Basically, B came into the family room on Saturday night and declared:
"Tonight, when you check my sugar while I am sleeping...I want you to check my toes."
"Why?" My husband and I questioned in unison.
"My fingers just need a break."
And with that he whipped around and walked resolutely out of the room.
My husband and I looked at each other warily. We were sure this germ of an idea had to be planted by someone. Now don't get me wrong, I know that there are plenty people in the world that test nightly on toes. Our family was just never one of them. I think maybe we posed the possibility to J when he was younger and were met with so much resistance it became a non issue. I'm sure we abandoned the idea altogether before B was even born.
"Are we really going to check his toes?" Asks my husband
"Ummm, I think we have to." Responds me.
At 10pm that night I found B laying in the wrong direction on his full size bed, his bare foot hanging off the edge...
Above him was a hurriedly made sign that read:
So we did it. For the first time ever, we checked his toes all night long. (I do admit that I checked his finger to get an idea if the two numbers would be in the same ballpark. I suppose that is all part of a D mothers wiring. We have double check, and be sure we aren't doing anything crazy when we try something new.)
The next morning B came running into our bedroom, so excited he was going to burst.
"So???? Did you do it????"
"Do what?"
"Did you check my toes last night????"
"Yes."
"That is SO awesome!"
He started to run out of the room when I stopped him.
"Hey. Who gave you this toe idea?"
"I gave the idea to myself. I just want my fingers to get a little break. That's all."
The mother in me wonders if someone said something about the black spots that dot his fingertips. But for now I'll try not to meddle and just do what my sweet boy asks. He deserves to make these kinds of choices. It is his body after all.
I'm a toe guy at night which makes it hard sometimes because Elise has her feet tucked in...
ReplyDeleteIn the "old" days, she would lie on her stomach in bed and put her hands underneath so I couldn't use her fingers to check her blood sugar :^)
I have been wanting to try this for awhile now, but can't get up the nerve. I'm so afraid she is going to wake up and have a fit! So, were the #'s the same when you did the double check? Ha ha...that reminds me of the commercial "discount double check" that my kids love!
ReplyDeleteToo cute! My daughter has gotten into the habit of sleeping "backwards" on her bed(top bunk) when she's at my parents house. I practically have to climb over the railing to fish her hand out from under the covers when I come to check her on my lunch break. Maybe toes would be a good idea - or maybe the suggestion could get her to turn back the right way in the bed...lol!
ReplyDeleteLove the night time toe check!
ReplyDeletelove the reminder sign...lol!
ReplyDeleteLove the fact that he washed them too!!
ReplyDeleteThis makes me smile! And that sign is a precious keeper! Yeah... I hate those black dots, too. I've joked with Sweets before about doing her toes. She just laughs. But they did test her toes when we were at the Ped on dx day. Two tests. First and last toe test. For now....
ReplyDeleteThat sign makes me smile and breaks my heart at the same time. :(
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet guy.
We've done toes for almost 5 years and EA loves it! We only recently started doing fingers during school hours, since her toes are unavailable! My daughter never wakes up, so those nervous to try...they may not wake at all! I love his little sign...he's adorable. :)
ReplyDeleteWe've never tried testing on the toes, but I think we'll have to now!
ReplyDelete(And I love the note with the "ps. I washed my toes." So adorable!)
My daughter is 4 (diagnosed at 15 months) and we always use her fingers and toes, even during the day. When given the choice, she will usually choose to have her toes tested. They told us to use both when she was first in the hospital at diagnosis. Gives you twice as many places to rotate between, so the fingers don't get as sore.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea! I HATE those black spots! I think I'll have to try this. Thank you Meri and B for this post.
ReplyDeleteLOL! "PS I washed my toes" HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!! We used to do toes as well, but haven't done them for awhile. I'm pretty sure that she would freak out if I tried it, but it's always good to have back up :)
ReplyDeleteLove that boy...rock on, sweet child. Rock on!
Love the sign!!! Jess always wakes up for night time checks anyway... she has tried her toes, but doesn't like it. (?) Glad your boy found something awesome about night time checks! What a great kid!! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is great! We tell the story to all three of ours about how the very first time we checked S we did his toe. Every now and then you'll hear it shouted out in our house "check a toe!" Usually it is followed by a "Really? Uh, no I don't think so." But the point is definitely there. Sometimes we just want to give those fingers a break. It's not like those "you can check on your arm" methods ever really work. Not for us anyway. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteThe sign is fantastic - and he slept through it! Toes are now fair game - hmmmm. Will have to see what our little guy thinks. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFunny, as I was reading I was wondering if results from the toes would be similar to results from the fingers!! So I was nodding my head when you said you did one finger check to compare!! LOL And I suppose they were similar? Heck, maybe I'll try checking my toe - just for variation!!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I WASHED MY TOES!
ReplyDeleteso much love! <3
Wow! I didn't know toe testing was even a "thing" but if they are doing it in the hospitals it must be okay! I think you need to organize a DOC toe testing day! :)
ReplyDelete