[The Watering Hole]

MLive.com finally uploaded my essay:

http://tinyurl.com/2u6ojn

and

http://tinyurl.com/2jyc7v

Rumour has it that a King Cake arrived at my workplace (I was at a staff meeting out of town). Don't know who to blame...I found that Kroger in Toledo has them, and brought back three which covers about half of my Mardi Gras events.

Great article. Thank you for sharing!

[The Watering Hole]

Trust me from experience, when you have to give shots several times a day to a child with Type 1 Diabetes (completely different condition than Type II Diabetes0, you get very used to it, even if you have a fear of needles. Everyone should have a fear of needles, they're sharp instruments that puncture your skin. However, I'm afraid of moving vehicles and it doesn't stop me from crossing the street. It's unfortunate it had to result in her getting fired, but the districts do not have the money, nor the need, to keep a full-time registered nurse stationed at every school. Most of the kids with Type 1 diabetes only need one shot a day at school, and that's at lunch.

And to the writers of the letters to the editor in the Press today claiming that shots should only be administered by trained healthcare professionals, do adults with diabetes who have to self-administer shots need an RN standing by? Of course not.

I think that until you have to do it, you don't want to. But then when you must give (or receive) shots, then there is nothing to do but just do it. I think almost anyone can learn how and do a good job when it is someone they care about needing them.

I was scared about it when I had to give shots to myself when undergoing fertility treatments. And my fear was nothing compared to my husband's fear of having to give some of them to me. Well, after a few rounds, you rip the cap off the needle with your teeth and pop it in! Also, by round three, it was no problem to be out to dinner and excuse myself to go to the bathroom and give myself a quick shot.

As for schools - I think all schools should have at least two people on staff comfortable with giving a simple injection. There are children with diabetes who need insulin, and there are more and more children being diagnosed with severe allergies to where a school official may need to use an epi pen.