The Adventures of Captain Ketone IV

It was just before dawn on Tuesday morning. Brenna started fussing in her room and then climbed into bed with me. As we cuddled up I felt her little body was on fire.

I held her long enough for her to go back to sleep so I could sneak out of bed to hunt down the thermometer. I couldn't find the ear beeper thermometer so I put the digital one under her arm and waited for the beep.

101.5

She felt hotter than that to me and I remember that under the arm isn't the best or most accurate spot but I wasn't about to lube it up and give her a rude awakening. Next stop, blood glucose test.

1-2-3 poke. 256.

Not bad, really. The range her Endo suggests is between 100 - 250. I like to see her in the 100's (who doesn't like to see their numbers in the 100's) and I've set her target in her pump at 165 so it's not really that far out of her range.

Drip, drip.

I was getting blood all over. So I figure as long as her finger is still bleeding I might as well put it to good use. Go go gadget - ketone meter! Pop in a purple strip and hoover up all that blood and

::beep:: 1.7

What the ?!?

I shuffle through the stack of info I brought home last month from the CWD confrence and find the colorful bookmark that explains the numbers. Until that morning, the reading on the PrecisionXtra has been 0.3.

Red. If your blood ketones are 1.6 or above get immediate medical care. Yikes! Deep breath. Another one. Dial Nurse J. Get an answering machine and leave a message (neglecting in my state of almost panic to leave my phone number). Sift through the cabinet for Tylenol - nada. Call Nurse J's office & leave a more detailed message. Hang up. Call the appointment call center and make a 9:30 a.m. appointment. Run to grocery store for Tylenol. Send Therin off to school with Al. Call work & leave message.

Test again. Blood Glucose: 190. Blood Ketones; 2.1.

Load Brenna, barely awake now, and everything we might need into the van and start driving. Use handsfree Uhura earpiece to call everybody again (why did I forget to call the Endo's pager?) Arrive at the clinic early. Thank goodness we're seeing her Pediatritian. Dr. E. gives her the once over, no ear infection, throat's fine, fever's down by now, she's just got kid crud. Some virus that her body is fighting off nothing particular. Clear fluids & fever reducer and rest. But, diabetes changes everything. Those ketones are worrysome. She's probably a little dehydrated from the fever. But to be safe . . . Dr. E suggests doing some blood work to make sure everything is O.K. Since the lab work is going to take a couple of hours it'll be better to start her on an IV now than find out 2 hours from now we should have started her on it right away. Nice that they were able to draw blood using the IV thingie.

Nobody has any experience with blood ketones so we try and get her to pee. No luck. We snuggled up toghether and watched Land Before Time on the tiny hospital bed-- the same one where we waited anxiously for news of a hospital bed when she was diagnosed. I convienently made my official "I won't be in today" call to work when Little Foot's mommy dies so I don't have to watch it. Call the babysitter, call Al, put the phone away. I want to call my Mommy but she's having fun with Rowan so I hug my girl close and wait. I do BG testing about every hour and watch the normal pattern. 100's, bolus, bagle, 301, bolus, 100's - still working on that postprandial spike.

The IV stand thing begins to beep and the nurse unhooks the tube from the IV but she leaves in the IV . . . just in case. I take Brenna to the potty again and she has a meltdown. Poor baby. I can't really blame her.

Before we can go home we need a urine sample.

Two more tantrum trips and I try a different tack. Finally, we have a cup full. When we get back the nurse tells Brenna that she did such a good job! Woo hoo! High five. Then she leaves to do the urine ketone test. After she leaves, Brenna turns to me and says, "Mommy, she was so excited."

"Yep, baby, you did such a good job! Can I have your finger?"

The blood results are back and things look good. Her bicarbonate level is 22. She was a little dehydrated so keep pushing clear, non-sugary fluids as long as she's eating solids. If no solids give her drinks with carbs -- water them down if you can. And the Endo says start her on the 6 day plan. Huh? What's that? Test her every two hours for the next 6 days. Sigh. Might as well start now.

Poke - 84

Well, it is almost lunchtime.

So here I am. I'm taking the first shift and Al's taking the second. The last two nights I was so tired I was afraid I'd fall asleep so I did housework. Not that it looks like I've done anything. . .

Tonight though, I finished my audiobook while holding my sleeping beauty. When she was safely tucked away in bed I caught up on all the blogs I've been composing in my head for the last couple of weeks.

Time to go wake up Al.