Sugar Free Candyland

I'm Back! And I Have Some Changes in Mind - Are You Ready?

2015-12-27T20:08:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry! Will you forgive me?

Hey, everyone! First let me say sorry for taking so long to write a new post. With the start of 2016, I have made a promise to myself and everyone who enjoyed reading my blog in the past to write more frequently.

The last time I posted an article here, I was fighting writers block. I simply could not come up with some fresh content for you! However, after a (long) much-needed break and much brainstorming, I am ready to come back and share my thoughts, ideas, and information related to Type 1 diabetes.

First, let me share with you a few things that you can expect over the next few months.

An All-New Look!

I plan to revamp Sugar Free Candyland in a few ways – one of them being a cosmetic uplift. That said, the cute candy theme of this blog will remain the same. However, some of the pages and content will be updated and spruced up a bit. I want to provide you, my wonderful readers, great, accurate information as well as visually appealing and easy to read content. For this reason, some of the pages currently available here will undergo a complete “make-over” while others may be removed entirely.

Also, I will make sure that all of the links currently on the site are working links. If you happen to come across any links that do not work, just drop me a line to let me know! I’ll gladly check it out and notify you if I find a link that works.

What’s On Your Mind (and Mine!)

In addition to the visual makeover that I have in mind for the blog, I am also planning to come up with fresh, new content for you to enjoy! Of course, some of it will be personal things like various achievements and successes our Type 1 child has accomplished or issues and concerns we are coming across – but also research advancements that are being explored or any other information I think you might enjoy.

I also plan to re-discuss previous topics that I believe are important enough. Why? Well, because this blog has a ton of information buried that can help many families that are just learning how to manage and cope with their “new norm.” I believe those topics will help others learn more about diabetes and feel a little less lonely on this journey.

Of course, I often find myself coming up with ideas for new topics based on your comments! One of

Lets Connect!

the best things about blogging is connecting and communicating with you. I enjoy reading your comments, listening to your stories, and sharing ideas with you. Please keep the comments coming!

Whether you are a new reader or a long-time SFCL fan, if you have something on your mind, I would love to connect with you! Simply drop a line in the comments and I’ll respond as soon as possible! Let’s connect!

These are just a few ideas that I have bouncing around my head that I thought I would share with you. The rest you will just have to keep checking in to see what’s new!

After all, I can’t give away all of the juicy details, now can I?

So, with all of that said, what is on your mind? What would you like to see talked about here on Sugar Free Candyland? Have you found a tasty recipe that you would like to share? Let me know!

Looking forward to rocking the 2016 year with you all again!

What's On Your Mind?

2013-03-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I know, I know - it has been a while since I have posted anything. I've had people ask me, "Where have you been?"

Well, honestly, that is a loaded question! HA HA!

I've been busy with many personal things lately, but I do want to get back into posting on a more regular basis.

With that said... I am asking for your help!

It seems I have come up against some writers block for ideas on topics to write about on here. So, if you have any thoughts or ideas... I'm more than open to hear them!

Even after I am able to get past this "writers bump"... always feel free to shoot me an email, make a post on the Sugar Free Candyland Facebook Page and let me know what you would like to see published on the SFCL blog!

Whether it's product reviews & giveaways, tips or ideas regarding raising a child with Type 1, or anything else... give me a holler!

Also, if you have any amazing recipes you'd like to share (that include carb, protein, and fat information), please feel free to email them to me so I can share them on the sister blog: Sugar Free Candyland's Cookbook. Don't worry, if you share a recipe with me that gets posted on either of these blogs, you will receive full credit!

So, wonderful readers... what would you like to see posted on the blog? I'm all ears!

Let's Take A Ride -- A Magic Ride in Foozbah-Land

2012-12-09T10:15:00.000-05:00

As parents of children with diabetes, sometimes we struggle trying to explain to our kids what diabetes is, why they have diabetes, and why it is so important to check their sugar and take multiple injections (or site changes) all the time.

Introducing the Author: Jean Roemer, MN, MSN, CRNP, CDE, has created fun, educational materials for children to help kids, families, and friends, understand what diabetes is, and answers many of the questions that often "spring up" after diagnosis. You may remember I had interviewed Jean a few months ago. If you missed that post, you can read it here.

Her website is full of educational books, DVD's, and CD's for children and adults to learn more about Type 1 Diabetes!

So, let's get back to why I titled this blog, "Let's Take A Ride -- A Magic Ride in Foozbah-Land!"

Jean was kind enough to send me some materials from her website recently to review and share with all my wonderful readers!

About the DVD: In "A Magic Ride in Foozbah-Land" DVD, a classroom of children take a magical ride to learn about diabetes! The teacher of the class explains to the children how food becomes fuel for the body's cells, the functions of the pancreas (insulin production and its uses), why children with diabetes need to take insulin shots, and what diabetes is, and stresses that "it's not their fault"!

The DVD is for children between the ages of 3 and 8, but I must say, even I enjoyed this movie!

My kids loved it so much, they asked to watch it over, and over (and over!) again! 5 times, as a matter of fact! Lenny told me that the best part about the movie was the part that explains "the cells eating the sugar" as he puts it. It truly must have been his favorite part, because each meal and snack he had after watching that movie, for a week, he kept saying "I'm feeding my cells!"

So if you have a young child who is struggling getting a grasp of why they have to take shots all the time, poke their fingers 10-12 times a day, or just overall struggling to cope... I would highly recommend purchasing this DVD!

You can order your "A Magic Ride in Foozbah-Land" DVD for only $16.95 by visiting Jean's website here.

Here's a few more pictures I took while we were watching "A Magic Ride in Foozbah-Land"!

Check back here often, as we have even more great materials from Jean to share with you!

Babysitters & Diabetes-- Tips for Parents!

