On Thursday, Olivia asked me if she could spend Friday night at a friend's house. I said yes, but told her that she had to call home at some point on Friday evening and call again on Saturday morning to let us know when she wanted to be picked up.
I didn't get any phone call until noon on Saturday. I had gone out Friday night, but my husband was home with the two little ones. Normally, I would just get on her case a little bit about it and leave it alone. That was before I checked her meter and pump today.
She didn't check her blood sugar after 5 p.m. on Friday night and only checked THREE times on Saturday. Three. We typically check between 8 and 12 times a day, every day, depending on what's going on. I very nearly blew a gasket over that one.
I understand that she's having fun and I want her to do the things that thirteen year-old girls like to do, but if she wants to do these things, she's got to show some responsibility about it. She can't just NOT check her blood sugar. She can't. She's not going to be able to stay the night with anyone if this is how she's going to handle her diabetes. It's not acceptable.
She also has failed to enter her blood sugars into her pump 6 or 7 times in the last three days. There have been several instances where she's eaten something and bolused for the carbs but hasn't checked or put a blood sugar in the pump. This is driving me crazy. She says she forgets. I know she's just distracted and having fun and doesn't want to take the time, but she needs to, especially when she comes to me complaining that she's running high. Well, yeah, that's what happens when you don't check or put your blood sugars into the pump.
I don't want to be the nag about this, but if she's not going to take responsibility for her diabetes when she's not with me, then she's not going to be able to do the things she wants to do. I'm willing to shoulder the responsibility at home, but when she's away from me, doing fun stuff that she wants to do, she has to take that on. I don't think I'm being unreasonable about this, am I? She's 13. She's not a little child. She's had diabetes for ten years - she knows what she needs to do. I just wish I could figure out how to get her to do it.
I can't wait til she has that cell phone. Text messaging her reminders and her texting me her blood sugars back and forth is going to save my sanity.
have you thought of a cadex reminder watch? it's how i remember to check my blood sugars.
Gosh, this brings back memories! I was diagnosed at 9 and was so tightly controlled until I started getting that freedom. I, unfortunately, didn't do so well starting at about 13 until, well, hopefully now. Being so controlled for so long just got tiring. I have no good advice for you, but I know that the more my Mom tried to control me, the more I resented her and fought against it. I PRAY that this does not happen here and that I am the only teenage girl with diabetes to do that, but something tells me I am not. I don't know how much control she is in, but maybe try to let her know how much you trust her and that you know she can do it on her own. Let her know that it is time for that transition adn while you are there to support her she has to learn how to do it by herself, too. Of course, this will be a slow transition, but it will also prepare her for facing the world when the time comes for her to leave home. And obvioulsy you cannot just send her off and will have to keep a very very close eye on her, but do it in a way that gives her the power, if that makes sense. It was that sense of being controlled that eventually broke me. Of course, every child is different and will react differently, but I always just wanted to feel trusted to take care of myself. Slip ups will happen, and that is ok, as long as things are good in the long run! Hope this helps...
I agree with the gal above. It drives me nuts when my parents lay into me for forgetting to test or to bolus. I don't do it on purpose. The guilt trips don't help. What really helps is encouragement and trust. Reminders are nice too as long as I don't feel nagged. I really like your test texting idea. That is a great idea.