As parents of children with diabetes, we are constantly being challenged with difficult decisions to make.

Charlie has wanted to play ice hockey for over a year now. He lives for hockey. He mimics the moves he sees on television from professional hockey players, pretending to stop on a dime and spray ice on the hard-wood floors. He sets up little hockey figurine players and simulates game situations. When he's not doing that, he plays hockey on his Playstation. And when he's not doing that, he and I play indoor knee hockey in his bedroom where he repeatedly takes ferocious slap shots into my groin. It's great fun. The kid loves hockey, is what I'm tryin' to say.

The waiting was finally over. I knew how excited he was for this moment, so I didn't want to screw it up on my end. I came with a simple plan:

1. Feed him lunch before he plays

2. Disconnect pump (READ MORE)

The day before Charlie was to begin playing ice hockey for the first time, we went to the rink to break in his new skates and get a little practice in.

As it is with just about everything we do, decisions need to be made regarding Charlie's diabetes. Do we adjust basals? Maybe. Does he skate with pump on or pump off? What do we do with his testing supplies? I didn't want to hold the bag while skating the whole time yet I couldn't leave it behind in a locker. I ended up stuffing my coat pockets with alcohol wipes, peanut butter crackers, a juice box, test strips, a pricker and the meter. With a camera, cell phone and keys also in my pockets, it's a wonder I was able to move at all.

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Charlie sat on the bench in a somewhat meditative state. Even the blank expression on his face seemed by design to be a strategy in which to conserve energy. If he blinked his eyes less frequently and stayed perfectly still, perhaps his blood sugar would remain above 100.

"Charlie, you can skate a little bit before hockey starts," I said. "You’ve got about 10 minutes."

"Neh," Charlie said calmly and without emotion. "I really don’t want to go low this time."

Who can blame him after last week’s debacle.

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When I see 499 on the blood glucose meter, I wonder if it's possible that the small plastic device has a heart. Maybe it's trying to soften the blow - afraid to show me a number like 500.

"At least 200 of that is from him being excited to play hockey."

This is what Susanne says when I call her with the news of the 499 from the ice rink. She might be right. It was week 1 of ice hockey and Charlie's level of excitement was bursting at the seams.

300 would have been an acceptable number being that he had just had breakfast.

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