Day 538

      We spoke to the Endocrinologist earlier this week about Katie's low blood sugars, and our options.  We took Katie to have some more labs done - metabolic labs.  It will take about 10 days to get the lab results back.  However, we are not expecting anything to come from those labs.  At this point, the doctor said he thinks Katie has Ketotic Hypoglycemia.  I looked it up on the Internet - and it doesn't really seem to fit - Ketotic Hypoglycemia typically happens to underweight white boys - and well, Katie is white...but the rest doesn't really fit.  The doctor's theory is that her low blood sugars are somehow related to her cancer and treatments.  Basically, they can't find out what is wrong, and our options are limited. 
     Katie can go a week or more without a low blood sugar episode, so it would be tricky to put her in the hospital with the hopes of "catching" her with a low blood sugar.  The doctor said he didn't think they would really find anything new by hospitalizing her anyway.  So, we decided not to do the hospital.  However, I was still reluctant to give her 2 teaspoons of corn starch nightly.  Katie has already been through so much, and she has to take so much yucky medicine anyway... But Katie had another low blood sugar a couple of mornings ago, of 41, after eating a substantial protein/carb bedtime snack.   And that was it for me!  I am tired of waking up scared every morning - wondering if I am going to find her unresponsive or having a seizure - so 2 teaspoons of corn starch a night it is.  And it is terrible!  Katie hates it, and I hate giving it to her...
     Nine months...  Scott says it like, "Only 9 more months,"  I tried to feel that way, but really I feel like, "Still 9 more months."  (Sigh...)  It still sounds like a long time to me.  And unless something else comes up, I guess we will be giving Katie the corn starch every night for the next 9 months, along with all of her other meds we give her.  And then in 9 months, if she continues to have low blood sugars (after all of her treatments are done), we will know there is something else wrong and we will have to have her re-evaluated. 
     On the positive side of things though, Katie is basically doing really well.  She has started back at preschool and church - and she is loving it!  I am glad for her!  Katie goes to the clinic this week (Thursday morning) for her usual monthly blood draws and chemo.  "Only" 9 more months! =)
     As an update on Scott's mom, we found out after church today that the hospital thought she had a heart attack this morning, but after running multiple tests, they now think it was a blood clot.  She is still being "fed" through an IV, but they had taken the pump tube out of her stomach a couple of days ago.  However, she is really struggling and bloated again today, so we think they will need to put that tube back in.  I asked Scott's dad how he was doing and he said, "It is tough!  If it was only the one thing we had to deal with it would be easier, but it is all these other things that keep happening - and could happen - that is making it really tough."  
     It is challenging for sure!  When I took Katie to get her labs drawn this week, the technician had one of my favorite scriptures posted on her board.  It is short but powerful.  "For we walk by faith, not by sight."  (2 Cor. 5:7)