A Thing to Remember

Almost a decade and a half ago, I wondered what life was going to be like for my little 12 month old type 1. Now 14 years later, I have an idea.  

It's a little bit different.

Sometimes a lot harder.

It can be extra.

But it seems there is not one thing this girl can't do. I don't post here anymore. I don't social media. But this. This I want to remember.

This summer she tried out for her high school hockey team. As a goalie. Never mind that she had only been playing the position for a few months. Or that she had never really had any formal training, save for a few lessons by a guy that works at our rink. Or that she was the only girl. Or that type 1 can make playing hockey (and especially goalie) tricky at best.

She made the team, and this weekend, had her first start. And her first shutout. And her mom almost had her first heart attack.

I love this video.  You can see all the tension leave her body at the final buzzer. Her teammates (most of whom have no idea she even has diabetes), skate up to congratulate her. You can't see her face, but she is beaming.

It's memories like this that make the different, the harder, and the extra that much easier.

Pod Hockey

I was the sister of two hockey-playing brothers.  A rink rat.  I spent a lot of time at ice rinks and learned quite well how to amuse myself while there.

This little dude loves to run around the rink while sister practices.  He also loves to grab a stick and stick-handle whatever he can find.

One practice, he couldn't find anything, so I looked through my purse until I found a lone discarded pod at the bottom.  I give you...

... The Omni-puck.

Let's bee it up, yo!

As a parent of a kid with type 1, I've had to deal with a whole range of things that don't even enter the minds of non-d parents; whether it be at a sporting event, on an airplane, or something commonplace... eating dinner at a restaurant.  Sometimes I look around and wonder how much extra stuff I think about, and what it must be like to have all that extra space in my brain.

Case in point... The Spelling Bee.  A milestone of consonants and vowels for every elementary student, and where dreams are crushed by a single misplaced letter.

Elise recently took part in her district's regional spelling bee.  In Spanish. I love that my girl can spell in two languages, while I can barely manage one.  It's humbling, really.

The thing with spelling bees is that they have really strict rules when it comes to the audience.  You can't make it look like you're communicating in any way. So all my pantomimes for "check your BG", "eat something!", and "do you feel okay?" would not be well-received.

Since this was her second bee, I knew to talk to the head-bee lady (queen bee... hee), explain our situation, and figure out a plan.  But that doesn't make the non-stop monologue running in my head go away during the competition:

Check the CGM. Okay, 154 flat.  Not bad.  How much insulin on board?  Crap, she just dropped by 9.  Should I give her something?  How much insulin on board?  When did I bolus her for breakfast? 6:15? Hmmmm, should be about .75 left.  How many spellers before her? WHAT THE CRAP WAS THAT WORD?  What if the adrenaline kicks in?  She'll be so mad if I go up there and hand her some smarties.  And what if the other parents think I'm cheating?  I DON'T EVEN LOOK REMOTELY LIKE I SPEAK SPANISH! CGM check again.  Great, now she's 133.  How much insulin now?WHAT KIND OF LETTER IS BAY-GRANDE???  Did she spell it right? WAY TO GO! To give sugar or not to give?  Another drop, but not so bad.  Let's just wait...  

I could go on, but I feel a minuscule peak inside my head is quite enough.

You guys get it, but nobody else sees the tightrope we walk every day; every scenario can has the potential for a sucky outcome. 

Don't treat, and she goes low.  You have to interrupt the competition which makes her upset and throws her concentration (not to mention the low can make it hard for her too).

Treat, but then the adrenaline kicks in, sending her even higher.  She has trouble concentrating because her BG is now in the 300s.

Thankfully, that day I did nothing, and it looked like this:

It doesn't always work this way, but on spelling bee day, it did.  And got her a tie for 4th out of 35 kids.  And the last non-Hispanic to go out.  Pretty proud of my girl!  And I love it when she can do something and not even have to deal with diabetes getting in the way.

She's pretty A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

If you give a diabetic some cinnamon

If you give a diabetic some cinnamon,

Chances are, she'll want some toast to put it on.

And you will have to check her blood sugar and bolus her for it.

Eating the toast will make her thirsty, so she will ask for some okra-infused water.

When she realizes how disgusting that is, she will ask you for some avocado to clean her palate.

All that eating will have given her lots of energy, so she will go for a long run.

During her run, she will realize the she is right by a natural food store, so she will go inside and look around.  While she is there, she will fill her cart with all sorts of superfoods.