2012-11-20T10:58:00.000-05:00

As parents of a child(ren) with diabetes, we know how managing the disease, while keeping our kids as care-free and free spirited can be. We know that sometimes there are just those weird numbers that creep up, for no apparent reason, and how to correct any given situation.

Babysitters, however, do not. We can sometimes forget that, just because we live, eat, and breathe diabetes every day... most other people, especially those with no other hands-on experience managing the disease, don't know the in's and out's of this disease.

A friend of mine had contacted me a couple of months ago, asking for help with this. She had basic knowledge of what Type 1 Diabetes was, because of the uncountable number of hours she and I had talked about Lenny's blood sugars, both day and night. She had taken on the responsibility of babysitting a type 1 diabetic child that lived close to her, full-willed and ready to learn whatever she needed to learn, to care for this child to the best of her abilities. She had no prior experience with this, outside of discussions her and I have had in the past. She was a little bit worried.

She had messaged me one day and gave me an idea for a new post. She said, "What would you tell a newly diagnosed family that needs to go back to work and find a babysitter for their Type 1 Diabetic child??"

I've thought long and hard on this one. It was a little difficult for me to answer, truthfully, because, well, I had never been in this situation. I have been a stay-at-home mom long before my son was diagnosed, and planned to continue to be a stay-at-home mom for a long time (unless my family needed me to go back to work).

Here are the tips I would suggest to any parent of a Type 1 Diabetic child, looking to go back to work, and needing a babysitter.

Educate. Educate. Educate.

Basic Education: We educate the school nurses, don't we? Why would we not educate someone else? Even if that person claims to have experience managing other people's diabetes.... they don't have education managing your child's diabetes. I've said it on here before, and I'll say it again... just as every child is different, every diabetic is different. What works for one, may not work for another! Go through the basic diabetes education that we all learned while in the hospital with our precious little ones. Explain how carbohydrates, proteins, and fats affect blood sugar readings. Explain what high or low activity levels can play on a person's blood sugar. Tell them what ketones are; how they develop. You could even print out some basic information for them! Good reading material from a legitimate website can help drive home everything you try to teach them, and may even cause them to ask you more questions! You were educated on all of this before you left the hospital with your child at diagnosis so that the doctors knew that you knew how to safely manage this disease.... why should you send your child to be cared for by someone else (even family) without this basic knowledge as well?
More Detailed Education: Once they have learned the basics about diabetes, how it is believed to develop, what ketones are and why they are so serious, what affects food, drink, and activity can have on blood sugars, now it is time to get down to the nitty gritty! Tell them about your child's specific needs. How does your child's blood sugars behave? What does your child participating in outdoor sports/activities do to their blood sugars, verses indoor activities? Does your child have hypoglycemia unawareness? Do they take insulin injections? Pump therapy? Does white bread affect their blood sugars differently than whole wheat bread? Are they on a specific dietary regime (gluten free?), or can they eat anything anyone else does, just need to cover the carbohydrates? If they are on insulin injections, what is their carbohydrate ratio? Correction factor? How much extra insulin do you give your child if they have a high blood sugar with ketones? The list goes on. The point is, give them as much information that you can for caring for your child in your absence as possible. Knowledge is power, but in this case, can be a life-saver!
Write It Down! There is so much information we are going to be giving to these babysitters/care-givers, it'll be overwhelming! Writing it down will make it a lot easier for them to understand what to do in a given situation. Don't get me wrong, they may still need to call you at work sometimes to verify things with you, or ask a quick question. That is normal. How many times did we call our Children's Hospital Certified Diabetes Educators or endocrinologists to ask questions when we first started learning all of this? A lot, I'm sure! But, by writing it down, they have a checklist to go over, making it a little easier for them, so they don't have to call you at work every 2 hours to ask a question or get your opinion!
Leave Contact Information. If there is an emergency, they need to be able to get in touch with you quickly. If you don't have a cell phone, this is where I'd recommend getting one. Even if it is just a pre-paid cell phone, these things can be very useful! Even if there are no emergencies, but the babysitter/care-giver needs to get in touch with you on a matter that you may have forgotten to cover and/or write down, she/he still needs a way to contact you. Cell phones are great for this because she can easily text or call you and leave a message if needed, for you to respond back to when you get a chance. Plus, it will help her feel a little more at ease knowing you are just a phone call or text away!
Encourage Her To Shadow You. Encouraging your babysitter to "shadow" you for a few hours a day, before releasing your child to her care alone, will help ease her worries and tensions. It will also be a great learning tool for her! She can watch what you are doing in certain situations, and learn from it!
Learn By Doing. After she has shadowed you for a day or two, encourage her to get a little hands-on experience under your supervision. We, as parents, did this in the hospital didn't we? I don't think the Certified Diabetes Educators and endocrinologists we went to would have let us take Lenny home unless they had physically seen us give him shots of insulin, check ketones in his urine, and had an understanding of carbohydrate counting! Truthfully, I think if they had, it would have just added to the amount of stress we were already under being new to this lifestyle! The same can be said for leaving our children to the care of a babysitter or care-giver! Just as we were just starting out, they are sure to feel the ball of anxiety growing in their chest when they think of managing this disease, and what can happen. Put their mind to ease (and yours!) by allowing them to do some hands-on training under your supervision. By doing this, you can also show them each step of insulin injections, how to use the pump, how to count carbs, etc. People learn best by doing. Hands-on education like this really drives home everything you have verbally taught them, as well as all the reading material you have provided to them, making them realize, this is serious stuff... but very do-able.

By providing your babysitter with basic diabetes education, detailed education about your child, writing things down in an easy to follow list for her, leaving your contact information on how to reach you should she need you, encouraging her to shadow you, and providing hands-on experience under your supervision, the transition from staying home to care for your child to back to work with a babysitter, will become less stressful for you, and your babysitter!

What tips would you give to a family of a child newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and needing a babysitter to return back to work? I'd love to hear them!!

