Over the last week my partner Brendon has been working away in Brisbane.  Now for any single mum (or dad) being “the one” in a child’s life comes with responsible and stress but over the last week I have witnessed the responsibility and stress placed on a child who watches mum deal with type one diabetes daily on top of the normal duties of day to day life (and let’s throw in running 200 plus kms a week into the mix)!!!!
My son Lachlan since the age of 6 has at times had to  call on skills and tasks far beyond what a child of that age should.  Prior to me starting on my Medtronic Insulin Pump it had not become uncommon for him to call 000 two or three times a week as he couldn’t wake mum up due to low blood sugars. In fact my switched on moment which bought me  to start on an insulin pump was the effect my type one diabetes was having on beloved son.
With Brendon away over the last week Lach and I had put our emergency “game plan” into place – school lunch ready the night before, uniform out, emergency contact numbers on the fridge and ensuring that we had rehearsed and spoken to those who could assist should we be hit with a diabetic emergency.
BUT for the first time ever something was very different!!!! We had CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) and SmartGuard on the MiniMed 640g with predictive low suspend.  Yes these wonderful items make my life so much easier and take the guess work out of type one diabetes. I have said a number of times it’s as close as it gets to being “normal” when having CGM and SmartGuard. But the difference these make to Lach is staggering!!!!!
He slept,  where in the past he was  a wake checking mum was ok.
There wasn’t the constant question of “is mum ok? is she low?” a quick glance at the pump and he could she it was.
The dreadful over night low never happened as on two occasions SmartGurad activated and suspended prior to the low and corrected what would have been a potential life threatening  hypo.

When your 9 year old son tells you “Mum with you wearing a sensor I don’t have to be scared” it really hits home how essential CGM, SmartGuard and pumping is, not only to ensure the health and well being of the person with type one diabetes BUT also for their family’s and loved ones piece of mind.
Lach and I could drive to school, go for a walk or kick the footy together and enjoy it without the constant blood testing and having the “what if” moments.  Having CGM has given us our lives back and we are forever greatful for this lifesaving technology.