After a week or so of extreme thirst, hunger, and increased urination I called our pediatrician and made an appointment for after school that day. About 15 minutes later I received a call back from the doctor's office saying they wanted me to bring her in as soon possible. I called Mark and told him what was up. With Jacob in tow, I picked Janie up from school, picked Mark up from a bus stop and went to our ped's office. A few minutes later after a quick test, Dr. D told us that Janie had diabetes and made arrangements for us go directly to a (thankfully) nearby juvenile diabetes center. The next two and half days were spent at the center learning about diabetes, how to manage it and what we had to do to care for Janie.
As I write this six weeks later it doesn't seem quite as scary, not all the time. The first two or three weeks were really hard... scary... frustrating. Janie has been a trooper during all of it. There were times she was scared, didn't want her injection... times we all cried. It's becoming normal now, though.
Janie's feeling better and gaining weight. She had lost about 6 lbs from her last weigh in at the doc's back in November. She looks healthier, and has so much more energy than before her diagnosis, so much more that she doesn't know what to do with it all.
She has to have four injections a day. A fast acting insulin before each meal, and an injection at night that provides her with a slow release insulin over the following 24 hours. We check her blood glucose levels several times a day, she can do this by herself now, which is awesome. It won't be too long before she's doing her own injections.
Janie's school has been awesome. The area nurse has been training the two clinical aides that work at the school, as well as one of the office personnel, so that they are able to give Janie her lunch time injection. They also trained how to treat lows and to give her the support she needs. I'm still going to school every day to supervise and have lunch with Janie. I will probably stop going in a week or so. It's hard to let this part of her treatment go.
On day two of our education at the center Jacob stayed with our friend Elizabeth, I took this photo that morning before we all left the house. Jacob was so supportive of his Sissy. *made me cry*
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2 comments:
I was so happy to read that things are going better!! I hate that you all have to adjust to a new "normal" but it will come. Janie is in my thoughts alot and I am still praying that you all have the strength to get thru all this.
You have all certainly had your share of trials during the last two months. I'm so glad that everything is becoming somewhat normal.
Been thinking about you and the fam!
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