There's A New Blog In Town!

2012-10-20T12:27:00.001-04:00

Many of my wonderful readers have requested that I share some healthy, diabetes friendly recipes on here.

Because I have SOOO many recipes in my little binder that I could probably start a whole new "foodie" blog!

Many of these recipes are ones I've come across either on the web, in books, my grandmother, or they are ones that I have tweaked to try to lower the amount of carbs per serving.

Please feel free to check out Sugar Free Candyland's "sister blog".... Sugar Free Candyland's Cookbook! You can also reach this blog by clicking on the tab at the top titled "Sugar Free Candyland's Cookbook.

Be sure to "follow" that blog as well, to stay updated when we post new yummy recipes! And share it with your friends too!

Do you have recipe's you'd like to share? Maybe have some recipes that you just can't figure out the carb counts for? How about some ideas you'd like to see us discuss here on Sugar Free Candyland? Share them! Post a comment below! I love hearing from my readers! Or, if it's a recipe, email them to me at t1dteamlenny@gmail.com and you might see them posted on our sister blog!

Have an awesome, yummy day!

Happy to Help

2012-04-29T15:02:00.000-04:00

This week, I met this wonderful lady on Twitter. Her name is Paulette Motzko, and she is the founder of an online cooking magazine called Cooking Up A Storm In CA.

The website is chock full of a variety of recipes. I mean, there's a ton to choose from!

She had asked me to help her with her diabetic section on her website, and created a new Living with Diabetes Group where I can post various recipes, information, etc, about diabetes.

Of course, I could not turn down this offer! LOL! Any way I can help out a fellow family/person living with diabetes, I'm all for!

Paulette is such a wonderful person. Ever since our first discussions on Twitter, we have texted back and forth almost daily! She has become such an inspiration to me in the kitchen, I am even considering creating a new blog to talk about my adventures in the kitchen! What do you all think? Should I?

I'd like to encourage you all to join me on her site, take a look around, and see what all yummy dishes the site has to offer... and, don't forget to join the Living with Diabetes--Recipe's and More group, and the Diabetic Dishes page!

Visit Cooking Up A Storm All Over The World!

If This Was A Test, You'd Get 100%!

2012-04-25T09:08:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Little Man's endo appointment. While, I admit, most of the time we were actually sitting in the office (after the urine sample and A1C finger stick, and downloading his pump info), the appointment consisted of just chit chat... we also got some awesome news!

His A1C results back in January were 7.9.

This time they were....

(drum roll please......)

7.2!!

Oh yeah! Take that diabetes!

I got so excited, I had a permanent smile on my face for a good 3 hours (tried desperately to spare the nurse my embarrassing "chair dancing" skills lol!)

Little Man sat on the little bed in the room, looking back at me and the nurse, asking, "What does that mean? Is that good?"

I looked at him and said, "That's very good!" and gave him a high five for all the hard work he's done trying to learn everything and manage things. The nurse told him "Yes, it is very good! Its like, if this was a test in school, you'd get 100%!"

Its funny she put it that way too, because, while we were waiting in the hall to see if she was going to send us out to the waiting room till a room opened up for us, or send us straight back, I was telling the nurse that was doing the finger stick for his A1C that "I always get a little nervous for these appointments, waiting for the A1C results. Its like, its our report card!"

The really exciting thing about his A1C result is... It's the lowest we've ever had it since he was diagnosed 3 1/2 years ago! January's was the highest it's ever been, too.

What's the lowest A1C result you've had?
What's the highest?

WEGO Challenge Day 23 (Merry Monday Recipes-Grilled Honey-Garlic Ribs)

2012-04-23T11:29:00.000-04:00

Today's WEGO Health Activist Challenge Topic is: Activist Choice Day 2: Write about whatever you want!

Grilled Honey-Garlic Ribs

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs country style pork ribs
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients into a large ziploc bag.
2. Close bag, and shake until ingredients are well mixed
3. Add ribs.
4. Shake bag to coat ribs thoroughly.
5. Place ribs in refrigerator to marinate overnight, turning occationally.
6. Remove rigs from bag, reserve the marinade.
7. Light charcoal grill, and let coals ash, you want a medium fire.
8. Place ribs on grill.
9. Turn ribs every 10-15 minutes and baste with remaining marinade each time.
10. Cook ribs until done, about 1 hour.
11. Throw away extra marinade.

Total carbs: 11.8

I did these on an electric grill, and they were extremely yummy! Total fat will depend on how lean your rib meat is. I typically try to opt for as lean meat as possible, if not, I cut fat pieces off to allow for less fat in the dish.

Do you have a great recipe you would like to share? Email it to me at T1DTeamLenny@gmail.com and I will make it for my family, and post it here on the blog to share with other D-mama's and D-daddy's! Let the sharing begin!

Things We Forget-WEGO Challenge Day 22

2012-04-22T11:01:00.000-04:00

Today's topic for the WEGO Health Activist posts is: Things we forget.

I must admit, I think I am the most forgetful person I know!

You can tell me something one minute, and after 5 minutes I will forget it.

Tell me directions on how to get somewhere... forget it! Might as well just write them down... or better yet, send me on a "treasure hunt" complete with a map and X mark the spot! LOL!

Yes, I am forgetful... very much so.

In fact, recently, I even forget to post here! I decided to start participating in the WEGO Challenge, in hopes that I'd be able to get back into the swing of things of writing on this blog again. Has it worked? Nope.

I don't only forget minor things throughout the day, but also sometimes some pretty major ones. For instance...

I've been known to forget to get bloodwork done for Little Man (the one that tests cholesterol, etc).
I've been known to get wrapped up in something around dinner or bedtime snack time, and forget to dose Little Man his insulin.

Yeah, I've made some pretty big boo-boo's in my time, due to my forgetfulness.