First she will get some smoothie mix with spirulina.

And then some hot peppers.

Finally, she will grab all the veggies she can find so she can juice them.

When she gets home, she'll decide to relax with some essential oils.

While relaxing, she realizes that she doesn't feel well, so she will check her blood sugar.

When the meter shows 241, she will then give herself a bolus of insulin to bring the high blood sugar down.

Because chances are, if you give a diabetic cinnamon, okra, avocado,  raw vegetable juice, hot peppers, spirulina, and essential oils... 

She will still have type 1 diabetes.

Not related to this post, but a cool picture of this year's walk team... 128 people!

Goin' low

In the 10 (TEN!) years E has had type 1, we have gone through many, many different treatments for lows; bananas, smarties, skittles, starburst, glucose tabs, fruit gummies and hi chews.  A lot of times, we change it up because she gets tired of always using the same old thing.

For me, the struggle is finding something that's not filled with food dye, is portable, and is not terrible for her.  One day, as I was making my weekly Costco run, I saw this cool little product upon their shelf.  

*Not actual Costco size

When I picked it up the bag, I saw each packet had 8g of carbs... the perfect amount for E when she has a low.  I had bought their honey before, so I knew she liked it.

A few months ago, I emailed Nature Nate's about not being able to find the packets in Costco anymore.  They were quick to respond, and just a few weeks ago, offered me the opportunity to become an ambassador... woo hoo!

So, now I'm sharing my love for this product with you.  Even though I can't find the small packets in Costco anymore (they do still sell the giant 40 oz. bottle), they are available at my local grocery store (or on Amazon).

Why do I love these for lows?  

1. They bring her up QUICK!

2. They're the perfect size... they fit in my purse, her diabetes bag, and anywhere I need to keep a stash of sugar.

3. Perfect for overnight lows, I just rip off the top and squeeze it into her mouth. I haven't made a mess yet!  And I just need to say that the fact that our T1 kiddos can eat in their sleep, never fails to amaze me.

4. Healthier than most low treatments.  No food dye, honey is natural, as well as yummy!

5. My girl loves it!

Add caption

If you want to learn more about Nature Nate's and their story, go here. 

***Although Nature Nate's provided me with some sweet, sweet honey, all views and opinions are mine. The funny thing is, I had a blog post in my draft folder written awhile ago about using honey for lows!

10 Years

Happy Diaversary to my amazing baby girl.  You've come a long way, and I am so proud of you!

What The Fiasp?

About a year and a half ago, I was hearing whisperings of this brand-new wonder-insulin... Fiasp.  It was faster, smaller post-meal spikes, and it could leap tall buildings in a single bound!

Maybe not on that last thing, but everything I had heard was great.  Mind you, the sample size was rather small, due to it not being available in the U.S. Determined to try it for myself (or, my daughter), I may or may not have enlisted the help of a person related or non-related to me to bring some in from another country.  It might have happened.  Or it might have all been a dream.  Who knows?

Anyway, I received (or didn't) the insulin last September, but the timing was never really right to start it.  I didn't want to put a brand new (to us) insulin in my daughter's pump and send her off to school not having tested it at home and not knowing what would happen. I love our nurse too much for that.

So I kept waiting for a nice, long school holiday.  And then I would forget.  All freaking year long.  Until we hit summer break.  And then it was like, "hey good-lookin'!  Where have you been all my life?"

The graphs!  Oh my... the graphs!  And all their flat-liney goodness.  And hardly any post-breakfast spike.  And next to no post-every-other-meal spike.  Gone were the double up arrows.  Instead, they were replaced by their lazy cousin, slightly up.

I will point out that we have always pre-bolused.   E's BG determines how much in advance we do this.  On Humalog, a BG of 110 would usually need at least a 20 minute head start for a breakfast of banana, steel cut oats (with cinnamon and brown sugar), and a peanut butter protein ball (homemade).  And we would still get double arrows up into the low 200s.

These days, we see the arrow headed down about 5 minutes post-bolus.  Yes, for us, it's THAT fast. We top out around 160-180, and then float back into range.

I have found Fiasp to be much more predictable than Humalog ever was for us. E is spending much more time in range, and we rarely see highs above 240, unless something went wrong.  I find this insulin so much easier to "Sugar Surf" with, due to how quickly it starts working.  And the highs come down so much more quickly.  Gone are the "sticky highs", that require rage boluses to get them down.

