D-Tales : Stories About Raising a Child with Type 1 Diabetes

No D Day - Real Housewives

2012-10-01T11:26:00.002-07:00

Today is No D-Day, thanks to George at Ninjabetic.

I participated in 2010 and 2011, and I’m happy to be back for 2012.

Great idea, George!

Okay, I’ll admit it. I am a reality show junkie.

This predilection started in the 90s with The Real World. Then, over the years, I watched The Osbournes, Growing Up Gotti, Trading Spaces, The Hills, and more. I’ve also probably seen at least one episode of just about every show The Food Network airs. More recently, my DVR has been filled with Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Jersey Shore, and Teen Mom. Lately, I’m hooked on Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Long Island Medium, Pawn Stars, and Breaking Amish.

So it should come as no surprise that I watch the Real Housewives, too.

But, I really, really, really wish the Real Housewives series were titled differently. I mean, let’s face it: most of those women are not housewives.

I am a housewife. I hold a graduate degree, and I had a career, but I gave it up to be a stay-at-home mom. Though, I prefer to call myself a work-at-home mom. As much as I enjoy television, I don’t sit around watching it all day long. Actually, despite my little obsession, I watch very little TV. But I digress…

I am a housewife. The real deal. I do laundry. I scrub toilets. I make dinner, and after we eat, I do the dishes. I clip coupons and shop for groceries. I trade recipes. I pick up toys. I pick up dog poop. I volunteer at my kids’ school. I help with homework. I host play dates. I shuttle kids to sports, after-school activities, and doctor appointments. I carpool. I wear sweat pants. I drive a minivan.

I am a homemaker.

Those women on the Real Housewives franchise? Half of them hold full-time jobs, and they’re never at home! And, those who don’t work? They spend their days shopping, planning elaborate parties, pampering themselves at the salon, visiting their plastic surgeons, attending charity events, and meeting friends for lunch and mid-day drinks.

A mid-day drink for me is a crisp swig of Diet Coke. I live large when occasionally, while on a Target run, I treat myself to a decaf latte at Starbucks. And Target? That’s the extent of my shopping most days.

I personify the “real housewife.” My life, however, is not nearly snazzy enough for television. TV producers would call it boring. I think it’s a wonderful life, but I know that if my story were televised, it would neither top the Nielsen rating charts nor be picked up for a second season.

That’s because this mama lacks drama. Well, maybe there’s some, but it usually involves boys tossing their basketball over the neighbor’s fence or a certain ten-year-old girl who can’t find a single thing to wear.

Besides that, there’s no nanny, no house keeper, no chef, no limos, no plastic surgeon, no personal trainer, no personal shopper, and no personal assistant.

But there is a DVR, and on that DVR are the Real Housewives, all of them, in all their glory, and I enjoy watching every minute of their real or not-so-real housewifey days.

Still, I think they should be called The Real Divas of Orange County...or New Jersey...or Beverly Hills...because they are not real housewives like me.

Diabetes Art Day 2012

2012-09-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love diabetes art day. It’s my favorite DOC event.

This year, I had the “brilliant” idea of letting the kids paint with insulin syringes.

Unless Jack is giving himself a shot (which rarely happens now that he's pumping insulin), syringes are off-limits for the kids. So, Madeline and Jack jumped at the opportunity to suck up and inject paint.

Unfortunately, the idea didn’t pan out as expected. We couldn’t suck up any paint! Ooh, were we all disappointed!

Still wanting to paint, Madeline and Jack quickly came up with plan B. They yanked out the syringe plungers and used them as paint brushes.

Madeline took a traditional route.

Jack paid homage to Jackson Pollock and had a blast with the “drip and splash” method.

While the kids were doing that, I got into the art day spirit, sculpting a meter out of left-over salt dough. (This morning, Jack made a salt dough map of our state for a school project.)

I snagged a little of the kids’ paint and decorated my meter, too.

I said it before, but I’ll say it again: I love diabetes art day!

Proud

2012-09-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Lately, it seems sadness, stress, and heartache have surrounded us in the DOC*. I'm not talking about the usual: highs, lows, ketones, insurance battles, back-to-school stuff, and so on. I'm talking about new diagnoses, losing loved ones, and serious health scares. Too many horrible, life-changing, upsetting-beyond-words events have struck the DOC in recent weeks.

Yet, the outpouring of support has been incredible. I feel so proud of the DOC, and I'm thankful to be a part of it. The DOC knows how to rally around its peeps.

