The Sleepover

The possibility had been brewing for a while.  A sleepover.  At somebody else's house.  It sounded luxurious and terrifying all at the same time.

At the end of the summer, we made it happen.  As part of a friend's birthday weekend, she wanted my daughter to stay overnight at her house.  Could she?  A few factors made us say yes.

1. Of all of my daughter's friends, this one lives closest: one block away.  In case of emergency, we could be there in a flash.  And in terms of every-kid issues, cold feet at bedtime would require only a very quick trip to retrieve her.

2. We've known this family since long before my daughter was born.  They know her well.  She's comfortable in their home. They know the questions to ask before she visits for a meal.  They're comfortable with her diabetes routine.  They wouldn't hesitate to call us at any time for any concern.

3. We'd been thinking about this possibility for a long time.  By 5th grade, most kids have slept over at somebody's house.  We couldn't hold her off forever.  So I had a game plan in my head which we were able to implement.

How did we do it?

I brought her over at 5:30 and spent 20 minutes in the kitchen going over the dinner, dessert and breakfast menu.  I made copious notes for my daughter on portion sizes and carb counts.  Then I kissed her goodnight.

As is the way of diabetes karma, it had been a day of wild blood sugar numbers.  My game plan was to set her up for a bedtime blood sugar in the high 100's so we wouldn't have to worry about the lack of a 2 a.m. blood sugar check, but at this point we were reduced to troubleshooting. She had strict instructions to text us with each check so we could help her address any more outliers.  Or so we could rest easier knowing things were evening out.

Neither girl was one for staying up until all hours, so at 10:30, I got a text. 'Bedtime.  BG is 110.'  Ordinarily, that would be good news, but with no middle of the night check in the works, I had her consume about 15 carbs before going to sleep.  Not ideal diabetes management, but the alternative of walking a block up the hill at 2 a.m. and breaking an entering seemed less desirable, so it's what we did.

She woke up early, as she tends to do.  I was already wide awake, willing my phone to chime, when she texted me at 6:45.  Her blood sugar was 180, and she was reading her book until her friend woke up.  She was o.k.

The luxurious parts of the night were fun. My husband and I enjoyed a leisurely dinner, with wine we'd been saving for a special occasion. It was a gorgeous night to sit in the back yard. It felt very strange to be left home alone. But it was a long night, hard to completely enjoy with a cell phone clenched in one hand at all times. I can't say I slept well. Once I heard from her in the morning, I was able to relax a little to enjoy my coffee and newspaper in peace.

My daughter had a great time, and wants to sleep at other friends' houses now. The second sleepover is coming up in a couple of weeks, at another old and trusted friend's. I'm the weird mom who hopes they stay up late.  I'd love a text of a perfect midnight blood sugar.  Sleep would come easier then.