When is it enough?
This is from an earlier Facebook post. Yesterday's shooting in Florida has me doubled over in worry all over again. Having children with special needs adds a terrifying element to something that is already unbearable to imagine.
Tomorrow the kids' school has a Lock Down drill scheduled. For most parents this brings out the fears of "what if". "What if" there really was a need for a lock down? "What if" something happens when my kids are at school? Marshall and I experience all of that, with a little extra "Oh. My. God. What if?!".
The kids go to a public Waldorf school, and it's an open campus. Ollie is in the main primary building, Walker is in the cottages (read: trailers), their nurse is in the Admin building, and my classroom is in the Middle school. It's a beautiful school and totally spread out. The kids' teachers have minimal training, but anyone who is certified in Glucagon procedures are not in the classroom with them. When the lock down begins, the kids and teachers hide in the classroom, the doors are locked, and nobody is allowed in or out of the room until the campus is cleared and the police and principals go room to room and release the children. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour and a half. Last year it was the latter. Ollie and Walker are aware this is happening, and know what needs to be done. We know what time the drill will take place and will adjust their insulin and snacks/breakfast accordingly. They know to immediately put on their camelbacks (which are always hanging on the back of their chairs), turn on their phones, and stay close to their teachers. We can only control so much though, and there are tons of "what ifs".
Ultimately, if there were a life threatening situation tomorrow someone could get to the kids. We would abort the drill and tend to Ollie or Walker. But what if there really were a situation where the kids were in lock down, maybe for more than just an hour? Their insulin pumps give us some comfort, knowing that we can call the kids or their teachers and give instruction for dosing. Each of their classrooms are equipped with emergency snacks. Their packs contain Glucagon pens (think: epipen for diabetics. These are used to revive extreme low blood sugars when the person is unconscious), as well as cake gel (when extremely low but still conscious) and extra batteries for their pumps. But, as is true with everything about Type 1, we can't control it all. To ease my nerves, we have changed their insulin pump reservoirs tonight, fully charged their phones, and stocked their camelbacks. And dear god, if it ever becomes a reality, I'll be ready to climb through windows and scale brick walls if the need arises.