In blogs and on Facebook and Twitter, I'm seeing prayers offered for comfort, peace, strength, and healing. I'm seeing donations made and gifts sent. I'm seeing positive energy, good vibes, and good thoughts put forth into the universe. I’m seeing encouragement coming from all angles. I’m seeing strangers helping others. I'm seeing kindness, caring, and advocacy. I'm seeing true friendship. I'm seeing love.

Way to go, DOC!

*DOC = diabetes online community

For Meri, With Love

2012-09-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

This isn’t the post I’d planned for my re-entry into the blogosphere. But, this seems fitting given that my last post focused on my friend Meri and her husband Ryan.

Many of my friends outside of the DOC have asked about Ryan.

It breaks my heart to share that Ryan lost his battle against cancer last Sunday, September 2^nd.

I can’t begin to tell you the sadness I feel.

I’ve been struggling all week to write something in memory of Ryan and in support of Meri and their four boys either here or on Facebook. No words seem adequate.

So I will keep it short. Meri, M, J, B and L, you’re in my heart, in my thoughts, and in my prayers. I’m sending love, lots of love, and as you lay your wonderful husband and father to rest today, I’ll be there with you in spirit. I truly wish I could be there with you in person.

When Ryan’s battle first began, a fundraiser was created to help with the Schuhmachers’ expenses. Meri and the boys still need that help. Please consider giving. No amount is too small, and all donations will be deeply appreciated. If you can help in any way, please visit the Give Forward site below. Thank you!

Medical Fundaising Made Simple

Prayers Needed

2012-03-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

Hey there!

Remember me?

I've missed you, your comments, and your blogs, and I can’t believe so much time has passed since I was last here. It wasn’t an intentional blogging break. Life simply consumed me.

Honestly, if it weren’t for someone special, I probably wouldn’t be blogging today. It’d probably be a little bit longer before I began posting again. But a dear friend needs my help. She needs your help, too. So here I am.

The Schuhmacher Family

My friend is Meri Schuhmacher. You may know her. She writes Our Diabetic Life. She has four sons, three of whom have type 1 diabetes. I like to call her Marvelous Meri, not just because I’m a word nerd, who likes alliteration, but because she’s truly marvelous.

A few years ago, Meri’s husband Ryan battled melanoma. With surgery and chemotherapy, they thought he’d conquered the cancer. Last week, they learned the cancer has returned. Ryan has six tumors in his brain and multiple tumors in his lungs and abdomen.

Meri and Ryan have set aside tomorrow, Sunday, as a day of fasting and prayer, and they have asked others to join them.

So, here I am, on their behalf, asking you to please pray. I realize prayer comes in many forms. I also realize we may not share the same faith or religion. It’s all good. Do what is most comfortable for you. Say an actual prayer (or two or three or four), recite a blessing, or send healing energy, positive vibes, best wishes, love and light, or whatever works for you. Please, just please, do it today and every day, but especially on Sunday.

As Meri wrote on her blog, “Our hope is that people all across the world, every denomination and belief, will pray for a miracle for Ryan. …God will provide. Let us bombard heaven with our pleas.”

For the past week, I have had this song running nonstop in my head. It’s the Mi Shebeirach, the Jewish prayer for healing.

On Sunday, I will recite the Mi Shebeirach and pray for Ryan’s healing and complete recovery. I will pray for the entire family’s comfort and strength. I will pray for his doctors’ wisdom and skill and for successful medical treatments. Most importantly, I will follow Meri and Ryan’s wishes, and I will pray specifically for a miracle.

There's a Yiddish proverb that states, "prayers go up and blessings come down."

Won’t you please pray for a miracle, too?

To follow Ryan's progress and lend support to the family, please visit their "Schuhmacher Family's Miracle" Facebook page here.

Besides the Facebook page, a fund has been established to help with the family’s inevitable expenses. Please consider giving. No amount is too small, and all donations will be deeply appreciated. If you can help in any way, please visit the GiveForward site below. Thank you!

Medical Fundaising Made Simple

Even after tomorrow, please keep praying for a miracle for Ryan!

The Know-It-All Waitress

2011-11-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I wanted to wear blue in honor of World Diabetes Day. So I donned my navy Jack’s Pack t-shirt with a light blue, long-sleeved t-shirt underneath.

Gregg and I went out to lunch, and our waitress asked, “What does your shirt say?”

“Jack’s Pack — that’s our team name for the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. I’m wearing this shirt, because today is World Diabetes Day.”

“It is? My nephew has diabetes,” she said.

“Type 1?” I asked.

“Is that the bad kind?” she replied.

“I remember now. Yes, that’s the bad kind. That’s what my nephew has,” she said, answering her own question.

The bad kind! The classic comments keep coming! First Wilford, then the lizard spit lady and now the know-it-all waitress.