And for Omnipod users, we now get the full 88 hours with this insulin; from pod change right up to the "screech of death".  We NEVER got that on Humalog.  Certain sites (legs, tummy), we would be lucky to get two days before her numbers would start creeping up on us.

One thing I did notice is that E has been using more insulin.  Her total daily dose has gone up by 1-2 units, but that might just be a coincidence, since we started the insulin at the start of summer break, and she grew about an inch and a half in the last few months.

For us, Fiasp works.  I know not everyone has had the same experience.  Also?  I'm totally NOT a doctor.  And this is SO NOT medical advice.  If you want to read a real review, by someone way smarter than me, check out what Gary Scheiner has to say.

I was also not asked to write about this by anyone.  It's just my two cents.  And it's not even worth that.

Don't Go

This summer we took a trip to Vancouver.  It was amazing to be back, and even better; amazing to share the place I love with my kiddos now that they're all old enough to appreciate it.

What made my heart smile was watching Elise just be a kid. She carries such a heavy burden at times, and it's great when she can put it down and just enjoy the moment.  Like the picture above; shoes off, and running down the beach with the pure joy that children only seem capable of.

About a week ago, we had our final 504 meeting at the elementary level.  To say we have been taken care of and had every need met by our school and district, would be a vast understatement.  At school, we know that she is loved and safe.  During the meeting, we talked a bit about the transition into middle school, and for some reason this picture above came to mind.

To me, middle school is growing up.  It's older kids and mean girls.  It's responsibility and pressure.  Chaos. Too many teachers and too easy to get lost.  It scares me.

The other day, as we were getting ready for a dex change she started to cry.  "Mama," she said, "what will happen to me when I'm older and have to do all this by myself?  What if I can't do it?"

Let me interject that she does a great deal of it on her own as it is; pump changes, carb counting, finger poking and bolusing.  As her dex goes on the back of her arm, that can be a bit tricky.

As we talked and I reminded her how far she has come, the tears slowed and a smile slowly crept back onto her face.  The moment passed, dex was changed, and she ran off to play with her lego.

Because for now, she's still a child, like the one in the photo. Next year will bring what it will. And we will be ready.

Why I should not be living in Texas

When your kid with type 1 gets invited to a party at a splash pad in 105 degree heat... this is what happens.  Yes, it came down... but it took a pod change and shot to do that.  The pod we had just changed the night before was rendered useless.

Go home, Texas Summer... you suck.  I don't want to play with you anymore.

Happy 151st Birthday Canada!

It all started with a simple picture of my 10 month old daughter holding a Canadian flag.  Now 8 years later, all 3 of my kids proudly wave the maple leaf on Canada Day. 

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Tell me what’s a Douglas Fir 

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Betcha never heard a bobcat purr

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Have you ever seen a lobster crawl?

In Canada, we get to see them all.

We get to see the maple trees, maple sugar and the maple leaves,

We got the biggest wheat fields growing tall

In C-A-N-A-D-A, where we see the reversing falls

In Canada, we get to see them all.

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Tell me, what’s a tidal bore,

 C-A-N-A-D-A,

Have you ever heard the ocean roar?

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Just listen to that wild goose call.

In Canada, we get to see them all

We get to see the maple trees, maple sugar and the maple leaves,

We got the biggest timber woods so tall 

In C-A-N-A-D-A, where adventure ever calls,

In Canada, we get to see them all.

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Have you ever heard a maple creak?

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Betcha never seen a mountain peak.

C-A-N-A-D-A,

In the land of the big snowball.

In Canada, we get to see them all.

We get to see the maple trees, maple sugar and the maple leaves,

We got the biggest wheat fields growing tall

In C-A-N-A-D-A, where we see the reversing falls,

In Canada, we get to see them all.

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Have you ever seen a magnetic hill? 

\

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Or a lady on a dollar bill?

C-A-N-A-D-A,

Betcha never seen the autumn fall.

We get to see the maple trees, maple sugar and the maple leaves,

We got the biggest timber woods so tall
 

In C-A-N-A-D-A, where adventure ever calls,

In Canada, we get to see them all.

*Lyrics from the song C-A-N-A-D-A by Raffi

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian peeps out there. 

Ittt

And that's what it's all about

I found these shots as I looked through all the professional FFL pictures from a few summers ago.  I remember the situation well...

