Sunday, September 2, 2012

No, I'm not going to teach you about diabetes even though this is the first time you've asked since diagnosis

The day was a perfectly fine day until a certain teenager layed down on the couch, face in, cuddled in a blanket.

Me: Uh-oh, you better sit up so you don't go to sleep before checking.
Teen: I'm not going to go to sleep
Me: You say that every time and then you fall asleep.  That is your going-to-sleep position.
Teen: I'm not going to go to sleep
variations repeated 10 times
Me: Sit up now and go do your bedtime check
Teen: <grunt>
Teen: 98.  sits back on couch
On board?
2.6  (lays back down)
Don't lay back down.  You have to figure out what to do.
<grunt>
Sit back up.  What do you think you should do before you fall asleep.
I'm not going to fall asleep.
Get up.
<grunt>
variations repeated 100 times
GET UP NOW AND MAKE YOURSELF SAFE BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP.
I don't know what to do
What do you think you should do?
Eat. But I'm full. (lays back down)
GET UP NOW AND MAKE YOURSELF SAFE BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP.
I don't know what to do
<sssiiiggghhh>
You can stay up if you think you have food on board but only if you are sure you won't fall asleep or you can eat.
---
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Please decide what you are going to do.
---
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You have 10 seconds to start moving.

variations repeated 1000 times.  situation degrading quickly. You do know what to do.  No I don't.  You are just mad because I made you sit up.  No, you are yelling at me because I don't know what to do.  Take a second and think about it, you know what to do.  Ohhh, you are always right and I'm just lying.

I'll take care of it.  Go to your room
No.  You just started yelling at me and I don't know what to do
Go to your room now.
No.  I have to do something and you won't tell me what to do.

We'll talk about it in the morning.  Right now you need to get out of here and GO TO YOUR ROOM.

the blessed event takes a very nasty turn and a teen goes as far as:

I want you to teach me.  Teach me about diabetes.  Why won't you teach me!

That truly was a nice try.  She has never wanted to talk in detail about diabetes and has even gone as far as to say straight out that she'll do what she has to but she doesn't want to talk about it.  It was clever of her to use that to knock me off my course knowing I'm would normally be drooling all over a chance like that.  But alas, she is in her room with milk in her belly and tears on her cheeks.  And I'm sitting up waiting to do follow-up checks and feeling like a big pile a poo.  Two stubborns don't make anything right.



1 comment:

  1. <3

    I love your family. You are not like poo at all.

    This is a great example--I hope I remember this dialogue when my person starts being able to figure out more for himself, and becomes less able to just do what I say cuz I said to.

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