Basal Dance - From Complex to Simple

I am a basal hound. I fix. I ponder. I test. I set up basal patterns and name them 'Test One' in her PDM. And I sometimes let them ride. But mostly, my life as a Mama to a kiddo with diabetes is focused on the basals. Cause you know that phrase 'If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy?!' then, for me, it's true that 'If the basals ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.'  Basal settings account for the foundation of the building. It's on the basals that every other setting rests.

I don't change carb ratios until I know the basals are set correctly. I don't mess with correction factors until they are set correctly. I always come back to basals.

And some times, they surprise me, how much they change as Grace is growing. When she hits these pre-puberty growth spurts, watch out! She needs boatloads of insulin overnight. And less in the wee morning hours. It's quite a thing to witness,  these 2-3-4 weeks of growth. They group themselves into periods of time, then they fade. And I wait for them to come back.

I find myself wondering how high of an hourly unit she will need each time. Our last go-round resulted in an overnight basal rate of 1.25 units. Yeah, uh, she's 9 and weighs 77 pounds.

Two days ago I basal tested, because she was dropping low at night. And I found we have stepped out of this high growth period, to a lighter state of basals.

Here is a peek into Grace's basal setting during her last period of growth. Those hormones love insulin.

12a - 2a  1.25 u/hr
2a - 4a    .80 u/hr
4a - 7a    .40 u/hr
7a - 2p    .45 u/hr
2p - 9p    .55 u/hr
9p - 11p    .90 u/hr
11p - 12a    1.00 u/hr


And here we are now. Just set two days ago. Notice the change. And the simplicity of it all.
The simplicity is what strikes me. I never have just four settings of basal rates.
I always seem to have 6 or 7.
But, it is what it is.
Girl went to bed at 145, 2am check was 130 and woke up at 7am at 120. Boo - ya.

12a - 3a    .50
3a - 8a    .35
8a - 10p    .40
10p - 12a    .50

All I do know, about my daughter, is that when the BGs start to turn high, I go back to basals. And growth hormones. And LOTS of insulin.

I may be getting the hang of this!
(And now I have totally jinxed myself, you do know that don't you?)