Scott Bryce wrote:
Raquel has 2 diabetic children. She took them in for a checkup today, and their A1C levels (an indication of how well their diabetes has been managed over the last three months) were WAY too high. Because Raquel is in school full time, she isn't home much of the day, and isn't able to supervise her kids. The older children who stay at home will not take care of them. The son is in a program with the state for now, and will be going to a charter school when he is done. The daughter is homeschooled, but Raquel has had trouble getting her academics going this year. Raquel lives in a poor neighborhood, and the local elementary school is a very bad place to leave kids all day.
The doctor is giving Raquel 2 months to bring the kids' A1C levels down, or he will call DCFS to have these two children taken away. He is also insisting that the daughter be put in public school.
I just sent you a really long reply and it was lost in cyber space.
Anyway, first I do know what teh A1c tests are, and if there is anyway possible that she can change doctors that would be to her benefit, a specialist would be a very good idea
She will also need to contact an attorney quickly, either hslda or a local attorney or both depending on her circumstances.
Also she needs to remain calm at all times even if she is not feeling at all calm, she can't let them see her unnerved, because it will cause her a problem
Also she needs to make sure her kids know to keep everything clean, neat and orderly in the house, because social services will find fault if they are able to come in and see even the slightest excuse to say anything, I had one say something because of one paper under a sofa once (I didn't even know it was there)
If they are able to get in they will also want to inspect cabinets and the refrigerator for food, and they check for working smoke detectors if she doesnt have one, she can get a free one from the fire department in a lot of areas if she has a landlord they are required to have those in the house.
Now about the diabetes, there are a lot of different things besides what someone eats that can cause elevated sugar levels (if the doctor does not know this he is not a diabetic specialist or is hoping she doesnt know so he can use that as a means to control what she does with her kids based on his values and ideals).
Stress, illness, non-regular sleep hours not taking medicines at the right times, and so on.
It is not always what someone eats, my dh has woken up with sugar levels over five hundred when under a lot of stress and his levels have gone up after walking instead of down, and his levels have even gone down after eating, when I asked the doctor about it he went into a good bit of detail as to why that happened, I'm afraid of losing what I am writing so I'll let you just look that up.
Also I am very familiar with diabetes because I grew up around it a lot of people with type one diabetes then my dh has type two diabetes.
She also needs to find some way of testing their sugar a lot, and she can buy an ac1 test at walmart for about 8 dollars. She can test that herself before the doctor has opportunity to retest.
I'll be praying for God's grace, mercy and protection of her family.