Most of the time, I make myself a list to help me remember what I need to do throughout the day. I write them on sticky notes (Post-It notes), and stick them on my wall in front of my desk in the living room. (LOL Don't laugh! LOL!) My lists will include everything from daily chores I need to do from day to day, to people I need to call, etc. When my cell phone number changes... where do you think I put it for a while till I have it ingrained in my brain? Yep! You guessed it! On a Post-It note stuck to my wall at my desk LOL!

I've often wondered why my memory is so bad. I've had a bad memory since childhood. Unfortunately, though, it seems it is progressively getting worse. I was just joking with my husband about this not too long ago, saying that, at the rate things are going with my memory... I'll be 50 years old and not remember my own name! LOL!

Yeah. My memory is horrible, and I rely heavily on making lists for myself.

What are some things you tend to forget?
What solutions do you have for helping you remember things?

Don't forget... post me some comments! LOL!

Birthdays and Diabetes

2012-04-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Birthdays and Diabetes.

It can be scary, yes.

But let's also not forget, they need to be fun, too!

I often hear families fret over birthdays, birthday parties, etc. I've been there and done that too. I know how scary it can be, especially when its one your invited to and don't have a handy list of carb information available.

Why am I talking about this today?

Because, Wednesday was Little Man's birthday! Happy Birthday Little Man!

Little Man with his Birthday Cupcake on his 7th birthday.

Yes. That is a Real cupcake. No "reduced sugar". No "Sugar free". Real cupcake... and he loved it! :-)

D-parents, myself included, tend to get stuck in the habit of sticking to the sugar free/reduced sugar stuff all year round. While, I'll never advise not to do that (in fact, most people, diabetic or not, should watch their sugar intake for health reasons!)... I will say this much.... It is OK to allow our little munchkins some sugar sometimes! A piece of candy here and there around Easter time... a piece of real cake (or cupcake, since they are easier to count carbs for as they are already portion properly!) for a birthday a few times a year, etc... that is A-OK, and, if nothing else, kind of important to do as well!

Why is it important? Because, we want our kids to feel just like every other kid, right? That's why we strive to make sure they are not treated differently in school, other places, etc, right? So why not for their special day as well?!

Its pretty rare that I allow a lot of sugar filled stuff. I've always kind of been like that, even before his diagnosis. I've always been a stickler for fresh fruits and veggies as snacks, junk food on occation.

I'll admit, when he was first diagnosed, I was overprotective about this sort of thing. In fact, his first two birthdays with diabetes, we did reduced sugar ice cream, angel food cake type cakes with sugar free cool whip for icing. That sort of thing.

Last year, we decided to bite the bullet, and try out regular cupcakes and ice cream. A fear we had to face, we felt. We knew that, theoretically, as long as we covered the carbs, he should be fine... but, as you all can probably relate... it didn't make it any less scary!

We knew that, at his diagnosis, the dietitian had actually told us "if your going to give him candy/cakes/cookies, etc... its better to give him the real sugar than sugar free stuff, because of the sugar alcohols"... but for a long time, I just couldn't wrap my brain around that! So, we took the leap, and prayed.

This year, I can say, we felt confident giving it to him, because we knew it was OK! Moderation is key, as with anything.

Will I make a regular sheet cake for him? Probably not yet. But, it's not so much because I'm afraid of how it will affect his blood sugar. Its just because, cupcakes are easier to portion control and figure carbs for. I, for one, choose simplicity when it comes to this sort of thing. Diabetes is confusing enough, and there's enough guess-timating involved in it... if there's an easy, no guessing solution I can take... I'll take it!

How do you handle birthdays?

Do you give your d-child regular cupcakes/cakes/ice cream, or do you make something special for them?

Merry Monday Recipe--Cheesy Potato & Ham Soup

2012-04-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Like many people, after Easter dinner, I wound up with a TON of leftovers.... including, leftover ham! I had 2 gallon freezer ziploc bags full of leftover ham! So, on Tuesday, I decided to freeze one bag full... and find something yummy to do with the other (or atleast most of the rest of the ham lol).

I came across this recipe, and decided to give it a shot since I did have most everything in the ingredients list (and I added some things to it too lol!). I doubled the batch (though the recipe below will not reflect that, it will only reflect a single batch, just fyi). Let me just say.. I'm glad I doubled it! I had no idea how big a hit this dish would be for my family! My Little Man asked for seconds (which is a rarity!), and my hubby went back for 3rds, and took a bowl full to work for lunch the next morning!

So, be prepared... this is a yummy one! LOL!

Cheesy Potato & Ham Soup

Ingredients:

3 cups diced potatoes (I used canned potatoes since I was out of real potatoes lol)

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup diced onions

1 chicken bullion cube ( I used base instead of cubes)

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tbsp flour

1/3 lb velveeta cheese (I used shredded cheddar since I was out of velveeta)

1/2 tsp salt

pepper, to taste

2 cups cubed ham

Directions:

1. In large, heavy saucepan, bring first 6 ingredients to a boil.

2. Cook till veggies are tender.

3. Mix milk and flour together and add to veggies.

4. Cook, uncovered, until boiling STIRRING nearly consistantly.

5. Add the cheese, salt, pepper and ham.

6. Stir till cheese is melted

Prep time: approx 30 mins

Total time: approx 1 hr

Makes 3 servings

Serving size (approx) 1 cup

Total Fat: 15.8g

Total Carbs: 45.9g

Sodium: 1478.9mg

Protein: 16.4g

I know this one is pretty high in fat and protein, but I noticed very little affect on my Little Man's sugars, and it was such a yummy dish.. I just had to share!

Please remember though, just because a particular recipe doesn't seem to have an affect on my son's sugar levels, doesn't mean they wont for your child. Every child is different.

Enjoy!

