How Low Is Too Low?

An hour or so after tucking her in, I checked my daughter's blood sugar. 

85.

What a great number.  Unless it's 9:30 at night.

At 10:15, she was still 85.

At 12?  85.

Bizarrely consistent.  Maddeningly sleep depriving.

I set a temporary basal rate and set the alarm for 1:30.

150.

Good enough to set the alarm for morning.

Breakfast number? 89.

On the one hand, seeing 85 for every blood sugar check would be excellent.  It would, of course, require a cure, but a girl can dream.  At 9:30 at night, sans cure, it's frustrating.  It's not really low.  During the day, I'd certainly let it go and have her check again in a little while, or if she started to feel it. 

Yet when she's sleeping, it's a tough call. Ten points lower, and I'd be reaching for a juice box, but 85 is no reason to wake her from much-needed sleep. Even a smidge of juice would probably raise her into the high 100's, less desirable than 85.  Yet 85 is not comfortable.  It's a quick drop from there to significant hypoglycemia: a dangerous proposition in the middle of the night. I should have set the temp basal earlier on in this scenario, if for no other reason than for my own peace of mind.  But otherwise, I don't know what else would have helped.

The worst part is that the reason for hours of straight 80-somethings was not some fabulous basal rate tweak or the discovery of a perfect dinner menu. 

It was the cold she woke up with this morning.