parenting

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.

 

 

 

 

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