Pre-Pump Jitters

Tomorrow is the big day! We take Kacey for Pump Training and Saline Hook-up. I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous. It's not all the learning that scares me. I can handle that! It's learning how to put a site in that I'm worried about. I'm scared of hurting Kacey. I know things will be just fine and we'll do good but those fears sit in the back of my mind.

Kacey is very excited! The kids in her class are just as excited for her :) It makes such a difference when you have a teacher that gets the class involved. From the very beginning, Kacey's teacher has involved the class with Kacey's care. They all got to meet "Herbie" last week and Kacey is excited to go back on Monday and show him off!

We have to be at the hospital at 10am so we're leaving around 8am. We're meeting Kacey's school nurse so she can follow us to the hospital. I'm thankful that she is going so she will get the pump training as well!

I have to share something that happened in one of the classes I was teaching. On Monday, I had the joy of teaching 3rd grade...Kacey's class included. It was a Handwriting class and once they finished their handwriting assignment, they are allowed to complete work from their other classes that they haven't finished. During one of the classes, a little boy (who happens to be the son of a friend of mine and he's also in Kacey's class) really touched my heart and made me really think about the friends that Kacey has. They were working on a paper and they had to make an invention that used different materials from the earth. So he says, Mrs. Jill? (he calls me by my first name because I'm friends with his Mom outside of school) I sat down next to him and he asked me if he could get metal from the ground? So we had a conversation about metals and such and then I asked him what he was inventing? He's a very bright little boy and he went on to tell me all about the robot he was making and how this robot would help him with homework, etc. So then he looks up at me and says, "Mrs. Jill, I wish I could build a robot to help with Kacey's diabetes. You know, like a robot nurse." It was all I could do to hold back tears. So we went on to discuss what this robot would do and we had a few giggles. Then one of the other kids, who is not in Kacey's class (they change classes during the day), says "What is diabetes?" and this little boy says "It's when you have to be brave and take shots every time you eat because Kacey can't have sugar without it." The look on the other little boys face was shocking and he said "I don't think I could be brave enough to have diabetes." Brave... yes, thats what Kacey is! I didn't make a discussion out of it because they were sopposed to be working. So we got back on the discussion of the robot and then the little boy says "Mrs. Jill, I wish there was a robot that could find a cure for diabetes because my Grandpa has diabetes too." OK...now I had the knot in my throat and I replied with "Yes, me too!". It was all I could say. I saw a different side to this little boy that day. He's normally very busy. His Mom has been told he's disruptive. But today, he wasn't... today he was compassionate, caring and thoughtful. Today, he was not only inventor...he was Kacey's friend!

Also, this past week in Math, Kacey's been learning how to write a check and keep a balance. They were given blank checks to write and they had a balance of $10.00. Each day they were allowed to write a check for something (mechanical pencils, homework passes, erasers, etc) and if they had enough left in on their balance then today they could buy the "Grab Bag" for $1.50. Of course, everyone had enough at the end of the week to buy a grab bag. I'm sure you're wondering what was in the bag? Well, for everyone it was a couple lollipops and a mechanical pencil and other "goodies". For Kacey, it was a soccer water bottle, straw, bag of popcorn & mechanical pencil. Yep! Once again, her teacher went out of her way and made Kacey something special so she could participate but could also have something that wouldn't make her "sugar sick". (We just love Mrs. M!) I'm so thankful that Kacey is in her care during the day. Kacey was excited that she got the "special bag".