Hypoglycemia

Sometimes life is just not easy or full of the "fun stuff". Like when your 16 year old daughter suddenly begins blacking out in random places and at random times of the day, begins vomiting most of her meals and starts testing her blood sugar only to discover that at any given moment she is running in the 40-70s when 80 + to 120 is a "normal" random test result. Jael started showing symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, sort of the opposite of diabetes: too much insulin production rather than too little as with diabetes) about a  month and a half  ago while  we were  also  starting to get  busier and busier with Esther's wedding and Daniel's surgery . After the first 3 episodes of blacking out we went to our doctor who was very pro-active about figuring out what was going on.  Our doctor made a tentative diagonosis of  hypoglycemia but I suspected that was the problem  since I am hypo; my dad was diabetic as well as is Charlie's mom. It's something that I caution our children about regularly:FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY. I am all too aware of the potential for diabetes in our children and as a result have always promoted good foods and eating habits. TEENAGERS however, just seem to need to figure that out on their own and when disorder rears its ugly head.............teens seem to pledge all the harder to figure out their own way and how to include junk food, no food or dopey big Sonic meals and somehow make it work for them. HA!!!!!!!!!!!


SO, after weeks of glucose monitoring, a Holter monitor test to assess potential cardiac malfunctioning, weeks of glucose results- recording and journal -writing about fainting and vomiting episodes, some days being really good and some being really bad and a few flukey ones in between, Jael blacking out every day for the past 6 days at least once, today we saw the doctor again.  Seeing Dr. Evans for Jael and or Daniel has been a weekly event  for a while now. Jael blacked out right after dinner last night at a restaurant....giving quite the "floor show" to the other customers who saw her plummet headlong and land on her face on the tile floor.  Her brother Gideon and I rushed to her aide as restaurant staff offered all the help we might need as well. Today I had to go get her early from school because she blacked out on the stairs . Fortunately, her boy friend was with her, and he has been with her when she's fainted before . He kept a very cool head when all the people around them , teachers included all were frankly wigging out.. Jokingly I told her that I think her brain is checking out to getaway from her for a while and laughingly she agreed. Our doctor set up an appointment wit h an endocrinologist for December to assess if there could be anything else going on that needs addressing and went over her most recent lab results with us. Its clear that hypoglycemia IS her issue so food is the base line approach to helping Jael for now. I have been trying to promote small frequent meals but she has been a pretty typical teen in that this is "not convenient" or she "didn't' feel like it" but today reaffirmed to her that what she "felt like was frankly in the "tough noougies department" for now and her foreseeable future.

She asked me to go shop for things that she could or would eat throughout the day: protein shakes, beef jerky, cheese sticks, sunflower seeds, nuts, and she promised to stay away from the fries and chicken strips at Sonic.

She is sore from the hard bumps to her head and her shoulders. I am amazed at her spunk and ability to keep a great attitude. I am thankful for that attitude as we forge a new path of dietary changes and modifications . She was in a hurry to get done at the doctor's this afternoon because it's Wednesday night and YOUTH GROUP. About two minutes after she got home from church she fell sound asleep on the sofa and I am going to let her stay there .I think right now she needs a good nights' sleep while her Mamma prays over her!