Month: May 2014

School’s Out

Summer is here for my kiddos.  Not much planned for the next couple weeks but then there is camp later next month.  I shared a summer plan with them where they do chores, reading, and exercise each day they are at home for about 15-30 minutes each. They were not happy.  They probably won’t have many days at home but I thought it was worth a try.

My daughter has been doing great, but still having some afternoon lows.  When I showed her the plan, she said “Don’t I have enough to deal with?” I told her that she still has to learn some other responsibilities and not  to use having diabetes as an excuse.

My son just had tears streaming down his face and said I ruined summer before it even started.

Being a parent is great!

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A Little Low

After I wrote about the fear of the ‘low’, she had a low or lows…

The first wasn’t a true low but was the first time she felt sick. It was a school and she was only 94 but she had never going below 100.

The next day she went to 84, same time.

Now she is regularly going to 75-85 around the same time.

The other day she went to 77, ate some carbs then wasn’t hungry before she had softball practice.  Then she was high 260-300 after practice before she ate and we covered both her carbs and used the sliding scale. I knew it was too much but had no instructions on how to handle the situation from her doctor.

I set my alarm for 2am to check her just in case.  I woke up at 1 and fretted about it for half hour before waking her up, it was 68.  She ate some smarties and rechecked at 153 after 20 minutes.  It wasn’t scary but I was glad that I checked her when I did.

The doctors have instructed that if she is playing softball to not use the sliding scale and to just cover carbs.  She doesn’t have another practice until next week so hopefully the long weekend will be uneventful. However she is staying two nights with my mother in law and I am just a little nervous.  She is capable but it’s normal to feel nervous right?

One Month

Today my daughter said ‘It’s been a month.’ 

Hard to believe and yet we are still just so fresh and so new to everything.  We have sought out support (blogging, the DOC and attended the JDRF walk) but still sometimes it feels very alien and lonely.  She is such a trooper with everything and yet I still feel like I am waiting for … something? 

I just want to wake up and all this be a nightmare and not real. 

One month later it’s setting in that that will not happen. 

Day 7 DBlog Week: My Favorite Things

This week I’ll be participating in D Blog week.

Today’s topic:

My Favorite Things: As we wrap up another Diabetes Blog Week, let’s share a few of our favorite things from the week. This can be anything from a #DBlogWeek post you loved, a fantastic new-to-you blog you found, a picture someone included in a post that spoke to you, or comment left on your blog that made you smile. Anything you liked is worth sharing!

I missed yesterdays’ post because we attend our local JDRF walk and I didn’t have time to post.  We didn’t participate as a team this year, we mostly attended to see the vendor and info booths and get support. We are considering starting a team for next year because it was an awesome event and a great way to connect to the Type 1 community around here.

I think it really helped my daughter to see others going about life with type 1 and the freebies didn’t hurt either.  I am trying to encourage her to go to a special camp this year and I think she is close to saying yes.

Being apart of DBlog Week has been awesome.  I tried to read many of the post and gather as much information as possible.  I have bookmarked many blogs to revisit and keep up with.

Day 6 DBlog Week: Saturday Snapshots

This week I’ll be participating in D Blog week.

Today’s topic:

Saturday Snapshots: Back for another year, let’s show everyone what life with diabetes looks like!  With a nod to the Diabetes 365 project, let’s grab our cameras again and share some more d-related pictures.  Post as many or as few as you’d like.  Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures, or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.

I barely made it…

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Scattered supplies

Day 5 DBlog Week: Diabetes Life Hacks

This week I’ll be participating in D Blog week.

Today’s topic:

Diabetes Life Hacks: Share the (non-medical) tips and tricks that help you in the day-to-day management of diabetes.  Tell us everything from clothing modifications, serving size/carb counting tricks to the tried and true Dexcom-in-a-glass trick or the “secret” to turning on a Medtronic pump’s backlight when not on the home-screen (scroll to the bottom of this post). Please remember to give non-medical advice only! (Thank you Rachel of Probably Rachel and Kelley of Below Seven for this topic suggestion.)

I’ve been trying to come up with something for this, but three weeks in I have can’t think of many hack we would know. A few things we do that may or may not be right and work for us in the long run:

  •  Stock up on single serving peanuts for snack at school (11g)
  • I bought a plain black crossbody purse for carrying supplies but she prefers taking it in her lunch box to school, she will have to use the purse for field trip next week and other times we go out.
  •  Not to overdo pepperoni (or any free proteins)
  • My daughter carries her log book with her too so she has all her number with her, I log them daily to the dr./hospital site.  We’ve been looking for a good app to do this but haven’t found one yet.