Dexcom sponsors a movie event at FFL.  We were sitting outside the doors to the movie room, waiting to be let in, when Elise realized she couldn't find her favourite stuffed bear, Pinky.

As Elise sobbed silently, her BFFL, H, put her arm around Elise and comforted her as she wept.

All was well in the end.  Pinky was found hiding in a comforter in our room, and the movie was enjoyed by all.

And that's what FFL is all about.  Thank you H, for being such a good FFL to Elise!

Carb Shark

A few months ago, at a Valentine's party at Elise's school, I helped a mom of a newly diagnosed kid in kinder count the carbs in her sundae.  A sundae laden with sprinkles, whipped cream, gummy bears, and other treats I can't remember.

One glance had me swagging for 40g. The mom practically swooned at my speed and apparent accuracy.

Or maybe I'm remembering it wrong.  Anyway, in that moment I knew what rockstars must feel like.

Her daughter was in-range the rest of the day.

Now I'm the freaking Rainman of carb counting.

Too bad it won't make me any money in Vegas.

When you're high and you really want to eat dinner

A diabetes Lucas-ism

Sometimes on my other blog, I'll post funny things the kids say.  I figured this one belonged here.

I was in the kitchen using rubbing alcohol to clean some gunk off of toys that I was getting ready to garage sale.

Lucas walks in, wrinkles his nose and says, "why does it smell like diabetes in here?"

Man, he's cute.

These days

It's been awhile, hasn't it? So sorry... it's not you, it's me.

Actually, if I'm being truthful, it's life. Life is screaming by and I'm powerless to stop it.  The other day I received this email from a photo storage website:

"Joanne," it said, "Check out these memories from 6 years ago!!!" (emphasis mine).

"No." Said I. "There has been a mistake. That cannot be 6 years ago... they still look exactly like that."

And to prove my point, I peered over my phone to look at my tiny people.  

And found that I was wrong.  Also, one of my kids wasn't even born yet when those pictures were taken, so as well as getting older, it seems I'm getting dumber.

I have now been  fake pancreas-ing for almost 10 years.  Some days it feels so easy, that I could do it in my sleep (or it feels like I'm sleeping because of the sheer lack of it).

Other days I want to lie down and cry from the enormity of it all.

But mostly it just feels like life, these days. Something that's shoved in there with grocery shopping, and laundry, school and sports. It's present, but not everything, like it was so long ago.

These days, I've been asking myself where the time has gone?

When did she become so independent?  This past summer, Elise started doing her own pod changes and making and bolusing for her breakfast in the mornings.  Without any prompting, at the age of 9.

There are still days when she wants Fred or I to do it for her.  But these days, I'm not needed so much anymore.

And when I compare it to the relentless and complete dependence... I honestly don't know which I prefer.

There used to be dance, and gymnastics, and pre-school, and soccer, and all the things that scared me to death.

These days, there's still soccer, but there's also hockey, and orchestra, and choir, and acting classes and sleepovers.

These days there is technology, that I am so thankful for.  Because it makes all the things of these days easier to say yes to.

This picture makes me happy

So yeah... here I sit, in the in-between.  It's a weird place to be.  I have missed blogging, and what this blog has brought me. Hopefully there's still some of you out there. I think it's you that I've missed most of all.

The Storyteller

DBlog week - Day 5
More than Diabetes- Lets wrap up the week by sharing a little more about ourselves, beyond the chronic illness we or our loved ones live with. Share an interest, hobby, passion, something that is YOU. If you want to explore how it relates to or helps with diabetes you can. Or let it be a part of you that is completely separate from diabetes, because there is more to life than just diabetes!

This is not my story.  For now, I am merely the storyteller.  It is my hope that one day Elise will want to take my place, and continue what I started.  If she doesn't, no big deal.  What I do love, is that she is already following in my footsteps of being a storyteller.

My girl is a published author.

At the age of 9 (she was 8 when she wrote it), Elise published her first book; called The Mouse Who Ate the Moon.  It's a children's story about a hungry mouse and what happens to the moon during a lunar eclipse.

So far, she has done numerous readings at schools and libraries. She has also had one book signing, with two more scheduled.

There is so much more to this girl than diabetes.  She is a big sister.  Soccer player. Voracious reader. Best friend. Daughter. Lover of all things Star Wars and Harry Potter. Singer. Loves to sew. On her way to being trilingual.

