During my last entry I talked about hypoglycemia also known as low blood sugar this time I want to talk about high blood sugar. When you have high blood sugar it is called hyperglycemia. With this you will have a general feeling of being off. You will have to urinate frequently, you will be tired (which may surprise you because often you think too much sugar = too much energy), you may notice that things are blurry; you may become grumpy, agitated and fidgety. Some of the symptoms of high blood sugar and low blood sugar are the same so … Continue reading →

When you have a child with juvenile diabetes you are always at a state of worrying. If your child is at a friend’s house will the parents remember that they need to check your child’s blood sugar before they are given a snack, or meal? It is always on your mind, you are no longer the parent of a child who can be allowed to eat and drink like a child without diabetes. With my niece when she received the diagnosis she was still young enough to try to get her used to eating the way she should without too … Continue reading →

As I mentioned in my last entry my niece was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of four. There have been times in the last 12 years that she has been diabetic that we try to explain to her what damage she is causing to her body by not taking care of her diabetes better. There was a time when she told me that she did not have to worry about how she was going to be when she was older because by that time God would come back for Judgment day and she will go to heaven where … Continue reading →

My son was finally admitted into an examination room, where he had numerous blood tests performed. He had to have an arterial blood gas test where blood is drawn directly from an artery (rather than a vein) in his arm. This was done to measure the pH levels in his blood, and determine how acidic he was. He found the needle uncomfortable but was too sick to mind much. He was also given intravenous fluids with an insulin and potassium drip. Periodically I’d have to leave the room and stand in the hospital entrance to call home and check on … Continue reading →

I am very excited about a project I’m working on with my mentor and hero, Rick Walton. Rick has a son with juvenile diabetes, and I have two, and because we write picture books, we decided to join forces and create a book for very young children who are newly-diagnosed with the disease. The book will be donated to kids in the hospital, as a gift inside the “bags of hope” which contain items to help these newly-diagnosed children (and their parents) cope. Pitching the Book Although we had seen picture books written about diabetes, we hadn’t seen one specifically … Continue reading →

“Mom, can I drive?” It’s one of those questions that gives me a momentary shudder. Maybe because I know my sixteen-year-old son doesn’t have a whole lot of driving experience, and I envision us driving off a cliff. Or maybe it’s because I’m just not emotionally ready for this particular rite of passage in my oldest child’s life. Either way, I’ve learned several techniques for disguising my white-knuckling and shallow breathing. We nervous mothers must appear calm and confident. “Mom, would you relax?” Yeah, right. Teens with juvenile diabetes must be especially cautious as drivers, because symptoms of hypoglycemia, which … Continue reading →