Is there is a good kind of diabetes?!

“Our eight-year-old son has type 1 diabetes,” I said.

“Is he on the pump? My nephew, he’s eight, too, and he’s on the pump,” she said.

“Not yet,” Gregg replied.

“Oh, you should get him on the pump,” she advised, as if she knew what she was talking about.

“It’s an insurance thing,” I said.

“Same thing for my brother and sister-in-law,” she said. “They both work for FedEx, and they had to have their insurance person ask and ask and ask, and finally they got the pump. That’s what you have to do. You have to keep asking, and then you can get it.”

Yep, she was an insurance expert, too.

Gregg and I couldn’t help but chuckle and talk about her as soon as we left the restaurant. She meant well, she was nice, and we both appreciated that she took an interest in my shirt. But, it’s funny how people think they know what they’re talking about and freely give advice, when, really, they’re just talking out of their elbows.

WDD Postcard Exchange

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

“Because of where some people are geographically, the options

for connecting with others on World Diabetes Day are limited or don’t

exist at all. My belief is that no matter where you live, you should be

able to participate in World Diabetes Day by connecting to someone

else with diabetes. It’s not the same as hanging out with people in

person, but I feel like a postcard exchange will allow us all to

celebrate together. Imagine postcards with bright blue circles

spinning around the globe, connecting us to each other!”

Lee Ann Thill, The Butter Compartment

I could not pass up the opportunity to participate in such a fabulous project! I think it’s a great way to unite the DOC and add a little more art into our lives.

Thank you, Lee Ann, for initiating and organizing the World Diabetes Day Postcard Exchange!

Here’s our postcard, which we sent to a family in Maine. We hope it makes them smile and feel connected.

World Diabetes Day

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today is World Diabetes Day.

Today we celebrate and honor Jack.

Today 40 more children will be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Today we join millions of others around the globe, as we recognize all of these children and adults, who will spend the rest of their lives fighting this disease unless a cure is found.

Most days, we try to make diabetes just one facet of our lives. Today, we will recognize what a big facet that is. As much as we try to instill in Jack that he is a boy with two siblings, with brown hair and brown eyes, who loves Legos and art and science and tennis, who enjoys going to Cub Scout meetings and birthday parties and the movies, and who happens to have diabetes, we also know that, out of necessity, diabetes influences his every day. He is different than his siblings. He does not play with his Legos when his blood sugar is so low he can not function. He can not focus well enough to draw a picture or read about science, when his blood sugar is too high. He must test his blood before eating cake at any party. He must take his D kit with its life-saving insulin and other supplies to every movie, every tennis lesson and every Cub Scout meeting.

Jack is not alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes (all types combined). That number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention.

So today is World Diabetes Day, a global holiday created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the WHO in response to the alarming rise in diabetes around the world.

In 2007, the United Nations marked the Day for the first time with the passage of the United Nations World Diabetes Day Resolution in December 2006, which made the existing World Diabetes Day an official United Nations World Health Day.

Diabetes education and prevention is the World Diabetes Day theme for the period 2009-2013. The campaign calls on all those responsible for diabetes care to understand diabetes and take control.

For people with diabetes, this is a message about empowerment through education.

For governments, it is a call to implement effective strategies and policies for the prevention and management of diabetes to safeguard the health of their citizens with and at risk of diabetes. (Hello, school districts?!)

For healthcare professionals, it is a call to improve knowledge, so that evidence-based recommendations are put into practice.

For the general public, it is a call to understand the serious impact of diabetes, be aware of the warning signs, and know how to avoid or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes and its complications. (Type 1 is an autoimmune disorder. Type 2 is a metabolic disorder. Type 1 can not be prevented. For many people, type 2 can be prevented.)

Diabetes is deadly, if not detected, and still often life-threatening when it is detected. Know the warning signs!

The warning signs* of diabetes include:

• Frequent urination

• Excessive thirst

• Increased hunger

• Weight loss

• Tiredness

• Lack of interest and concentration

• Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu)

• A tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet

• Blurred vision

• Frequent infections

• Slow-healing wounds

*These can be mild or absent in people with type 2 diabetes.

If you show these signs, seek medical attention!

November 14th also marks the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Frederick Banting and Charles Best! Jack is alive because of you!

As you can see above, the World Diabetes Day logo is the blue circle. Across cultures, the circle symbolizes life and health. The color blue reflects the sky that unites all nations and is the color of the United Nations flag. The blue circle signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.

Today, we unite with others.

Today, we acknowledge this disease that has profoundly affected us, and we hope you will, too.

Here's to World Diabetes Day! Here's to good health, happy days and a bright future!

