Finger Pokes

Since Mackenna’s pancreas isn’t doing its job of balancing carbs and insulin (read more about that here), we need to constantly monitor how much sugar is in her blood.  This helps us know whether she needs more carbs, more insulin, or neither.  Our main method of monitoring is through finger pokes.

A person with type 1 diabetes should check their blood sugar with a finger poke before eating and before going to sleep at night.  Since Mackenna doesn’t always feel the symptoms of high or low blood sugars, she averages about 10 finger pokes each day…always before eating and before going to sleep, but also before playing at the park, at halftime of her soccer games, before and after Phy Ed at school, before getting on the bus to come home from school, before going to a playdate…or any other time we are needing to keep a closer eye on her.

So about 10 times a day, the skin on her little fingers is punctured.  A little blood is squeezed out, to give us the information we need in order to keep her safe.

The question most people ask about finger pokes, kids and adults alike, is “Does it hurt?”

Her answer: “No!”

My answer: “Yes!”  It hurts just a little bit, like a mosquito bite.  I know because every once in a while she wants to check my blood sugar and I can’t say no to that!  It stings for just a second.  But she’s used to it.  And her little fingers are rough and calloused now, a little padding to ease the pain.

She and I recorded this video a year ago today.  She’s demonstrating how to do a finger poke.  She was 6 years old at the time.

 

Watching that video makes me teary-eyed.  Because I was there when she had her first finger poke, and her second, and third.  I was the one holding her flailing limbs down so the nurse could grab her hand long enough to administer the poke.  I was there to hold her and hug her and wipe her tears away.  And I held my breath every three hours because I knew what she didn’t: the nurse was on her way in for another poke.  But look at that girl in the video!  There’s no fear.  There’s no anxiety.  There’s just strength and courage and confidence.  My goodness, I love that God chose me to be her mommy!

For those of you who have been reading the blog all week…learning a little more about type 1 diabetes…Thank you!  Really!  It means so much that you’re taking the time to do that.  I hope you’ve learned something new.  I’ve got more posts planned for next week!

If you’re wearing blue today to spread awareness, don’t forget to take a picture and use the hashtag #onfridayswewearblue!  Mackenna will be so excited to see who’s supporting her!