Otherwise we just keep plugging along.

I will enjoy reading other hacks though.

 

 

 

 

Day4 DBlog Week: Mantras and More

This week I’ll be participating in D Blog week.

Today’s topic:

Mantras and More: Yesterday we opened up about how diabetes can bring us down. Today let’s share what gets us through a hard day.  Or more specifically, a hard diabetes day.  Is there something positive you tell yourself?  Are there mantras that you fall back on to get you through?  Is there something specific you do when your mood needs a boost?  Maybe we’ve done that and we can help others do it too? (Thanks to Meri of Our Diabetic Life for suggesting this topic.)

Tell my daughter “It’s not your fault”

Make her laugh

Pray

Those are the things I’ve been doing everyday.

Day 3 DBlog Week: What Brings Me Down

This week I’ll be participating in D Blog week.

Today’s topic:

What Brings Me Down: 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?

Since we are only 3 weeks in, there isn’t a lot I can add to the mix except to say that I am just sad a lot of the time if i really stop and think about it.  I am mostly a positive person and try to take things one day/step at a time.  I try to rely on my faith in Jesus also to know he will be with us and bring us through.  However, I can be an extreme worrier too.  I can easily let my innermost thoughts go to the most extreme and worst possible scenario. I rarely share these thoughts with anyone so no one really associates that with me, so that’s good I guess.

One thing with this new diagnosis is that you have to think of the day-to-day stuff but we haven’t talked much about the long-term, potential issues.  I have read a few things but it’s really hard to know how much we should worry about them right now since we are just starting to get the hang of things.  My daughter has never been below 100, so we have no idea yet what the lows are like.  That really scares me because right now I feel so scared of that unknown.

The other thing that gets to my daughter is that they are constantly changing her dosage to lower her levels a little at a time.  Every time they increase her dosage she gets upset.  I keep telling her it’s nothing she’s doing wrong.  Yesterday was our first follow-up with the doctor and he told her the same thing and explained more why the changes are occurring.  I think that helped her to hear it from him too.

I do think she is a strong, brave girl but I am worried that she will be prone to anxiety and depression.  She was starting to be depressed before diagnosis.  I think right now the knowing helps. However she likes to be in control and I don’t think that she will like the fluctuations that come with Type 1.

Right now,  I am just telling her that I am in it with her and supporting her.  We just have to keep doing the best we can and keep praying.

Day 2 DBlog Week: Type 1 Poetry

This week I’ll be participating in D Blog week.

Today’s topic:

This year, Diabetes Blog Week and TuDiabetes are teaming up to bring out the poet in you! Write a poem, rhyme, ballad, haiku, or any other form of poetry about diabetes. After you’ve posted it on your blog, share it on the No Sugar Added® Poetry page on TuDiabetes, and read what others have shared there as well!

 

*Note: I used to write ‘tons’ of poetry in high school and college, creative wring was my minor.  But I haven’t written much if any in the last 15 years.  I wrote a free form poem-like post last week that felt great to write.  I am going to try a different one for Day 2 of DBlogWeek…

 

Dreaming of numbers too high or too low
lots of information I never expected to know
lost in a world that can’t be explained
watching, helpless to remove her pain

but she’s stronger than I am and smarter too
she remembers and does just what she needs to do
even though it’s just beginning, she got it I know
my brave little girl, will continue to grow

and I will support her and pray for a cure
and she will continue to surprise me more
even though it’s not fair and hard everyday
I will love her and cherish her come what may

DBlog Week Day 1

This week I’ll be participating in D Blog week.

Today’s topic:

Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you.

I am new to this but it’s God’s timing that this week is happening so soon into our journey with Type 1. I hope to read other blogs and get some good information from them. I am learning that I am really going to have to be an advocate for my daughter. My first meeting with the school I thought was to create the 504 plan, but it was really just to inform the teachers/nurse and start a health plan. Almost 3 weeks later and we still don’t have a formal 504 plan and there is only 2.5 weeks of school left. I wouldn’t worry but there is a field trip and I really want my daughter to go without hassle. Also one nurse at the school (the one who texted me and updated me daily) took a new job and had to leave last Friday, again with only 2.5 weeks left. So that’s frustrating. But I have faith it will work out and my daughter is really doing well. We are going to attend a JDRF walk this weekend to see what it’s about and hopefully meet other local’s to connect with. We are looking forward to that. I am trying to get my daughter interested in attending a Type 1 camp in the state but she’s not sure. I am hoping that by going to the walk this weekend, she will become more interested.