Sources:

World Health Organization

Interntational Diabetes Federation

* This was originally posted on World Diabetes Day 2009. I reposted it last year, and I thought it was worth reposting again this year.

Pink Ribbons and Blue Circles

2011-11-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

“Hey, mom, look! It’s the breast cancer symbol!” Madeline exclaimed today, as we passed a crowd of women walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.
Surprised that she’d recognized the pink ribbon and had associated it with breast cancer, I asked, “How do you know that’s the breast cancer symbol?”
“Duh, mom! Everyone knows that!” Madeline replied, as if I'd just asked the dumbest question ever.

Oh, how I wish everyone knew the diabetes symbol, too.
At least with it being Diabetes Awareness Month, and with World Diabetes Day coming up on November 14th, we're working on it.

But really, some day, I hope there's no need for either of these symbols.

iIdiot

2011-11-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

My cell phone is dying. It overheats. It freezes. It refuses to turn on, and when it does, it’s slower than LA traffic during rush hour.

At times, my cell phone is Jack's lifeline. I can't be without a phone. I need a new one.

Thus, seeing my phone’s demise quickly approaching, I went this morning to the local Apple store and waited for over two hours to buy the new iPhone 4S.

Behind me in line stood “Chatty Charles.” “Chatty Chad” stood behind him. They each professed their love for all things Apple.

They babbled about the new OSX Lion. They got giddy when discussing iCloud. They swore they couldn’t live without Apple TV. They traded tips. They shared favorite apps. These guys appeared to be true Apple fanatics.

Bored out of my tree, and admittedly an Apple lover myself, I chatted a wee bit, too. Who doesn't want a good tip or two?

At one point, however, I had to stop talking immediately and turn around in shock when Chatty Charles, a man in his 60s, who should have more wisdom than he apparently has, made a ridiculous, asinine, ignorant and insulting comparison. "This Apple addiction of mine,” he said, “is like a disease. It's like cancer or diabetes or something."

What????

Your Apple addiction is like a disease???? It’s like diabetes????

No, no, it's not.

It's NOTHING like a disease. It’s NOTHING like cancer, and it’s certainly NOTHING like diabetes.

Aaarrrggghhh!

I couldn’t take it, but right then, a nice Apple rep plucked me from the line. It was a good thing for Chatty Charles, I suppose, because I was about to give him a piece of my mind. It is Diabetes Awareness Month, after all.

*For the record, I walked out the store seriously disappointed...more like furious...without a new phone. A few weeks ago, I tried to buy a new iPhone from AT&T. The AT&T rep told me I would get one quicker from Apple. So, every night, I’ve been checking the Apple website for iPhone availability. Today, when I finally had my hands on the high-in-demand iPhone, I was told I couldn’t buy it, because we have a business account for our cell service. Gregg is on the phone with AT&T, dealing with this debacle as I type. If anyone out there has the new 4S, please tell me it’s worth waiting for and much, much better than my ancient, dying 3G.

Lizard Spit

2011-11-06T21:41:00.000-08:00

We had a great time at our local JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes.

A friend brought another friend, whom I’d never met, to the Walk.

I introduced myself to this gal and thanked her for joining us, and she said, “I’m happy to be here. My great grandfather had diabetes. He ended up having both of his legs amputated. I remember when I was a little girl and he had legs, and I remember years later when he had none. Then, his son, my grandfather, also had diabetes. He also had amputations due to his diabetes, but he didn’t lose his legs entirely.”

Classic! I meet this woman, and the first thing she tells me is that! At the Walk, I was feeling on top of the world, so she didn’t get me down. But, is that classic or what?!

Later on, she shared another whopper. “I have a friend who has diabetes. He takes lizard spit. It really helps to control his sugar level,” she said.

“Lizard spit?” I asked, thinking it was just some silly moniker. When I was a kid, my father, who was a pharmacist, used to call antibiotic ointment “frog juice.” He would put frog juice on my cuts and scrapes to prevent infections. I was thinking this guy’s lizard spit was like my father’s frog juice. Nope!

“Yes, lizard spit,” she said.

I told her about frog juice.

“No, this isn’t just a name. It’s the real thing, actual lizard spit. I can get you the information on it, if you want to try it for Jack. My friend swears by it.”

Who knew?! Lizard spit!

Diabetes schmiabetes! I’m going to get Jack some lizard spit, and we’ll be on our way to blood sugar bliss!

P.S. I’ll post Walk pics soon. :)

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes 2011

2011-11-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Our local JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes takes place this weekend.

I have been busy fundraising, organizing our Walk team, designing and distributing our t-shirts, etc., etc., etc.

There’s been so much to do!

