Highs and Lows Of Life

Insulin Therapy Options

Nick and his family were sitting in a small conference room in the hospital. It was his last day at New York Children's. They had three more hour training before he can go home. He was in process of taking his Novolog shot there was yummy cheese bagel in front of him. He had calculated the correct carb for his breakfast with the help of his parents. He slides the small needle into his stomach as he pressed the dials down on his new insulin pen slowly giving him the correct dose for his meal.

" Remember to hold it for at least 5 seconds before taking the needle out." Kelly his diabetes educator spoke. She watches him like eagle eyes.

He slowly counted to 5 before sliding it out. " It kinda stung little." Caping the needle and slowly unscrewing to put it into the biohazard container that was in front of him.

" Yes, that's totally normal," Kelly reassured him. " But if start become big issue then we might try different insulin. She watches the boy slide his insulin back in the case that they had given him.

" Now anytime you take your fast-acting insulin with a meal we like you to about 15 min before you can eat." She quickly instructed

Nick looked at the bagel in disappointment but he understood. " What else are we going to learn." He faces kelly trying to ignore his rumbling stomach.

She slowly began to talk about the term called the honeymoon phase and how when some get diagnosed sometime there body is still producing tittle bit of insulin in their body and this can last for a couple of months or even up to a year or more.

" That's why checking your blood sugar often is so important." Kelly finished explaining to the family. " It might feel like we are constantly changing things around like insulin dose and some management strategies." We can even in a couple of months start you on insulin pump therapy." She spoke with glee.

" Is that device that has tubing and little computer thing that sits outside of his body." Denise slowly spoke she had read little about it in her education books. She wasn't sure if she like medical devices on her son all the time it made him stand out too much for her liking.

" You don't have to go on an insulin pump if you don't want to Nick." She watches the teen eat his bagel. " But it is a great option for managing diabetes.

" Do have any picture for me to show me what they look like." Nick wipe his face with a napkin. His curiosity has peeked now and he wanted to know all his options.

" Son it's ok if you hold off on this sort of thing this a lot of information." Kevin Sr was starting to get skeptical now. It felt like they were at a car dealership and the educator was trying to sell them a car or something it felt wrong.

" I'm not pressuring anyone." She could feel the hostility from Mr. Jonas across the room.

" Honey lets just take look." Denise rested a hand on her husband's arm. " It can't hurt to look." Turn back to Kelly nodding her head for her to continue.

" I have to pumps to show one is the Medtronic Revel and the other is the Animas pump there from two different companies." She slowly brought out two different styles.

" Medtronic been around for a while but the Animas came out this year just thought it be cool for guys to see your option down the road if you choose Nick." Handing the insulin pump to the teen.

"It's pretty cool." Medtronic pump was grey and he could sort of see through to the mechanics inside the pump. But it looks very medical and there was a long tube attached to it. He wasn't sure if he like that and already wore mic pack on stage and he was sure how that would work.

He handed off the pump to his mom " so how does the insulin get into the pump." She flips it around looking at it it was smaller then she thought but still seems very medical. She wasn't sure if they be able to hide this on stage if her son wants this to be private.

"All show where u put the insulin." She took the pump back and screw the top off this tube comes out it had measure meant on the side kind like a smaller form of his insulin pen cartridges " This where the insulin would go in."

" How does it get into my body." Nick took the very think clear tubing fellowed it down to odd plastic piece at the end of it.

" oh, you have what is called set that has a metal needle to inject into your skin to help put small a tube or cannula under your skin. The needle does come out and leaves the tube." Showing him the tiny tube that attached to the set. "The set just sits on your skin like a bandage you leave it on for three days. Mary shows him where he might put the set on she choose her upper arm.

" You can detach the tubing from the site so u can take shower without the machine part of the pump attach to you." She quickly unclips the set from the tubing and held the tubing up to show them.

Nick nodded at her looking back at his family to see they were also pleased with the information. " I think its all neat." Nick shrugged his shoulders not sure if that was really the term he wanted to use but for now, it seems to fit the circumstance.

" I'm not pressuring you guys." Kelly spoke making sure the family understood. " it will take a while for you guys to get to this stage if you wanted. We want to get his basal rate is the carb ratio correct and figure out is insulin sensitivity factor. Sitting back in her chair watching the teen look at the Animas pump.

They spent another hour and a half going over stuff from the previous day signing former and weavers. Making sure they had everything they needed before hitting the road.

Nick shook his educator's hand thank her for everything she did over the past three days. He got a big hug from his favourite nurse Mary.

" Kiddo I know you will do great." Mary rubbed the teens back " I hope never to see you in this hospital looking that sick."

Nick smiled at her before shaking Doctor Brown's hand " Thank sir for everything." Stumbling over his words little.

" It was not a problem I am glad your feeling better." Turning to shake the adolescent's parents' hands. " I will talk to your family care physician and seen she going to be your main doctor for treating your son for his diabetes." The doctor steps away from the family he was glad the young teen was finally able to go home.

Nick felt his father steer him away from the doctor and nurses. He took his mom's hand as they walk down the hall to the elevator.

" Thank you Mom and Dad for everything." Leaning into his father's side.

" You should never have to thank us for doing what we have to do as parents." His father spoke resting his hand on the kid's shoulder.

" We love you so much." Denise softly spoke. She would never forget this day as they walk out of the revolving hospital doors. Clean crisp November air hit her cheeks she finally felt like he could breathe again.

"It's snowing." Nick lifted his head watching the soft afternoon snowfall all around them. It was so crisp and clean the light dusting of snow covered the pathway to the car.

No word where spoken Nick was finally going home and feels more energized then he could possibly imagen. He was ready to get back on that stage and show the world who Nick Jonas really is.