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Survivor Longa-Walka-Hallway
Episode VI

The meter goes up to 600. Normal is 100. Delaney was HI. That means over 600. She had moderate ketones.

Later in the week we tested a glass of Coke. It was over 600 too. Beer was 35. Diet coke got an error. So she is sweeter than beer, almost a coke?

I tried to call Childeren’s Hospital diabetes hot line. It was Sunday late. Delaney wasn’t a patient and they couldn’t give me anyone.

We didn’t sleep, well the kids did. We moved Delaney into the king sized bed with us.

Here is what would happen if we went to the local hospital.

• They would take a blood test.

• It would be over 600.

• They would test for Ketones.

• The test would be moderate.

• They may give her an IV.

• Delaney would be packed off to the local Children’s Hospital.

• The local Children’s Hospital would stabilize her in about 24 hours.

• They would hold her hostage while they made us go to 3 days of diabetic parents classes.

• The emergency room cost about $15,000.

• The 3 days of Diabetes Hostage Classes is twice that.

Been there done that. Not a good time.

Orlando is famous for theme parks. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is the top ranked kid’s hospital in the US. I would rather play in Orlando and Hospital in Philly.

Well OK I would be happy to skip the hospital totally.

This can happen with insulin. We have it with us. All we need is a Doc to say it is OK.

In the morning I tried to call Epcot to let them know we would be missing the Segway tour, and see it there was anyway we could get a refund/ reschedule. No luck. The front desk can’t help. Well that is a minor issue.

Kim called our family doctor. I called CHOP and left a message for the endocrinology people. Both got our cell numbers on their respective answering machines.

We called friends back home and had them break into our house and Fed Ex more diabetes testing supplies. We didn’t pack for doubles. Delaney was still scoring big numbers, had ketones but was in fairly good spirits. There was only one thing to do.

Go to Epcot and play!

So off to Test Track (Delaney’s favorite.) We got a call from Buz and Diane. I suspect we were fairly incoherent but we managed to meet up with them and Marla. Marla is great and we were happy to see her. I am sorry to say I doubt, however, we showed it much. Something was preoccupying us. Sorry Marla – LYMI.

Buz has a picture of us outside Ellen’s Dream. Look carefully. I look like a guy who is dreaming his cell phone will ring.

Our family Dr. called back. Bummer, he was taking the line that we should go to the local hospital if we thought Delaney needed treatment. Wrong answer.

Let’s review: I wanted to avoid the hospital. See above.

Our Doc was not buying the idea. Well it was a long shot. I probably have more real time experience with diabetes than he does as Connor was his first diabetic patient in the 18 years we’ve been patients.

I enjoy Ellen’s Dream. I enjoyed it at the NY World’s Fair in ‘64 when it wasn’t called Ellen’s Dream. I like Small World then too, still do. I was about Delaney’s age at the time.

OK. I was a space cadet on the ride.

Shortly after we woke up from Ellen's Dream, I got a call from Tina, Connor’s diabetes nurse at CHOP. I have taken Connor to see her a bunch of times so she knows us and our level of diabetes management skills. We talk about the numbers, how Delaney was doing and what symptoms she had and didn't have.

She agreed Delaney was OK for a few days but was heading for the hospital by the end of the week if we didn’t do anything. I allowed as how I wanted to keep Delaney out of the hospital, see above, and that ninety percent of the hospital stay it is the whole hostage for diabetes education thing, tests and all.

Tina thought that was funny. I considered that a good sign. It is one of the classic Evil Emperor’s techniques, get’m laughing with you.

I also wanted to keep playing in the parks. Children’s Hospitals aren’t a ton of fun. Parks are.

Tina agreed the goal was to keep Delaney out of the hospital. She would talk to some of the endocrinology Docs and see if she could get one to buy into a treatment by phone. Have fun, she’ll call back.

Tina you so ROCK!

We went off to Journey into the Kodak’s Picture place and emailed some pictures, mostly because we always do. Sometime in this process we realized that we hadn’t given Connor any insulin in the morning.

Swift, real swift, we need suck it up and pay attention we got two of these guys now.

We said our apologies too Buz, Diane and Marla and walked back to the Boardwalk. Oh well at least all the walking is good for the diabetics. We got Connor dosed up and had lunch.

Memo to us:
Gotta deal with both diabetics, not just worry about the new one.

I was climbing the walls. I tried to call over to the Whispering Canyon to see if the could find Bobby’s scroll. The Emperor needed to be pissed off at someone and they were good candidates. No luck my intended victim wasn’t in and they weren’t a very effective whipping boy either. The lady I spoke with, Ruth, was doing all the right stuff trying to help.

Maybe I could be pissed at Boardwalk food and beverage executive guy. He didn’t calling back last year when I left three calls trying to get carb levels for the stuff the Bakery makes. Connor likes that place but who knows what he can eat or how much insulin it takes to eat it?

I mean Mickey Ds can tell you the food nutrition (is nutrition the right word?) information of a Big Mac. OK, just reading it will give you a heart attack but they know it. That’s why they keep the information hidden behind the counter. The manager is called to those electronic paddles of life things anytime a customer asks to see it.

Why can’t Mickey Mouse do the same?

I figured I had better be sure they still didn’t have the info at the Bakery before I went off on the guy.
Note: there is a lot of researched required to be an effective Evil Emperor. I walked down to check, well paced down like a cat on a hot tin roof is more like it.

Once again the people you see eye to eye are great. The Bakery manager / head chef Mustafa would calculate the carb. levels of anything Connor was interested in. I had just started talking with him when Tina called back.

Tina got Connor’s Doc to agree to treat Delaney by remote control. Outstanding!

She had dosing levels for Delaney. So there I was borrowing a pen and paper from the receipt printer at the Bakery to take notes on how much insulin to give my diabetic kid, kind of ironic.

Tina would call back regularly and check in, starting later that afternoon before her shift was over. Cool. I told her I was taking notes on a napkin.

She laughed and asked if it was a cocktail napkin.

Nope bakery!

Better! She told us to enjoy the vacation and call with any questions.

I showed Mustafa what Connor was interested in eating. Then went upstairs to give gave Delaney her first shot. Within the hour lethargic girl was gone. Delaney was literally dancing around the room and doing the worm on the floor.

Oh yeah, we remember this kid! I guess that having that much sugar in your blood and suddenly getting a little insulin so you can use it gives you a big boost. She was jazzed. There was only one thing to do.

Go to MGM and play!

Love Ya / Mean It and BadShoe.com Pins

Tony, Delaney, Connor - Love Ya / Mean It

Robin & Del, Kimball & Bennet (aka Delswife & Scuba Steve, Zurgswife & Zurg) are proud to announce two unique limited edition trading pins to benefit research to help find cures for Juvenile Diabetes and Muscular Dystrophy.

We love going to Disney World and writing funny trip reports, after all it is how we became friends.  We care just as much or more about helping these two great causes. All the profits from pin sales will go to JDRF and MDA because, well, Robin thought it would be a fun idea.

So if you enjoy the trip reports please chip in and buy a pin or two. Pins are $10.00 each including shipping and handling (North America.) Send an email to pins@badshoe.com with how many pins you would like and we will get the pins rolling. The BadShoe.com pins have sold out. Existing orders are being filled but we can't take anymore BadShoe.com pin orders, sorry. There still Love Ya /  Mean it Pins (there were more to start.) 

If you feel inspired click either MDA or JDRF's logo or both and make additional contributions.