It’s taken me away from blogging. I’m looking forward to catching up and reading all of your blogs soon!

Until then, go Jack’s Pack!!!

Free Insulin Winners

2011-10-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

We have winners!

I was able to get 4 coupons for the Humalog KwikPen free trial offer.

That means that all of you who wanted to win actually won!!!

Congratulations go to:

Please email me at diabetestales@gmail.com. Give me your mailing address, and I’ll send your coupon right away.

Hope this makes it a happy day for you all! :-)

Free Insulin Offer

2011-10-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

We’ve saved hundreds of dollars off of our insulin costs.

How?

With this cool coupon!

Have you seen this free trial offer from Humalog for their KwikPen? With a new prescription, you can get a box of 5 free insulin pens, and you can take advantage of this offer twice a year.

That’s 10 free insulin pens!

What’s that you say? You or your child doesn’t use insulin pens? Well, guess what? Neither does Jack!

And you heard these pens can’t administer half units? No problem!

We get our freebie pens, and then we use them as we would insulin vials. We insert our syringes into their ports, draw out the insulin and then inject Jack using the syringe.

Nifty, eh?

If I’m sounding like a salesman, it’s because this is seriously a great deal. I wasn’t kidding when I said we’ve saved hundreds of dollars.

Have I interested you yet?

Do you use Humalog and want to try these pens?

Well, I have an extra coupon!

And I’m going to give it to one of you!

But wait, that's not it! If you leave a comment, and you win the coupon contest, I'll toss in free shipping! :-)

Good luck!

Spookalicious Carbs

2011-10-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

Boo!

My kids have caught the Halloween spirit! They can’t wait for October 31st to arrive.

Home on fall break today, they made ghost cookies. Fun, craptacular*, spookalicious ghost cookies.

An easy, kid-friendly project, these semi-homemade cookies consist of only three ingredients.

Creepy Ingredients:

1 package Nutter Butter cookies**

2 packages Wilton white candy melts (Almond bark or white chocolate would work too.)

1 tube Wilton black decorating gel

Scary directions:

1. Melt 1 package of candy melts. (Melt 2nd package after 1st is used up.)

2. Dip Nutter Butters into melted candy.

3. Place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.

4. Refrigerate until candy is set.

5. Decorate with gel.

My goblins loved this project.

Look at their frightfully delightful creations!

Cute, huh? And tasty too!

According to Jack, "they're good carbs! Worthy of an insulin injection!"

I calculated that they're roughly 18g carbs each. The cookies are 9.5g each, and I added 8g for the candy coating, as my kids loaded on the coating. A thinner candy coating might result in a 15g ghost.

*Craptacular - meaning they’re pure crap. There’s nothing healthy about these cookies. But all things in moderation, right? A little artificial this and a little hydrogenated that created some serious excitement in my house today.

**If you have nut allergies or celiac, these won’t work. But I’m guessing you could take two round, nut-free, gluten-free cookies or crackers and make a ghost shape with the candy coating.

Crafting with Test Strip Containers

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ever thought about repurposing those empty test strip containers?

Looking for a fun project to do with the kids?

Madeline, Jack, Max and I got crafty one day this past summer. Here’s what we did.

We bought some fun art supplies.

We grabbed our glue, tape, scissors and paper cutter.

We tapped into our creativity.

And we made tooth fairy containers!

A few weeks later, when the kids were swimming,
Max jumped out of the pool and exclaimed, "My tooth fell out!"
He was so excited. It was his first lost tooth.

We knew exactly where to put that tooth,

and later that night,

Mary the Tooth Fairy knew exactly where to find it.

No D-Day - Boys Will Be Boys

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today is No D-Day, thanks to George at Ninjabetic. It’s a day “to talk about different parts of our lives.” Great idea, George!

I participated in 2010, and I’m happy to be back for year two.

Earlier this week, Holly wrote about her two boys’ latest antics, and her post had me reminiscing about some of the things my boys have done.

I’ll never forget the day Jack decided to cut his own hair. He was five and not-so-skilled with the scissors.

Nice bangs, huh? We high-tailed it over to the barber after that.

When Max was a wee one-year-old, we used to call him “Messy Max,” as he was always getting into something.

He loved our kitchen drawers.

Time and time again, what fun he had pulling out plates, emptying boxes of bags and unrolling aluminum foil!

There was the time that Jack gave him a jar of peanut butter.

And then there was the time that he got a hold of my lip gloss.

I can't help but laugh when I look back at these photos. I love my boys!

The Blood Biotch

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wiped out kids showing their "battle wounds"

Madeline and Max needed to have blood drawn for some diagnostic tests and had lab appointments one recent afternoon.