WEGO 30 Day Challenge- My Dream Day

2012-04-14T12:13:00.003-04:00

WEGO- Day 14--My Dream Day. Describe your ideal day. How would you spend your time? Who would you spend it with? Have you had this day? If not – how could you make it happen?

My ideal day would be the day they find a cure for diabetes, for all the families, children, and adults living with diabetes.

The day they find a cure, I'd march my little man down to wherever we'd need to be to get his cure, cure him, and celebrate! I'd take him out to eat, let him play till his little heart was content, without the worry and thoughts of "is he going low?", or "is that huge dinner he just ate, full of fats and proteins, going to make his sugars sky high?". I'd let him eat as much junk food as he wanted (and if he's anything like his mommy was as a child.... eat it till he throws up LOL!).I'd want to take him to every fair, carnival, and amusement park in our area and let him ride every ride, eat at every little cosession stand, till his belly was so full he'd beg to go home and sleep it off! I'd let him do all the things I've been holding off on over the years, because I was too nervous to let him do it/have it because of his diabetes.

I'd let him target practice with his insulin pump.

There's so many things I'd probably want to do with him once he's cured... its hard to put it all into words, and would be even harder to do it all in just a 24 hour period!

Of course, the people we'd spend the first day of this "dream" would be our family... Daddy, Little Princess (Little Man's sister), G (grandma), Pap (grandpap), and if possible, Grandma Janet and Pappy Dave.

Have we had this day? No, unfortunately. But, I feel it is just around the corner, and pray it will be within his lifetime. How we can make it happen is exactly what our family has been doing for the last 3 years...

Fundraising.

Fundraising.....

Advocating.

Advocating....

Educating.

Educating....

And keep dreaming BIG... because even the big dreams come true at some point!

WEGO 30 Day Challenge- Day #5 - The Eagle

2012-04-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

WEGO Day #5 of the 30 day Health Activist Writer's Challenge

Ekphrasis Post. Go to flickr.com/explore and write a post inspired by the image. Can you link it to your health focus? Don’t forget to post the image!

The Eagle. A sign of strength, independance, and hope (to me).

Can I link the picture above to my health focus?

Absolutely!

It signifies the strength that all families, children, and adults, living with diabetes need to have to get through the "bad days" that can happen with this disease.

It signifies the independance that children with diabetes show, as they get older, with their eagerness to learn all about managing their disease on their own.

It signifies the hope we all have, on finding a cure for the disease, so people currently living with it, no longer need to stick their fingers 12+ times a day, or inject themselves with insulin every day, or be attached to a life saving device (pumps and CGMs alike) for the rest of their life.

Like the eagle, people with diabetes want to "fly" free... free of this disease that they must think about.

Children with diabetes want to feel "normal", have a big piece of cake at their friends birthday party without having to think about carbs or if they must "wait till dinner" to have it. They want to run around outside, climb trees, play soccer and football and baseball and basketball, without the worry of "will I go low from this?"

The eagle. A sign of strength. A sign of independance. A sign of hope.

A sign of hope.

Recipe of the Week- Sugar Free Rice Pudding!

2012-04-04T11:08:00.000-04:00

Sugar Free Rice Pudding

3 cups milk
1 cup MINUTE White Rice , uncooked
1/4 cup Splenda sugar substitute
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1

Combine milk, rice, sugar, raisins and salt in medium saucepan.
2

Bring to boil, stirring constantly.
3

Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4

Beat eggs and vanilla lightly in a small bowl.
5

Stir small amount of hot mixture into eggs.
6

Stirring constantly, slowly pour egg mixture back into hot mixture.
7

Stirring constantly, cook on low heat 1 minute until thickened. DO NOT BOIL.
8

Remove from heat. Let stand 30 minutes.
9

Serve warm. Store remaining pudding in refrigerator.

WEGO Challenge- Day #4

2012-04-04T10:46:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone - I just wanted to tell you about a new activity I'll be doing this April. The Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge hosted by WEGO Health. I will be writing a post a day for all 30 days. I hope you'll join me in writing every day about health. It's going to be a lot of fun and I'd love to see what you have to say about each of the topics, too. All you have to do to join is sign up here:http://info.wegohealth.com/HAWMC2012 and you'll be able to start posting once April rolls around. Looking forward to writing with you!

http://info.wegohealth.com/HAWMC2012/

WEGO Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge...Day #4:

I write about my health because… Reflect on why you write about your health for 15-20 minutes without stopping.

Well, I don't really write about my health, but instead, I write about my son's. I write to help get the word out about what Type 1 Diabetes really is (as we all know, there's a ton of mis-communications all over the media about the different types of diabetes!). I write to spread awareness, to educate others, and, hopefully, to help families newly diagnosed with the disease learn from, and find support, other people living with it. I also post to share the excitement my family feels when we are doing various fundraisers, or when Little Man has made an accomplishment with learning more about his diabetes management/care. I write in hopes of inspiring others.

I write in hopes that a family whose child was just diagnosed, will come across my blog, and find some inspiration, and realize that they are not alone in this fight. We are all fighting right along side them, all hoping for a cure for their child, as well as our own.

I write in hopes that someone who is unfamiliar with the day to day life of someone with Type 1 Diabetes, will learn something more about the disease, the warning signs, the daily struggles every person with Type 1 has with managing their disease, and to hopefully "debunk" some of the false information that is out there, online, in books, and on the news.

I write to share fundraising ideas with others who are working hard to help the wonderful researchers and scientists working so hard to find a cure for our kids.

And, I admit, I write, in hopes that one day, when my son is older and having a "bad day" (and you all know the kind of bad day's I mean!), that he will come across this little blog, and read through it, and realize just how much we love and care for him. How much we tried to do the very best we could do for him, in every aspect of his life, health, and education.

I write for my son. I write for the thousands of children all around the world living with Type 1 Diabetes. I write for the families. I write to raise hopes and inspirations and love in the people who are touched by my blog. I write to educate. I write to advocate. I write to spread awareness.

