Page 101 of Sexted By Santa
I nodded. “Yes. She’s diabetic, but usually we manage it fine with her insulin pump. This is a shock.”
“I know you’re worried, but she’s going to be just fine. Why don’t we talk a minute?”
I followed him inside the room, desperate for more news. Tori’s bed was curtained off along with two others in the treatment area.
“We’re usually so careful,” I said. “I don’t know how this happened. Christian…” I paused, realizing Christian hadn’t come into the room with me. I’d been so focused on getting news, I’d lost track of him. I’d have to find him and update him later. “My boyfriend said they’d been checking her glucose level and everything seemed normal until this happened.”
The doctor looked sympathetic. “Diabetes is difficult. You can do everything right, and still run into problems.” I winced, and he added, “I know that’s not terribly reassuring, but I can tell you now that guilt and blame serve no purpose.”
“What happened though? Why are we here?”
“She came in feverish. We’re running some tests to confirm, but my educated guess is she has an infection. Most likely the flu. It’s been going around.”
“Itisthe flu?” Christian had said as much, but with everything else, I’d assumed he’d misunderstood her symptoms. “I always thought the big concern with the flu would be low blood sugar if she lost her appetite.”
“Yes, hypoglycemia is common in children. If she’d stopped eating or had too much vomiting, she might well see a blood sugar drop. But when the body’s fighting an infection such as the flu, it releases blood glucose, which is why you saw her blood sugar go up. Diabetes can be unpredictable and difficult to manage when illness comes into the picture. It requires careful monitoring.”
I nodded, guilt churning in my stomach. “We try to keep a close watch on it. We usually do better than this.”
“Hey, like I said, illness complicates matters. It’s not unusual to see DKA triggered by injury or illness in a diabetic patient, unfortunately. Did Tori indicate she wasn’t feeling well? Sometimes the flu symptoms mask other problems. Checking for ketones is really the best way to figure out if DKA is developing.”
“Christian told me late in the day that he thought Tori had the flu, but she was already in bad shape by then. He said they’d been checking her glucose, so I don’t know how she got to this state…”
The doctor nodded. “Well, we most likely caught it in the early stages. That’s the good news. Once we confirm she has the flu, we’ll get her on a course of antivirals so that the risk of developing more serious complications is reduced. Diabetes does impact the ability to fight off infection, so it’s important she get a flu shot every year, and you monitor her closely.”
“I understand.” I paused. “Her glucose monitor has an alarm on it. It should have gone off…”
The doctor frowned. “Yes, it should have. Is it possible the volume was turned down or the alarm was turned to vibrate? I know some people get frustrated with the constant alarms when their levels fluctuate. They call it alarm fatigue.”
I thought back. I hadn’t ever heard the alarm go off, even when Tori’s levels were a bit too low or high. I’d set it only for dangerously high or low levels though. “I don’t think so. I set it so it’d only go off in life-threatening situations.”
“There was a line of glucose monitors recalled. I’ll check on the model. In the meantime, we can focus on the positives. Getting Tori in here means we can get a handle on this infection. We’ll keep her a couple of days to give her fluids and keep her blood sugar nice and level while the meds do their work, but she should make a full recovery in short order.”
I exhaled with relief, even though I’d be checking that glucose monitor and giving the company a piece of my mind. “Thank you. Can I see her?”
“Yes, go right ahead.”
A curtain rattled open, and a nurse stepped away from Tori’s bed. “She’s awake and asking for her daddy.”
I hurried past her, stepping up to Tori’s bedside. She had two IVs in her arms. I glanced up at the bags. Fluids and insulin.
She looked wrung out, but her brown eyes were open and focused. As I watched, they began to fill with tears. “I’m sorry. I messed up and got sick.”
“Honey, no. It’s not your fault.”
“You always make sure I’m okay. I thought I could do it too.”
I stepped closer, clasping her hand. “I know, sweetie. But this isn’t your fault.”
“You should listen to your dad,” the nurse said. “You can’t help it that you got sick.”
Tori continued to look miserable. I squeezed her hand. “They think you have the flu. It wasn’t a mistake with your insulin, hon.”
“Oh.”
“Have you been feeling sick?”
Her chin quivered. “I didn’t want you to think I couldn’t take care of myself. Or that Christian couldn’t watch me when you’re gone. So I didn’t tell him when I wasn’t feeling well.”
