Note to self...

Don't look at the screen of an insulin pump with 3D cinema glasses on unless you want a heart attack in the cinema...... Quick edit - it shows a horrible black screen with multi coloured splodges on it - thought we had complete pump failure, but no just had my groovy 3D specs on!!!!

Don't let the general public loose with felting needles unless you want a bent broken heap of metal in return...

Don't feed the cat that new cat food unless you want cat sick all over your magazines/clean washing/middle of the stairs.....

Writing

Writing does not come easily to me. I only ever managed to scrape a couple of pages of a small exercise book at school for that 'create a story ' homework. Even in my job as a Physiotherapist I didn't have to write much and even then it looked a bit like this
 #RNOF-> RTHR. SLR/ hip Flex exs. Up FWB. FU OP 6/52.
Another language isn't it!
I have been blogging for just over 3 years now and my writing is still hit and miss!  Nowadays the most writing I ever do with a pen is entering blood sugar numbers into a logbook and that is usually a frenzied catch up every fortnight or so! Will the day ever come when we don't have to use a pen? Even the need for signatures is dwindling with chip and pin and online form filling.
OK that's out of my system now - time to go do something I can do - making things. Yes alien production line in full flow! May have to do an Alien Sugar bolus - there's a phrase I'd never thought I'd write......

Something or nothing?

A blip on the X ray.
For most people, probably nothing.
For me could be something - not something that needs an urgent check but something that needs an eye on it. Could be nothing though.
Otherwise slow steady progress, time to up the exercises and try get back on my bike!
I plan to ease back into work now. I have been doing bits and bobs, particularly these guys for my daughter's birthday party bags !

By popular request they also played 'Pin the eye on the Alien!' a modern take on the donkey I suppose!!

I have a large bag of wool to wash and a couple of very late birthday presents to make plus of course a few more green guys for the shop! The accounts are done, tax forms done, big sigh of relief there thanks to my dear husband/accountant! Back to business finally. Feels good!

No need to ask why, it's just because

Why did I spend most of last night chasing a low blood sugar, enhanced by a beeping pump and CGM?
Why did I spend the night before last beating down a high blood sugar that would not go away?
Just because.....
Why did our son get type 1 Diabetes?
Why did I get a rare bone cancer that only affects one in a quarter of a million(not because I am the special one!)?
Just because....
Why do I make little green creatures from outer space from wool?
Just because...

'Why' is a great question but not always an easy one to answer. Why?
Just because.....

Back on the night shift

Time to get back to 'normal' - Before my surgery I did the night blood sugar tests. We don't check every night routinely. We have a policy/ criteria for night time checks as discussed with our doctor. You will have your 'policy'( if that's the right word) for your child. This is what we do.  ( I am not a doctor - my disclaimer!)
So high before midnight  - correction bolus. High after midnight - increased temp basal. Night check - click, clunk dip - back in bed 3 minutes tops.
Last nights scenario - not sure NASA/ MI5 will want me now.
Miss alarm for 3am, forgot to turn up volume in Ipod.
Wake up at 3.32 - groan! Have to push cat of the bed so I can haul myself out of bed.
Find and put on Left running shoe! Very important!
Torch on, put in mouth.
Glasses on head.
Blood sugar meter tucked in armpit.
Find crutches - hop squeak across landing.
Gently and carefully lower self on the boy's very low bed, trying not to squash boy.
Park crutches so they don't fall into most inaccessible place possible.
Remove torch from aching mouth, don glasses.
Click , clunk, dip.
Groan, curse, cheer, fist pump, delete and act as appropriate.
Glasses back on head , torch in mouth.
Haul self back onto crutches, hop squeak back across landing, marvelling at lovely reflective shiny bits on running shoe in the torch light.
Park crutches, glasses, torch.
Apologise to cross cat.
Heave self back into bed - 9 minutes - not bad!!

It took me 30 minutes the other night - big low, sugar search, feed, check 1 hour later, no strips left - new box downstairs, hop squeak down and back up, still a bit low for my liking, I am not going downstairs again - find glucose tablet stash in bedroom - silent cheer in dark. As I feed the boy glucose tabs he mumbles how yummy they are! Reduced temp basal 2 hours One final check - sorted.


Felting - not. I have some great ideas for some bags after reading Heather's blog , but wet felting is out at the moment as I can't carry anything so to and fro to the bathroom with hot soapy water is out. Kneeling on the bathroom floor to pummel and full my felt is out. My ideas will have to wait.
I have prodded some wool into large ball like shapes - my total sum of needle felting.

Doctor tomorrow - 6 week check up - hopefully time to step it up, Please! I have been a good patient, promise!!

7 things you never knew about crutches!

1. I have found the cure for 'Bingo wings' - 3 weeks hopping around on crutches and no more flabby arms!!
2. They are great for gently poking the kids out of their TV coma!
3. No matter how carefully you park them, one look and they fall over!
4. When they fall over it is always away from you, so you can't reach to pick them up!
5. Hand cream and crutches don't go together!
6. A new curtain opening and closing device!
7. People give you odd looks when you are on crutches(and really weird looks when you are in a wheelchair)

 One last thing I would like to say, a huge thanks to my Mum, who has now gone back to UK for a well earned rest! She has been an absolute star doing all the stuff that needs doing around a house and more! Thanks Mum!!

Basal brainstorming

OK back to normality/reality, dodgy leg and all! I would love input from you guys who have little people on pumps. At the moment we have have tweaked to almost as good as it gets Aleksi's current set of basal rates. They work well with his current Monday to Friday school routine, same meal times each day, predictable activity levels most days, same bed time etc. Weekends and holidays however are a different matter. We get up later, eat at different times different foods, lazy some days, busy busy other days,later bed times. We have been wondering about setting up a basal particularly for weekends that we could then also apply to holiday times. I am very interested to know if anyone else uses different basals for non school days and whether it is worth the effort of changing the pump setting every Friday night and Monday morning! Thanks!