked myself again, why am I crying? It's not like I am here for her to recieve chemo treatment, this could be so much worse. But you want your kids to live a healthy life with no trials. Remeber that urine test on sunday that said her ketones were high? Well they were and she had ketone acidosis in her blood because she had gone so long with high blood sugar. All that urinating was her kidney's trying to flush out the sugar and all the drinking was to make up for all the urinating.
Charlotte on Saturday

Getting things started in the procedure room

This is in her hospital room and she just laid here and watched a movie, she isn't much of a T.V. watcher normally.

She stayed in the hospital Monday-Thursday until they felt that her blood sugar and insulin dosage was in somewhat control. Ryan and I went through a crash course on Diabetes education. A lot to learn but i think I got it, the necessities at least. Ryan's mom showed up on Monday unexpectedly to help out and was amazing. She ended up sleeping at the hospital every night with Charlotte because I was getting sick and becuase she thought I needed a good sleep with all the stress and information I was processing. Yeah, she's pretty amazing like that. It is also a comfort knowing that she has been through this.
I have always been grateful for modern medicine but I am so grateful for modern medicine. We are so blessed to have what we have. In some countries in 2010, people still die from diabetes because they don't have insulin. We had amazing nurses, diabetes educators and of course the Dr's who made Charlotte feel comfortable and answered tons of my questions.
One of Charlotte's favorite things to do was to go see the new babies. Ped's shares a floor with Mother Baby and we watched babies for quite a while. They also had a fun play room stocked with toys and she would take the baby stroller out and run through the halls of the pediatric floor.
We are now home and life feels normal. I did get a little stressed and short with my older kids while I was trying to figure out her carbs and dosage of insulin and they were being loud and asking me questions. But I will get used to this and I will be praying for help daily.

her new stuffed toys and the donated blanket from humanitarian projects. I will never groan at humanitarian church projects again. You never know the importance of this type of service until you are on the receiving end.


reading with Grandma in the toy room while we get educated.

The kids learning about signs of low or high blood sugar. Mom can't be everywhere so it's good for them to know what to look for and how to help out with her diabetes.
seriously! I wish it was taken with a better camera and not my phone, this is a keeper.
On one of our many walks from the babies to the toy room, then around the halls and back to the babies.

getting a bath, you gotta protect the I.V. stint.

Time to go home!! I love that they put kids in wagons rather than a wheel chair. A princess wagon non the less.