Little Brother came home from the hospital today with a giant bag full of syringes and test strips and meters and all manner of things–just in time for lunch. Nothing like jumping right into things with both feet!
When they told us yesterday that we could take him home today, I panicked. I liked it a lot better when the wonderful nurses at CHOP were holding our hands through the process. They had us figure it all out, but they could confirm our evaluations of how many carbs were in a meal and how many units of insulin to dose.
I knew that when we took him home, we were on our own for all this stuff. It’s like bringing home a newborn when you have never held a baby before, much less fed, bathed or diapered one.
And the temptation to rely on packaged foods with easy-to-read carb counts on labels is high when I have to do higher math while I’m cooking dinner.
Here’s what we ate tonight:
Vegetable blend: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower
Caesar salad
I can’t believe I have to add carbs for garlic!
I’m not looking for a pity party. I saw enough very, very sick children (and their families) at CHOP in 3 days to realize how very, very blessed we are that Little Brother is doing so well. We can’t make this go away, but we can help him live with it.
The diagnosis of diabetes, whether type 1 or 2, is daunting at first. Like yourself, most people feel they are alone, but you’re not. When you and your family are ready, try to connect with diabetes groups in your area. They can be an important of information and support. The American Diabetes Association website is a good place for information and there are many good cookbooks that figure out the counts for you. Please don’t rely on the pre-packaged foods. They’re high in all kinds of stuff that aren’t good for anybody.
Thank you for the encouragement! Believe me, I don’t intend to rely on packaged stuff. That is not how I cook and not how we eat. For the most part, I buy our food in the form of ingredients. It’s just a matter of figuring out the counts for the recipes we already use. It’s just the “all at once” of it right now that is kind of scary.
Praying it all gets easier sooner than later. And prayers for Little Brother. I can’t imagine doing this with Faith, but then, she is probably about 100 percent more dramatic about everything than my boys were. I will keep him in my prayers all week as you learn to navigate school, the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, and the reality of it all. MemorareUp, sister.
Oh, believe me, Little Brother is plenty dramatic. There’s a reason he gravitates to the theater…
I appreciate the prayers so very much. School has been WONDERFUL which helps a lot. But reality is a real bear.
Prayers for you all as you learn to negotiate the new normal!
I used Calorie King when I had gestational diabetes, it let me put in recipes and then pull up carbs/proteins etc and had the best data base of staple and raw foods I’ve found (lots of counters do more prepared foods). I did all our standards to avoid doing higher math while trying to cook with a 2 year-old underfoot.
I also kept a list of “standard lunches” on the fridge to make packing easier. I still pack those when I am on auto and my infant is almost 18!
You’re the second person who told me about Calorie King, but I can’t find a spot to just copy-paste the whole recipe rather than insert ingredients line by line…maybe I’m doing it wrong?
I’m lucky that he enjoys eating the same breakfast and lunch over and over and over and over…I only had to figure it out once!