And now, published author. In TWO languages (English and Portuguese).

If you're interested, you can buy Elise's book here. If you're local, we have a book signing on June 3rd, at 1:00 pm.  Just leave a comment and I can give you the details.

Love this girl... she inspires me so.

I am Crazy Slowly Going

DBlog week - Day 4
What brings me down- Today let’s revisit a prompt from 2014 - May is Mental Health Month so now seems like a great time to explore the emotional side of living with, or caring for someone with, diabetes. What things can make dealing with diabetes an emotional issue for you and / or your loved one, and how do you cope?

***I'm phoning it in today, and using my post from 2014. With a few changes.***

I often joke that when I gave birth to my kids, most of my brain must of come out too, because I think I've become dumber with each child I've birthed.

Add diabetes to the mix and it's amazing that I remember to dress myself before I walk out the door.  Mentally, I am exhausted.

Over the past five years, diabetes has become increasingly frustrating.  Elise doesn't follow trends.  She requires very little insulin most days her TDD is about 15 units (she usually eats 50-100g per meal).  She goes through periods where we don't bolus her for meals.  Or only bolus by half.  We've never been able to bolus her fully for her dinner.  We do it manually over a period of five hours.  

And then there are the times she's high no matter how much insulin we dump into her.

Mentally, it's exhausting.  It's like an enigma, wrapped in a paradox, stuck inside a conundrum.

Or something.

I don't really have any sage advice on how to deal.  My method is to rant and rage (to my husband, a friend, my blog, or an empty room).

I play soccer.  Like, a lot of soccer.  Some weeks I have 4 games.  Win or lose, soccer makes me smile, and takes me back to my younger days... when I was actually good at something.

I remember all that I'm thankful for; especially that my daughter is here in my arms. It could be so much worse.

And then I go to Target.  Because Target is always good for all that ails you.

Here are my shoes. Take a walk in them

DBlog week - Day 3
The Blame Game- Having diabetes often makes a visit to the doctor a dreaded experience, as there is invariably bad news of one kind or another. And sometimes the way the doctor talks to you can leave you feeling like you’re at fault. Or maybe you have a fantastic healthcare team, but have experienced blame and judgment from someone else in your life – friend, loved one, complete stranger. Think about a particularly bad instance, how that person talked to you, the words they used and the conversation you had. Now, the game part. Let’s turn this around. If you could turn that person into a puppet, what would you have them say that would leave you feeling empowered and good about yourself? Let’s help teach people how to support us, rather than blame us!

Just recently, I was out for dinner with a friend.  She kept asking me questions about why Fred and I don't go out on date nights. Or why when my mom comes to visit, I don't leave the kids with her and get out of town for a few days with Fred.

If you didn't read my first post for Dblog week, I'll sum it up... Elise's blood sugars are wonky after dinner.  Just plain awful.  They follow no trend, and every night is different.  For example, a few nights ago she had 125g of carbs for dinner.  I started off bolusing her for 40g.  And that's all she needed, for the rest of the night. She stayed right in the low 100s.

Until 3 am, when she was 300+. A full 9 hours after she ate.  And no, it wasn't pizza.

A few nights before that, I bolused her for about 1/3 of her meal, because she was going to a 90 minute soccer practice.  She ended up almost 400.

I had only bolused for 1/3, because the night before that, I bolused for 40g of an 90g meal.  We went to her brother's soccer practice where she sat an played with some kids.  She tanked to 52 and stayed there despite 30g of carbs.

Do you see what I'm dealing with?

If it's extremely difficult for me to deal with (and I've been doing this for close to 9 years), how can I expect someone who has little to no experience to handle it?  The times Fred and I have left her, we spend the entire time texting or on the phone trying to handle it from afar.

When my friend said, "I just hope this isn't an excuse you're using", I wanted to scream.  She didn't say it in a mean way, it just showed me that I can try and explain until I am blue in the face, and they won't get it.

It's exhausting.  It's demoralizing. It makes me angry. I feel stupid, because I. Can't. Fix. It.  I've tried and failed more times than I can count.  Sugar Surfing helps, but not every time. The endo can't even figure it out.  You don't think I want to go on vacation with my husband (and no kids)? Fred and I haven't had quality alone time since before Elise was born.. You don't think that's hard on a marriage?  It sucks. All of it. 

My friends have seen me struggle, and they don't understand.

