Friday, June 24, 2011

My Girls

A few days ago my husband was driving us to our storage unit to pay our bill.  We (myself, husband, and girls 7 and 8) were just going to spend the day runnig errands.  Maybe go to target and let the girls have an icee.  They are such good children and an icee is a special treat that is easy on my wallet :)  Anyways, on our way to storage his blood sugar drops.  He pulls into the parking lot and the sweating has begun.  They have dum dum lolipos inside, so in we go.  (I usually have glucose tablets in my purse, but lately I've figured out that he likes them, so he will eat them off and on like candy.)  He gets a lolipop, I pay the bills.  After lunch my oldest, who is only 8, asks my husband if his blood sugar dropped.  When further questioned, she said that he doesn't usually eat them unless his blood sugar is low and she just wanted to make sure he was ok.  So, on one side I think it's great that my daughter is so aware of the things going on around her.  On the other hand, this isn't the kind of thing she should be worried about.  She shouldn't HAVE to be aware of this.  Both of my girls learned at a young age how to call 911 and what to tell the operator if there was ever an emergency.  They both know where we have glucose tablets, they know that orange juice will bring up his sugar, and they ask him periodically how high his blood sugar is.  They know that if he starts to sweat for no reason, seems "out of it", looks like he will fall down (or does fall down), can't talk easily, or can't get up that he needs sugar and he needs it quickly.  They know that if he can't remember things, one of them will get sugar for him while the other calls 911.  (This is if I'm not home-99% of the time I'm home with them) It's a fact of life for my girls, and it's sad that this is the norm.  They do have a normal life otherwise.  They have friends, go out and play, have sleepovers...we have family nights, we go on vacations and have a good time.  While he has been too harsh with them at times, being a little too quick to hand out punishment instead of giving another chance, he's not abusive towards them.  (verbally or otherwise)  I know he loves them with everything in him.  They aren't his biological children but he's taken care of them since my oldest was only a year old, and my youngest was born.  He is there Daddy is every other sense of the word.  Like I said, it's a fact of life for them, something they've grown up with.  But it really bites that they have to know and understand this at such a young age.

4 comments:

  1. I often think about when we have kids. Since my hubby is on SSDI and is home during the day he will be the stay at home daddy. I am very nervous at how this will work. What if he has a low with an infant or toddler in the house? I guess we will take it as it comes...

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  2. it's certainly difficult at times. When they were little they were rarely left home alone with him. Even now I'm usually there too. My kids know phone numbers...they now how to go to contact on our cells and call (or even text!) somebody. Our phone numbers and address are memorized and they know exactly how to get to their aunts house and their grandparents house. She asked again tonight if his blood sugar was low because he was eating a snack. Taking it as it comes is all I know to do...

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  3. Sounds like your doing a good job. Between the CGM and my check in phone calls, he is usually okay when I am not home but there are no guarantees. I guess we will take it as it comes :)

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  4. Wasn't it Steel Magnolias where Julia Roberts goes into a coma and the husband comes home and finds the 2 year old toddler screaming and pointing to his mom. She died. Horrible thing. But something to consider before having children. In the movie she wanted desperately to have a child in order to leave a legacy. But still, something to think about.

    TW, you are so right. Your girls shouldn't have to know so much about illness. I had a cousin who had brain cancer. It took me awhile to realize that his daughters never knew what it was to have a healthy dad. He was ill for nearly 15 years. And then he was gone. Sad that any child has to go through this.

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