I... just write.

Merry Monday Recipe~~Sugar Free Homemade Lemonade

2012-03-19T09:01:00.000-04:00

Sugar Free Homemade Lemonade

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Splenda Sugar Substitute

1/2 cup boiling water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon rind, grated

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice

5 cups cold water

Directions:

1. Stir together splenda and 1/2 cup boiling water until sugar dissolves.

2. Stir in lemon rind, lemon juice, and 5 cups cold water.

3. Pour into a 2 quart pitcher.

4. Chill 8 hours

5. Serve over ice, and enjoy!

Prep Time: Approx 20 mins.

Total Time: Approx. 8 hrs. 20 mins.

Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size: 1 cup

Servings per recipe: 8 cups

Calories: 46.5

Total Fat: 0.1g

Saturated Fat: 0.0g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg.

Sugars: 9.8g

Sodium 5.3mg

Total Carbohydrates: 13.0g

Dietary Fiber: 0.1g

Protein: 0.1g

I found a regular recipe for Homemade Lemonade today on Food.com, but since it wasn't sugar free, I made some adjustments. One thing I love about Food.com is that I can take a recipe I have (or in this case, one from their website that I want to make adjustments to!) and put it into their website either listed as public for everyone on the site to see and rate, or private for only me to see, and, provided I put it in correctly based on their "format tips", it will calculate the nutrition information for me! As long as I am entering in the ingredients correctly for their format to accept and understand it, I have found that their nutrition information is pretty darned accurate!

Voice your Opinion!

2012-03-10T08:31:00.000-05:00

I'm looking for your input!

Yep! I wanna hear about what you would like to see on Sugar Free Candyland Blog!

Last year, I did "Freebie Fridays" and "Featured T1-ers" every week.

I'm asking you...

Do you want me to start doing those again? Did you enjoy those posts? Those giveaways? Or do you have another fabulous idea you'd like to share?

Be sure to vote on the poll to the right to tell me what you think! Then, based on the poll here, and on the Sugar Free Candyland Facebook Page, I will reintroduce whatever you want!

If you have another fantastic idea to share with me, that you would like me to start doing on the blog, feel free to email me with it! My email address is: T1DTeamLenny@gmail.com

So, what are you waiting for?

Go vote!

Carb Counting with Lenny!

2012-03-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to do a search on the Android Market from my tablet using just the word "diabetes" while the kids were in school.

Of course, I got a slew of apps appear... but only one got me excited!

Meet Lenny the Lion..the Lion with Diabetes.

Lenny has some really cool apps, available for Android, IPhone, and IPad users!

This app teaches children about carbs, carb counting, and meal preperations. It is chock full of knowledge kids with diabetes, learning how to manage their disease, need to know... and best of all, it makes it fun!!

Medtronic, makers of CGM's, insulin pumps, and many other diabetic supplies, is the founder of this fun little character, Lenny the Lion. And, what an awesome job they have done, if I must say!

Check out this video below about the app, Counting Carbs with Lenny...

The app includes a Food Guide, teaching kids approximately how many carbs are in any said variety of foods. It also has some fun games for them to play, that are not only fun, but will also teach them what has carbs and what doesn't, comparing carbs (telling which one has more), Guess the Carbs, and Build a Meal.

The "Carb or No Carb?" game shows a realistic picture of a food, and asks if the food has carbs or no carbs. Your child must also try to figure it out within 6 seconds, or it will make this fun BOING! sound, then display the correct answer.

In the Build a Meal game, your child is given a "Target Carb" goal, and a list of food pictures to choose from. The object is to try to select food choices for a meal, that will hit your carb count target. The closer you are, the higher your score will be!

There are 2 other games as well, "Compare the Carbs!" and "Guess the Carbs!", but, I won't spoil the surprise! Go check it out for yourself! Download the app to your tablet or mobile phone, and check it out!

Also, go to www.lenny-diabetes.com to check out more fun stuff for your kids!

Interesting New Devices in the World of Diabetes Management

2012-03-07T08:05:00.000-05:00

While surfing around on Facebook, I came across an interesting article that a friend of mine posted, about a new device under development for those living with diabetes.

The device is called Easy Check. It has been developed by the company, PositiveID Corporation, whom is also partnering with two leading diabetes research organizations, the DRI at the University of Miami, and the Schneider Children's Medical Center of Isreal.

Easy Check is a device that will determine what a diabetic's blood glucose level is based on the amount of acetone detected in the person's breath.

Yep! You heard right! In the person's breath! That means no more pricking fingers a dozen times a day!!

Basically, the person will breathe into a machine, the breath enters the machine and the acetone in the person's breath mixes with a proprietary chemical compound, which will start a chemical reaction. The reaction is then measured, and software inside the device will be able to, in a nut-shell, tell you what the person's blood sugar level is, based on his/her levels of acetone.

When I first read about this, I'll admit, I immediately brushed it off thinking that it would never work out. But, since I've had some time to think, I will say this...

While I still have my questions regarding how accurate this development could be, compared to using a blood glucometer to check my Little Man's bg's... I must also give credit where credit is due(the scientists are smarter than me!), and keep in mind that this isn't on the market yet and can still take a few years yet to get past it's clinical trials and become FDA approved. That means, there's still time for the wonderful researchers to hash out all the "bugs" and make this baby just as accurate as our beloved glucometers today!

After this "light bulb" came on, so to speak... curiosity got the best of me.

I decided to go to the PositiveID Corporation website, and do a little browsing.

I came across three Press Releases about the Easy Check. You can read them here, here and here.

And, of course, after reading all of that... curiosity almost killed this cat... it lead me to reading other press releases I came across on the PositiveID website.

I was quite impressed with one in particular!