During the car ride over to the lab, fear struck, and after we’d arrived, they were nervous wrecks in the waiting area. Max jumped onto my lap, wrapped his arms around me and whispered repeatedly, “I’m scared, mama.” All the while, Madeline was snuggling in under my arm and looking as though she was going to burst into tears at any moment.

By the time we were finally called out of the waiting area and into the phlebotomist’s room, Madeline and Max were having full-blown melt downs. Both were crying, and Max was trying to leave the room, bellowing “You’re not going to do this to me!”

Jack was super sweet, trying to comfort his brother and sister. “I have blood drawn every year, and I promise you that it doesn’t hurt that much. It’s not that bad. Stop crying. You’ll be okay. Needles don’t hurt that much.”

After hearing that, the phlebotomist spun around and glared at Jack as if he were a freak. “You’re weird!” she said.

Excuse me??? I instantly went into D mama bear protective mode. How dare she say that to my child, who must use a needle to draw blood from his fingers 10 to 12 times per day and who must get 4 to 8 insulin injections per day in order to survive!

Could she have been any more rude, insulting and unprofessional? Who says stuff like that to a kid?

She immediately realized what she’d just said and tried to cover up with “I mean that in the best way, of course.”

Yeah, sure you do, lady!

Fortunately, Jack was too busy trying to console Madeline and Max to hear what she’d said, but I heard it, and now I’m thinking her boss should hear it, too.

I am a D mama! Hear me roar!

"I want this thing off of me!"

The House with the Needles

2011-10-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

You know you’re a D mama when...

One of Madeline’s classmates lives in our neighborhood. Today, that classmate came knocking on our door, and Madeline invited her in for a play date.

So this girl walks into our house for the first time, and I realized that roughly 20 used insulin syringes were sitting on the kitchen counter.

I’m wondering what she thought of that!

I'm generally a neat-freak, but the past few days have been jam-packed, and I just hadn't gotten around to them yet. So I ran to the kitchen and cleared them from the counter. If I'd known we were going to have a guest, I would have cleared them before she'd arrived, but I had no idea we'd be hosting a play date today.

This girl doesn’t know that Jack has diabetes.

A pile of syringes would seem strange to a kid, don’t you think?

I wonder what she went home and told her mom and dad! And I wonder whether her mom and dad will let her come over again!

For Justice

2011-10-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my fellow D mama Alexis asked for support for her son Justice here.

That weekend, we were hosting a pool party for local D families, and I thought it would be fun to gather the kids together and make a video card for Justice.

So, at the party, we piled the kids onto the couch and asked them to help Justice. The kids were not coached. They had no script and no time to prepare. They simply spoke from their hearts.

When we shot the video, it was dark outside, and the lighting was poor. The adults were chatting nonstop in the background, too. So, please disregard the production values.

Just enjoy the message from this group of caring kids, which includes Jack, Sugar, Oldest, the Superhero, their siblings and friends. In case you're wondering, Oldest is the incredible spokesperson for the group. :)

An Answered Prayer

2011-09-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

We are Jewish, and yesterday, we celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and went to services at our synagogue.

Our synagogue offers simultaneous adult and children’s services, and Gregg and I had volunteered to serve as ushers during the children’s service. We were assigned a shift with Max’s group.

So we hung out with Max and his cohorts, and we were about to return to the adult service, when Gregg asked, “While we’re here, want to check out Jack’s group?”

“Sure, why not?” I replied and off to Jack’s group we went.

The gal, whom we’d trained in D management and who was supposed to be watching over Jack, was nowhere to be found.

So as soon as I saw him, I asked Jack, “What does your CGM say?”

He pulled Dex out of his pocket, glanced at it and said, “63 with an arrow down.”

I followed up with an actual blood test, and sure enough, he was 58. I gave him juice and rechecked fifteen minutes later. Even with the juice in his system, he was still low, and he was symptomatic.

Though Jack bounced back from the low just fine, I spent the rest of the day wondering, “What if we hadn’t been there? What if we’d returned to the adult service? What would have happened?”

We weren’t scheduled to have been with Jack’s group. We were supposed to have been with the other adults, listening to the rabbi’s sermon. Without our trained D gal around, Jack was under the supervision of high school kids, who had no idea how to handle a hypoglycemic episode. (We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again!).

Even today, I keep returning to same questions: What would have happened if we hadn’t been there? Would Jack have been able to have handled that stubborn low on his own?

I am grateful that we were there, but I have no idea really why we were there and neither does Gregg.

