My Type 1 Daughter Treated Herself For Wrong Blood Sugar

This morning, as I was getting the kids ready for school, I noticed I hadn't filled out Madison's type 1 diabetes sheet that lists her blood sugar for breakfast, total carbs she ate, and the carb count for her snack and lunch. I nonchalantly asked her what her blood sugar was. She told me 156. As I was writing the number on the sheet, she then told me that she might have changed it on her meter and given herself insulin for a blood sugar of 212. My eyes basically popped out of my head.

I really thought Madison was joking, but then I checked her meter and she did treat herself for a blood sugar of 212. All I thought was, when the heck is this disease going to become less stressful?

I actually left her as is and didn't give her anything to eat because I wasn't sure of the numbers. Even though Madison said she increased her blood sugar reading on the meter to 212, I wasn't 100% sure she really did. It just didn't seem realistic that she would have done that. Yet, she was so sure that she did. And there was no history or log that I could find within the meter that showed otherwise.

Instead, I emailed her teacher and the nurse to give them a heads up on what had happened and to watch her. If she would have given herself too much insulin, her blood sugar would have been lower than normal in the morning. It's 12:30 pm, and I guess everything must be fine because no emergency texts have come my way.

The more freedom I give my nine year old daughter to check her blood sugar and give herself insulin, the more I realize how easy it is to make mistakes using her current meter and insulin pump. She can easily change her blood sugar reading result. She can easily change her settings without a parents approval or password. She can easily give herself more insulin or less insulin. And she can easily prime the insulin pump, which could kill her.

I'm disappointed in the lack of safety protocols on my daughters insulin pump. Mistakes like this shouldn't easily happen. I know the technology has significantly advanced, since the 50's. But as a mom, wanting to give her daughter more freedom and control in managing her blood sugar, her current meter and pump doesn't give me the confidence that she will be safe.

Madison presently uses the Animas One Ping. I love it because of it's wireless ability. You can bolus your child wireless using the meter. It's heaven, especially when you are out in public. You don't have to pull out her insulin pump to give her insulin. Instead, you do it straight from the meter. But there are downsides like the meter not communicating with the insulin pump and only partial insulin delivery goes.

I'm sure every meter and insulin pump has it's positive and negatives. I'd love to hear your experiences with your meter and insulin pump. Right now we're looking into the Dexcom G4 CGM (continuous glucose monitor) and Medtronic.