Madi + Diabetes

Things are finally settling down after a crazy weekend and week. Madi has been diagnosed with Diabetes but she reminds us or Ben that she is not sick. She is doing well and is back at school with the help of a wonderful school staff.

God works in mysterious ways! In my last post I told you about Michelle from thesweetgardenia. I just met her last Friday and then the next Friday she practically saved my child's life. We had gotten together on Friday morning, and I was tired and yawning and she asked why I was so tired. I said Madi gets up 4 times during the night to drink water and go to the bathroom. Well Michelle stopped by my house just minutes after school on Friday and while all the kids were playing Madi's drinking and peeing came up again. Michelle mentioned that is a sign of diabetes. Michelle is a Diabetic herself and suggested checking Madi's blood sugar. So while Michelle went to get her meter I was nervous, my intuition really had been making me think something was wrong and I called Steve who was down at the Braves Spring Training in Orlando. He said if I wasn't up for it to wait and when he got home we could take Madi to her pediatrician. Michelle said she wouldn't leave unless I checked Madi's glucose. So we made it fun and checked all the kids. Everyone was in the low 100's but Madi's read High Glucose over 600. Michelle said "Jeni you have to take her in right now". We are not from here but I had heard through the grapevine of a satellite clinic of the Atlanta's Healthcare for Children in Morrow and thought that would be a better place to go than our local ER. Michelle went with us and I owe her so much for helping me and willing to do anything for us we needed at that time. Madi was seen instantly and they said we need to be transported in an ambulance to the Children's Hospital downtown. Under the circumstances, everything was wonderful. The most kind people helped us in the clinic, we had four more on our ambulance ride and doctors waiting for us when we arrived at the hospital.

In the picture above...Madi insisted on wearing her jeans with her hospital gown on too...whatever.

Madi has done so well...I could not ask for a better kid! She likes to have her finger poked to check her blood. I think she likes knowing her number...it lets her know all is well I guess. She doesn't like her 4 shots she needs throughout the day but dealing with it amazingly, never fights getting them....doesn't even cry just a tear on a few of them.

Here is a picture of Madi when we were getting ready to leave the hospital. She insisted on wearing her knew t-shirt on her first day back to school too.

For all you moms out there...we were able to catch this early before any permanent damage was done.... she didn't even have any ketones in her urine when we got to the hospital. Signs just started showing up. We had gone on our cruise at the beginning of February and also had the vacation with Steve's family at the cabin and Madi never got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Looking back we also noticed at Madi 's last two basketball games she was not as much of the beast she usually was but didn't ever really think anything of it but in hindsight we do see things. Madi has always eaten lots of food and is still a little bitty thing but did loose 8-10 lbs. the last month. So we know it wasn't until after the middle of February when this started. You just have to watch and know their routines and I am so glad I did.

Steve's family came instantly to take care of Ben...THANK YOU Alicia! Teresa my mother-in-law came Saturday from Savannah and stayed with us until last night. She said the ladies in her office check into my blog time to time so THANK YOU for supporting Teresa so she could stay and help us too. Ben loved hanging our with his cousins in Macon and then having Nana totally spoil him here at home while Steve and I stayed with Madi at the hospital.