Roller Coaster Ride!

Johnny's Mimi (my Mom) came for a short visit last week.  We had a great time, maybe even a little too great one day.  Mimi wanted to take Johnny to a local "amusement park." about 5 minutes from our house.  You can't see much other than a park like setting from the road, but I did know it had pony rides... so it would be a hit with Johnny.  Earlier this week I got a few ID bands I ordered and I thought this was a great day to start getting Johnny used to wearing "something."

Toddler Sized, he loves them.

Johnny likes this, but I was less than impressed.

I guess it "is" a whistle.

Johnny's morning number was a bit low, 78.  For his age, anything below 80 we correct (give him sugar).  I gave him some juice and tested 15 minutes later and he was 123.  Fine!  We had breakfast like usual, gave insulin like normal.  About 10am we headed out to the Park.  This was right at snack time, perfect.  I let him have snack in the car just when we got there so I knew he would at least have that in him before he played. 

We pull in and it is empty... maybe 3 other cars there.  It is only $2 for adults and $0 for kids 3 or under.  We start walking around, but there isn't anything there but a few tents and picnic grounds.  Finally I make my way over to the booth that collected our $2 when we drove in and she pointed me to a trail that would lead to the Pony Rides. 

OMG... I had no idea what we were in for.

It started off easy enough.  Pony Rides!  A favorite in Johnny's world.

But then, he saw it!  Once he saw it, I was done for.

This was Johnny's first roller coaster ride.  He LOVED it, we went 2 times on this one.  But there were other rides.  Of course the ones he loved were the same ones that scared me to death to watch.  The ones I liked he was bored on, aka Boat Ride.  We took a break mid visit and tested BG, it was over 200 so that was better than low. 

We were only there for 2 hours.  To be honest, Mommy couldn't hang.  I was having contractions like crazy and getting sick.  This last video looks calm, but it is because I couldn't talk.  I turned the camera off because he let go and was trying to turn around.  I was yelling "stop it." I don't know if I was yelling at him or the ride operator, but I was definitely freaking out.  This ride, did me in and I was DONE watching these things.

We left at 12 noon and met my husband for lunch at a local pizza place.  I felt so bad that I checked my BG and it was 83... I need to take better care of my own "snack" needs it seems.  Johnny was 139, just right.  We eat our pizza (crappy pizza, but Johnny didn't care), and visit for a little bit.  Johnny wasn't the only one who road a roller coaster that morning.  I went from a nice relaxing trip to a park, to thinking I was filming my own child's death.  I stressed over his BG, had too many contractions, and finally calmed down after lunch.

After lunch I took the boys home while Mimi and I did a quick shopping trip to my favorite place, Target.  Near the end of the trip, I got sick again and had to have my mom drive us home.  I just can't do much these days with out "over doing it."  The roller coaster wasn't over for me it seemed.

When we got home, Johnny seemed fine.  About an hour into being home I noticed Johnny was bouncing off the walls, a classic HIGH BG behavior.  I guess his roller coaster wasn't over either.  At dinner time Johnny was 325!  Really??? 139 at lunch and 325 just 6 hours later after all that hyperactive behavior and excitement this morning?  It makes no sense.

(This next paragraph I am not proud of, but I want other T1D parents who might be going through the same thing to know they are not alone.)  I instantly blame my husband.  After all, Johnny's numbers were fine with me.  Once John took over and I was gone, he is out of control again at 325.  John keeps snacks and sweets in his office, and while I don't know where they are I am 100% sure that Johnny knows.  I am sure that while John was "watching" Johnny he was able to sneak into Daddy's office and eat a bunch of candy.  I ask John, who of course says "no way."  But I don't believe him, that is what anyone would say.

I let it go and a few minutes later decide, he probably is correct.  I am glad that I didn't make it a full blown argument this time.  I kept my doubt to myself, and eventually realized that I was wrong.  I wonder if instead Johnny had a severe low while I was at Target, and the 325 is a rebound (still kinda blaming my husband for not noticing a low).  A rebound is when the blood glucose gets so low that the body produces a hormone that tells the liver to release it's stored sugar causing a rebounding high.  This theory makes sense.  I have had it drilled into me that activity and excitement can cause delayed lows, so obviously my little man experienced a delayed low a few hours after roller coasters... dad didn't notice... and now he is rebounding.  I think about when I got home his behavior was fine, but soon he went crazy.  I must have got home right when his BG was rising.  Okay, I figured this one out!  GO MOMMY!  (Roller coaster high for me)  We eat dinner and give him extra insulin to cover the 325. 

Before bed (7:30pm) we check him like always, about 2 hours after dinner.  84... OMG, this roller coaster never ends!  84, what the heck?  We give snack and send him to bed, planning to check him through the night.  At 8:30 he was 112, okay.  At 10:30 he was 95!  So I technically am not supposed to do anything for a 95 but I just couldn't sleep knowing he was starting that low.  We woke him up and gave him juice.  The waking up enough to drink took us a good 45 minutes.  We all hated doing it.  At 2am he was 238... no comment.

I went to the Internet to see if I could figure out why we had such high numbers at dinner after a day of activity and excitement.  I am 95% sure I really know why now.  It was the PIZZA.  The theory is that when you eat a meal high in fat and in carbs, the fat takes longer to digest.  After it is digested the carbs spike the blood sugar hours later.  This doesn't happen with EVERY diabetic, and it doesn't happen with all pizza... its just a theory and it is kinda hit and miss... but to me it makes sense.  Johnny rarely eats pizza that I don't make, and when I make it it is on a whole grain sandwich thin with low fat mozzarella cheese.  I think the lows the rest of the night were the delayed lows I was expecting from the mornings activities.

I hate trying to figure things out as we go.  It should just have set rules to follow... but it doesn't.  Dang it!