Friday, April 5, 2013

Kicking SBA Butt

This week brought Bean's first experience with standardized testing.  Here in Alaska, they do the SBA, Standards Based Test, starting in third grade.

It was a hodgepodge of starting late, starting on time and finishing quickly, and starting on time and needing additional time.

Here'a a little play-by-play:

Tuesday ~
Checked Bean's BG when I got up, 5:24am, 175.  Increased her basal to try to ward off her breakfast spike.  Tested her when I woke her up at 6:30, 143. Dosed for breakfast and said a little prayer.
Start of Testing check at 8:33am, BG was 250.  Ugh.  Out of range to test, so off to another room to wait until the first break.
First break check at 9:26, BG 183.  Good to go; she starts the test.
Today is the Reading portion and she gets done 'too quickly' but at least she feels OK about how she did. Only time...and results...will tell.

Wednesday~
5:31am, BG 254....crap.  Decided to correct, dose for breakfast that won't be eaten for over an hour, and crank basal at the same time.  Yeah, I'm crazy like that! Wake her up and test....460. WHAT THE WHAT?!?!  Wilma (CGM) was around 180, so I tried a different finger, after wiping it down, and go 189. Much Better! 
Start of Testing, 8:30, BG 189.  Woo-to-the-Hoo!  Bean gets to start testing with her class.  Today is Writing and she takes her time, but still finishes in time to not have to finish testing after lunch.
Today she dips to 77 at 10:15, so that's not ideal.  But, easily treated with a snack and up she comes to 157 30 minutes later.

Thursday~
5:29am, BG 224.  Second verse, same as the first....correct, dose for breakfast, crank the basal. Before breakfast test at 6:51, 153.  I'll take it!
Start of Testing, BG 119.  Loving that.  Another dip at 9:56 to 81, so she had a snack.
Today is Math and she needs to continue the test after lunch....something we hadn't really planned for, but it ended up working out because she had a different lunch (forgot sliced cheese at the store the night before, so no sandwich today).  So when she tested at the start of the afternoon session, she was at 120...can't beat that.


So, all-in-all, pretty successful!  Totally impressed with being able to keep her from spiking so high at breakfast and having her under 220 (our threshold for testing) two out of three days.  Went ahead and did the same thing today, even though there wasn't testing because it's way easier to learn while in the 100s than in the high 200s!  Granted, with PE this morning she crashed to 47....however, she didn't follow procedure and have her designated snack because she was below 140 (actual BG 119) before PE, so she should have been OK if she had had those goldfish!

I am planning to keep doing the early morning test, correct if needed, dose, basal crank.  I am planning to adjust some to try to ward off those mid-morning dips.  Or maybe she'll just need to have a little snack.  We'll see how it pans out.
I am kicking myself some for not thinking to do this earlier in the year.  But, better late than never, I suppose!

Now we wait for the results....

2 comments:

  1. Nice for the test! What I don't understand is such high numbers with the dexcom. We are thinking of getting one. Can you explain? Thanks

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  2. I've been wondering how we will handle standardized tests. It sounds like we should just put it in our school plan that he should test BG before the test, and if he's not between X and Y, he takes it later?

    This will be especially...nail bite-y for the SATs in 6? 7? years.

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