Now, you need to know that I don’t pray often. I send up a little prayer, when I feel it’s needed or when I’m asked or moved to do so, but that’s about it. I celebrate Jewish holidays and follow traditions; however, I’m not the most religious person. But I was feeling moved yesterday during services, thinking about the year ahead, my hopes for the year and what matters most to me.

Seems a little coincidental that we were in the right place at the right time on a day that I actually prayed for Jack’s safety and good health.

Maybe I should pray a little more often!

To all of my Jewish friends out there, l’shana tova! May the new year be sweet!

D is for Diabeetus

2011-09-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

I met Wilford Brimley today.

Okay, not really, but I met a man who looks and sounds just like him. I swear this guy I met could be related to Wilford Brimley. So I’m just going to nickname him Wilford.

(You all know who Wilford Brimley is, right? He’s this guy.)

We were at the tennis courts where my kids and his grandkids take lessons.

Before he’d begun playing, Jack had tested his blood sugar, and Wilford had eyed Jack, as Jack was lancing his left pinky.

A few minutes later, when Jack was on the courts, I heard, “Yer son have diabeetus?”

“He does.”

“Sheesh,” Wilford said, shaking his head. “That’s a shame.”

Um, yeah, it’s shame, but you know, it is what it is, and I can’t dwell on the negative aspects of diabetes. Quite frankly, I’m grateful my kid is alive. I’m grateful he’s able to play tennis.

Before I could respond, Wilford told me, “I got diabeetus, too.”

“Type two?” I asked.

“Yup, type two.”

“My son has type one.”

“Yeah, well, that’s usually the case when they’re that young,” he said. “Let me tell you a story. I was born in 1939, but I got a friend, who was born in 1973. She’s got diabeetus, too. Type one, like yer son. I was there the day she collapsed.”

“You mean the day she was diagnosed?” I asked.

“Yeah, the day she was diagnosed. Well, she learned to eat only small amounts of food,” he said, showing me by placing his thumb and forefinger about a quarter inch apart. “And now she’s fine. That’s what yer son’s gotta do. He’s gotta eat only small amounts of food, and he’ll be fine.”

I wanted to run. But, I am polite, so I stood there smiling, letting the conversation take its natural course. But I seriously wanted to run...far.

“You got diabeetus, too?”

“No, I don’t,” I said.

“How ‘bout other kids? You got other kids?”

“I do. They’re out there on the courts, playing tennis, too.”

“They got diabeetus?”

“No, my son is the only one in the family.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Well, I’ll be…You know I retired back in 2007, and I just let myself go. I gained 50 pounds. That’s why I got diabeetus, but I started a diet program today. Yer son have highs and lows?”

“He does.”

Once again, I got the head shake and “sheesh.”

“Well, you tell that fella to watch what he eats, and he’ll be fine like my friend.”

At that point, I couldn’t take it any more. “I’ll do that,” I said. “Well, you have a nice day. Enjoy watching the kids on the courts. I’m going to run an errand now.”

I took off. I had to get out of there. I didn’t want to be rude, but I couldn’t listen any longer. Jack’s tennis coach has a brother with type one (yes, we got that lucky this year!), and we’ve trained him on how to care for Jack. So I knew Jack would be okay, and besides, I wasn’t going to go far, and his coach and the head coach both have my cell number.

I drove to a shopping center a few blocks away. I went into PetSmart and bought cat food and then into the grocery store to pick up a few ingredients for tomorrow night’s dinner. And then I sat in my car, playing Words with Friends, waiting for the tennis lesson to end, watching the kids from the parking lot, because that was better than listening to Wilford ramble.

Wilford meant well, but sometimes, a D mama just doesn’t want to talk about diabeetus.

Stick a fork in me.

2011-09-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

I was just talking to a friend. She’s had problems with her feet for a number of years now, and today, she was telling me about her latest issue where she felt as though she were “being jabbed with a million needles” on the bottom of one foot.

“I’m so tired of this,” she said. “I’ve dealt with foot problems long enough. I’m done. I just want all these problems to go away.”

I can SO relate!

Can’t you?!

Doesn’t every person who lives with diabetes, or any chronic, serious and/or life threatening health condition, feel the same?

I am done with diabetes. Stick a fork in me DONE!!!

(Don’t worry. All is well with us. In fact, our D life has been rather uneventful lately. My lack of posting, reading and commenting is only because the kids’ homework and activities are consuming me. Really it's not the activities; the kids aren't doing that much. It's Madeline’s 4^th grade work that's kicking is our behinds! But, I’d like to be done with diabetes, wouldn’t you?)

Perhaps it's the sugar in the sauce.

2011-09-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

Those numbers are beauties, aren’t they?

