The Mom Card

On her way to the new job!

Sometimes you just have to play it.  You walk that fine line everyday to not butt in and to allow your child to make their mistakes.  It's like when they are learning to walk or ride a bike, right?  Well every now and then you have to step in.  This past week has seen really bad lows and really high highs.  I think it's the combination of the two jobs together.  Katie quit GameStop because of lack of hours.  She loved it there but 3 hours a week wasn't going to work.  So she got and loves her full time job at Starbucks.  BUT she insisted on doing the full two week notice and then they decided to schedule her 10 full hours each of her last two weeks at GS.  Which would have been fine if she was a normal 18 year old..but we all know she's extraordinary and not normal!  She had texted me earlier in the week that she was not feeling well and her blood sugar was in the 60's.  So I texted her to leave work.  She got a bit short with me and said she was fine.  I called her at work and she answered and was slurring her words.  So I texted a neighbor to drive me there and texted Katie that I would drive her home.

To say she was annoyed with me for showing up and standing outside her work was an understatement.  But she then thanked me because I said her sugar was way too low and she looked horrible.  We got her a burger and salad and went home.  She's spiking high and swinging low all week.  Then on Wednesday she texted me from the 2nd job- GameStop to say she *really* didn't feel well.  Her coworker convinced her to sit down and drink some soda..but she said she was really tired and just didn't feel good.  I didn't even hesitate.  Enough was enough.  It's stressful enough to be on the receiving end of these texts -can you imagine being her body going through it?  So I called the store and told them that she could NOT work her shift and this would be her last day.  I said I was sorry but she's endangering her health out of some misguided sense of obligation.
I was lucky in that my uncle (in from out of town) and my mom had decided to follow me back to my house.  (In another story- my 98 year old grandmother is staying here right now while her house is getting new windows and doors!)  Thank goodness they were in the area and could help me with the logistics.  By the time I got to the store she was weaving and looking super pale.  And was out of it.  In the 15 min it takes to get home, she actually started feeling a bit better.  My uncle took her, my mom took her car and I went to get her food and meds.

I'm telling you as a parent- sometimes you have to play this card.  Even with the older adults.  She does NOT recognize she's low at all.  Ever it seems.  Sometimes she will catch it but usually she has no idea.  She did this at Starbucks...who adore her and the staff recognized it before she did because she was holding her head.  They forced her to take a break and test her blood and lo and behold- low low low.  They told me that they would all carry my phone number and be trained on the glucagon so she's safe and she can take whatever breaks she needs.  They've been so supportive.  She literally was diagnosed on the day they hired her.

And that bike she learned to ride?  Didn't happen without training wheels until she was in middle school.  We tried to get her to ride without them.  Sometimes it just takes what it takes.