As far as turning it around... I don't know what I want them to say.  Because they don't get it.  They never will.

This post was written after another hard night.  It's not always this difficult, but lately it has been.  And this post reflects that.

The Other Costs of Diabetes

DBlog week - Day 2
The Cost of a Chronic Illness- Insulin and other diabetes medications and supplies can be costly. Here in the US, insurance status and age (as in Medicare eligibility) can impact both the cost and coverage. So today, let’s discuss how cost impacts our diabetes care. Do you have advice to share? For those outside the US, is cost a concern? Are there other factors such as accessibility or education that cause barriers to your diabetes care?


My friends are  always astounded at just how much it costs to keep Elise alive.  I don't share it with many people, but there are times I get worked up about the cost of insulin, which makes them curious as to how much a vial of insulin costs.

After they goe over their inital shock, they always ask, "WHY?" Which leads to a rant about pharmacutical companies, insurance companies, and how the whole THE WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM IS BROKEN.

At which point, the friend is sorry they ever aksed.

But as broken as it is, my family is lucky to have good health insurance.  It's still not cheap, but we can afford what we need.  Even to so-called "extras" like a CGM.  And we have access to all the latest and greatest technology.

But, as some of you know, my husband and I are not from the U.S.  And some days we dream of moving to another country, just for a new experience.

And, if I'm being completely honest, diabetes gives us (well, me) pause.  Because there are so many "what ifs" when it comes to diabetes.  What is we can't get the supplies we're used to?  And how expensive are the "extras". What if the standard of care is not what we expect? What if it's even harder to get what we need than it is now? 

Because, like water flowing down a hill, I would much rather take the path of least resistance.  Living here is not bad, but it IS known. And therefore, not scary.

The unknown for me? Very scary.

I can't heap all of the blame onto diabetes.  It gets trickier when there are kids involved.  Our older two are in a great school; where they're involved in a wonderful GT program, dual language and STEM. Not to mention we have the BEST school nurse in the world.

So here we stay.  Provided for and comfortable.  Happy, even.  But still curious to what the rest of the world could hold if diabetes was not a part of our world.

I just wanted to add that I get the whole "don't let diabetes stop you from doing anything" thing. I just wanted to be honest about who I am, and how sometimes, diabetes can make it easy for me to say no. I'm getting better... Elise has been to two (!!!) sleepovers in the last few months. I'm doing my best, despite the fear, to not let diabetes rob her of any experiences.  It's a constant battle, friends.

Expecting the Unexpected

DBlog week - Day 1
Diabetes and the Unexpected- Diabetes can sometimes seem to play by a rulebook that makes no sense, tossing out unexpected challenges at random. What are your best tips for being prepared when the unexpected happens? Or, take this topic another way and tell us about some good things diabetes has brought into your, or your loved one’s, life that you never could have expected? 

Elise has always had dinnertime issues.  Even back when she was on shots, dinnertime was difficult.  Her problem is this; give her all her dinnertime insulin in one bolus (no matter what she's eating), and she goes low.  

When she was on shots, as long as we gave her diluted insulin at dinner (u-50), it was fine.  But now that she's on a pump, we have  to just watch her CGM and bolus as needed.  

It's exhausting.

The hardest part is that it's not always the same.  There are rare nights when she needs everything up front.  Sometimes it only takes a few hours.  And sometimes, it can take up to 5 hours to dole out her dinnertime insulin in little micro-boluses.  And if I slip up and get distracted, it can get ugly.

And yes, I have messed with I:C ratios, basals, and extended boluses.  Nothing works.  Except watching.  And bolusing.

We've been doing this as long as Elise has been on the pump.  Unbeknownst to me up until a few years ago, this is actually a thing.  It's called Sugar Surfing.

Dr. Stephen Ponder (a pediatric Endo, and T1) has written a great book about it, and also has a Sugar Surfing talk that he gives.

Reading his book, and going to his talk (twice), has helped me fine-tune my evening sugar surfing.

As an aside, Dr. Ponder is going to be at FFL this year!  Make sure you check him out... his talk is engaging, funny, and full of great tips!  I might even go for a three-peat!

I may not have an answer to why Elise absorbs her food more slowly at dinnertime, but I am thankful that through some (or a lot) of trial and error, I've found something that somewhat works for us.

And that seems to be how you do it with diabetes.  Keep trying stuff until you figure it out.

And learn to expect the unexpected.