They came courtesy of a bowl of chicken teriyaki, which Jack enjoyed for lunch yesterday. The highs started a few hours after lunch and continued through to this morning, despite several correction doses of insulin.

Chicken teriyaki has done this before to Jack. It ranks right up there with pizza and ice cream. It doesn’t have the fat content of pizza and ice cream, but it wreaks havoc on Jack’s blood sugar just the same. Perhaps it’s the sugar in the sauce. Perhaps it’s the bed of rice upon which the chicken sits. Perhaps it’s the combination of sugar and rice. Perhaps it contains more fat than I think it does. Perhaps it’s us with incorrect carb counting.

Whatever it is, it stinks, because Jack loves chicken teriyaki.

The Day I Forgot About Jack and His Cantaloupe

2011-09-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

“Can I eat some of this cantaloupe?” Jack asked, while peering into the fridge.

“Sure,” I answered from across the room, standing next to Madeline, who was sitting at the kitchen table, working on her math homework, asking for help.

“Mom, I don’t get number 7,” Madeline said.

“I’ll look at it,” I offered.

Just then, Max appeared. “Will you read to me?” he asked, handing me his current favorite book, Max for President.

“Mom, my cantaloupe,” Jack reminded me. “I’m hungry. I want to eat. I just tested and I’m 113. Will you give me my shot now?”

“Mom, what about number 7? I need help. I’m stuck,” Madeline whined. “Can’t you help me, before you give Jack his shot?”

“I want to read now,” said Max, tugging on my shirt. “I’m supposed to read for homework, remember? Can’t we read now? I want to read now. I even have my book.”

“No, Max, she needs to help me first,” Madeline answered.

“No, she needs to help me first,” Jack said.

Ahhh, that’s life with three kids! It’s a good life, but I am often pulled in three different directions by three little voices all calling “Mom!” at the same time.

Most days, I can handle it. Most days, all of the kids’ needs, wants and reasonable requests are met. The mail might pile up and the laundry might wait to be folded, but my kids are taken care of.

On some days, however, I become overwhelmed, and I accidentally neglect someone or something. Earlier this week, it was Jack and his cantaloupe. I got sucked into 4^th grade math homework and 1^st grade reading, and I forgot about Jack and his cantaloupe. I forgot!!! Ugh!!!

After I’d finished reading to Max, a grumpy (and rightfully so) Jack, asked, “Mom, my cantaloupe, can I have it now? I’ve been waiting for hours and hours. It’s been like 7 whole hours already.”

It had only been an hour, but obviously, it had felt a lot longer to Jack.

“Oh, my gosh, Jack!” I exclaimed. “I’m so sorry! I totally forgot.”

Guilt set in. I felt horribly for making him wait. I still do. I know I’m doing my best. I know the kids are demanding and raising them would be challenging even without diabetes in our lives. I know there’s only one of me and three of them. I know I’m only human. I know mistakes happen, and I know there are worse mistakes to be made, especially when it comes to diabetes.

Nonetheless, I felt badly, and it’s still weighing on me three days later.

“You must be really hungry now. I’m truly sorry, honey,” I apologized. “I got so caught up with Madeline and Max that I forgot you were waiting for me.”

“It’s okay, mom,” Jack said. “But can I get my shot now? I want that cantaloupe.”

I was forgetful and he was forgiving.

His understanding gave me a small degree of relief, but again, I’m sitting here three days later, writing about it, because I’m bothered by the fact that I allowed myself to become distracted and therefore Jack had to suffer.

If I’d forgotten to check his homework or wash his favorite shirt, I wouldn’t feel so badly. But when it comes to his diabetes, I hate to screw up. Jack deals with enough; he doesn’t need me adding to his challenges.

Not only that, but this served as a giant reminder of the impact diabetes has had on us. Life with diabetes is about so much more than testing blood sugar, administering insulin, battling highs and lows, counting carbs, etc., etc.

When Madeline and Max are hungry, they can grab a snack, any snack, and eat. It’s not so simple for Jack. If he wants to eat something with carbs like fruit, he needs an insulin injection, and that requires me (or Gregg, but Gregg’s at work in the afternoons).

I wish life were easier for Jack.

This is one of those things that, unless you’re raising a child with diabetes, you would never know. You’d have no clue how challenging it is to stay on top of this blasted disease at all times. You’d never realize the guilt that comes from making a minor mistake. You’d take for granted the ease of doing something as simple as eating.

Sigh…

Life will eventually get a little easier...at least when it comes to Jack eating. As he matures and takes on more of his diabetes care, and perhaps after he switches from insulin injections to a pump, he’ll be able to administer his own insulin and eat more freely.

In the meantime, he’s stuck with me. Poor kid!