Appearently, PositiveID has received certification from one of the largest wireless providers based in the U.S., AT&T!

What does this mean?? Well...

PositiveID has developed a device, called iglucose system, designed to send blood glucose readings and wirelessly send the readings to family, caregivers, and health care professionals by a text message, email, or fax...or even by the device's own management portal!

Now, how COOL is that?!

Often times, I hear of many parents and kids with diabetes, communicating with each other via text messages, while the kids are in school, at sleepovers, out with friends, etc. This would ultimately be the same thing, but, by the sounds of it, it does it almost instantaneously upon taking the blood sugar reading!

Best of all... it's already been cleared by the FDA and has passed the FCC requirements to sell the device in the U.S! Also, as quoted from one of their press releases...

The iglucose system is compatible with market-leading glucometers such as Johnson & Johnson LifeScan®, Nipro Diagnostic™ True™, Abbott Freestyle®, and Bayer Breeze® and Contour® meters.

However, I also noticed, while checking out their website, that it seems they are also making an iglucose glucometer to go with the device as well!

While I don't believe it has hit the market as of yet (based on checking out the webpage dedicated to the iglucose), I think it is safe to say, it will soon!

It also appears as if they are coming up with it's own glucometer as well.

Feel free to read the press releases about the iglucose system, the most recent ones being here dated Jan 9,2012, and here dated Jan 30, 2012.

Leap Year

2012-03-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you all were smarter than me this Leap Year!

Yesterday morning, as I was hustling and bustling to get the kids up and ready for school, downloading pump info onto our Diasend portal page, and all the other craziness that goes on first thing in the morning on a Monday morning..... I had a minor melt-down!

After Little Man's pump information completed its downlaod and I logged onto Diasend to take a peek at the trends and determine if any adjustments need to be made, I noticed something very odd.

It was showing the wrong date for the last 5 days!!

How in the world did this happen? Is our pump going bad? Surely it isn't, since we j-u-s-t got this new one sent to us a few weeks ago! What in the world is going on??

All questions and comments that ran through my mind.

Then. It hit me.

Leap Year!

The once every 4 year event where February has 29 days instead of 28.

The pump only reads February as having 28 days, apparently!

(good to know.... now!) LOL!

So, yes. I hope you were all much smarter than me this Leap Year, and remembered to change those dates on your pumps and meters!

If you weren't so lucky....then at least I don't feel so alone!

Go change those bad boys now before you forget! HEHE!

(Then, don't forget to change the time this Saturday... for Daylights Savings Time!)

Prayers Needed for a fellow D-Mom and her family

2012-03-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

http://www.ourdiabeticlife.com/2012/02/cancer.html?spref=fb

Some of you may know. Some may not.

A truly inspirational woman across the Diabetes Online Community, Meri Schuhmacher, author of the blog Our Diabetic Life; fellow d-mom with 4 boys, 3 of which with Type 1 Diabetes, is in need of prayer.

Her husband, Ryan, was recently diagnosed with Metastasized Melanoma, a very serious form of cancer.

He has battled cancer in the past, and was believed to have won that fight. It is back... with a vengeance.

His doctor has found 6 brain tumors, and multiple tumors in his lungs and abdomen.

Ryan, Meri, and their family are now embarking on a long journey. One consisting of radiation, medications that have recently been approved by the FDA, a roller coaster ride on their emotions, and more than I can even fathom trying to cope with.

This family needs our prayer and support!

The news of this has exploded throughout the DOC (Diabetes Online Community) on Facebook.

Why?

Because Meri has been such a wonderful woman, helping, encouraging, educating, and supporting others living the life of a D-Mom. She has become a wonderful friend to so many, that this news sincerely saddens everyone who she has touched over the years. Other, fellow D-Mom's, have created a Facebook Page for her and her family, to show support. You can find the facebook page here and follow it to stay updated on how things are going for her husband and family. More friends of hers have also created a fundraiser page in her family's honor, to help raise money for her and her family to pay for anything their insurance may not pay for, or help with any other financial difficulties they may come across during this devastating journey.

You can find the fundraiser page below.

Medical Fundaising Made Simple

Please pray!

Show Support!

Give if you can!

The Schuhmacher family is asking for one thing only.

Prayer.

Please pray for this family.

Let's show the world, what the power of Prayer can accomplish.

Sunday Funnies

2012-03-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, the content of this video isn't really "funny"... I just found it semi-funny, and somewhat interesting how this doctor decided to explain diabetes in song-form... to make it a little more interesting to those without diabetes to know more about it, maybe?

Only thing I wish it included was, the symptoms to watch for!

Otherwise, great, interesting, educational video in my opinion!

What do you think?

Interview with Jean Roemer, MN., MSN., CRNP., CDE.

2012-03-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to do this for a long time, but was always too nervous to ask!

First, let me start by saying, we have been seeing Jean Roemer, MN., MSN., CRPN, CDE. every 3 months, pretty much since Little Man's diagnosis almost 3 1/2 years ago! We have always walked out of the room, after seeing her, feeling inspired, motivated, and geared with very helpful information on how to better manage, care for, and advocate for Little Man.

About a year ago, Jean told me about a journey she is embracing, to help other's in need. Ever since that day, I have wanted to ask her if I could interview her for all my wonderful blog readers... but have been too nervous to ask!

(Ask and you shall receive!)

I finally got the courage up to ask her! So today, I am pleased to introduce you all to Jean Roemer, MN., MSN., CRNP., CDE.!

Welcome Dr. Roemer, and thank you for allowing me to interview you!
Hello…. First of all, I must say that I am not a Dr… I am a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and also a Certified Diabetes Educator. I have 2 Master’s degrees, one in Child Development/Nursing Care of Children and one in Health Promotion and Development.

My apologies, Jean. (My family has referred to you as a doctor for so long, it became habit! LOL!)

Jean, I understand that you have Type 1 Diabetes also! How long have you lived with diabetes?
44 years -- and still have a box of the old equipment I used to use to prove it! (Such as a glass syringe and stainless steel needle that I boiled on the stove every morning to sterilize ).

As a person with Type 1, what would you say is the most difficult part about living with this disease?
I think everyone would answer this differently, as some would say the diet, others the “shots”, others the planning, etc. For me, I think the hardest has been the guilt that I might be hurting myself when I stray, and/or the unpredictability of all the variables that you cannot account for (such as hormones, lingering effect of exercise, absorption of insulin, stress etc.)

As I'm sure you already know, sometimes parents of, and children with diabetes have days where they feel depressed, usually when their blood sugars aren't where we strive them to be. What kind of inspiration would you suggest they seek? Any particular books, etc?
Having a down moment or a blue day is one thing, but if children with diabetes are often depressed, angry, or acting out, they might benefit from an evaluation and regular counseling for a short period of time. Sometimes they benefit from help adjusting to feelings of being “different” and finding ways to minimize those feelings and extra support.
Otherwise, most children and teens benefit from the endorphins of exercise, as exercise is a great antidepressant, including team sports. Personally, I firmly believe in the power of prayer, and can say that my faith has gotten me through many rough spots and my inspiration has been the Bible. Of course there are encouraging and educational books for kids with diabetes from ADA, and others. That given, my favorite books are my own!

What inspired you to become a Certified Diabetes Educator and Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner? Why did you choose this profession over all others?
I have worked in the field of diabetology and endocrinology for 35 years. When doing my graduate work, I was interested to see what was going on in pediatric diabetes and while there, a job opened up. I took it, and the rest, as they say, is history! I have a heart for the work, and eventually became the national president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. That experience plunged me into academics, writing, and research.

I understand that you have teamed up with the Pittsburgh Presbytery and contacts in Malawi to help families living with Type 1 Diabetes receive much needed diabetic supplies. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
This is a humanitarian effort that has gone on for about 8 or 9 years now. I have worked with various efforts to get supplies there. The Presbytery has a partnership with churches in Malawi, mostly in a region known as Blantyre, and as a result there are folks coming and going several times a year who carry items to one of their main hospitals. I also have also worked through a particular UPMC physician, in the Department of Under-served Medicine who travels frequently to Lilongwe, in northern Malawi who takes supplies with her. I am told that the staff in these hospitals are exceedingly grateful to have the supplies as their Emergency Rooms and units do not have meters and lab tests are few and far between, so diagnosis is difficult. People mail or hand me donations, and I and sometimes others sort, count, and repackage them (discarding boxes and containers that take room in a suitcase), and pack into a suitcase to go with a traveler. I have not taken the opportunity to go there myself. My work has always been on this end.

Other than unused/unopened insulin, test strips, lancets, etc... do you also accept excess pump supplies for your donations?
What is extremely needed right now is test strips, of any kind (including urine test strips). I am generally able to match any unexpired strips to a new meter. I cannot send used meters due to blood born virus precautions. I cannot send anything expired. This is a 3rd world country and they do not have the blessing of pumps, so we cannot use pump supplies. You might check out Ipump.com for pump donations although as of today, their website is down.
Donations can be mailed to: Malawi Effort c/o Jean Roemer
7065 Highland Creek Dr.
Bridgeville, PA 15017
Monetary Donations to help offset luggage/air fees and postage are gratefully accepted and can be made to:
Bethany Presbyterian Church - noted for Malawi Diabetes fund and mailed to Jean Roemer at above address.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Just to say that keeping blood sugars in line is the most important thing you can do. It takes discipline, organization, commitment, communication and relentless effort. Yet, if you can succeed, it is your best chance for delaying or preventing possible problems that can occur in years to come. Don’t give up and don‘t “settle“ for less than the best!

Thank you again, Jean, for allowing me to interview you for all my blog readers!

At this time, I would like to encourage you all to go visit Jean's website (CLICK HERE), check out all the wonderful books that she writes (wonderful books, I might add! We have some here that we like to read to Little Man!), and be sure to read more about the efforts to help people in Malawi

It's a Scentsy Fundraiser!!!

2012-03-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Fundraisers are always fun, aren't they?! I know I always have fun when I host a fundraiser!

This month, I called my good friend Carrie Cook, who recently started a Scentsy business, and asked her if I could host a Scentsy Fundraiser with her!

Of course, she said yes =)

She has been kind enough to donate 15% of every Scentsy order to Team Lenny's Fundraiser Page! You rock, Carrie!

If you have never heard of Scentsy... then you have got to head over to her website and check out all the awesome products they offer!

They have some beautiful electric warmers and wonderful wax brick scents that will fill your room with sweetness! Their wax bricks come in many colors and fragrances! My personal favorite is the Black Raspberry Vanilla. MMMM Love it!

For those of you with pets or small children... keep in mind that Scentsy's electric warmers are much safer to have than candles... there is no flame! No wick! So no worries of anyone accidentally catching something on fire! That's one thing I love the most about Scentsy products!

Now, this fundraiser is only available between today and March 31, 2012! Remember, 15% of all orders placed on our Team Lenny Scentsy Fundraiser through Carrie's site will go toward helping to raise money for a CURE for diabetes! Our kids need a cure... and why not make your house smell wonderful while helping to get our kids one step closer to that cure?!

To visit Carrie's Scentsy website and place an order with our Fundraiser/Party page, CLICK HERE. Don't forget to "Like" her Facebook Fan Page and stay updated on all the great new products and promotions!

Thank you all in advance for any orders you place. Every little bit helps our wonderful cause! If you have any questions at all, please feel free to Like Carrie's Facebook Fan Page and post them on there, and she will be sure to answer all of your questions!

Write HOPE On Your Hand For Diabetes Day!

2012-03-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Across Facebook, in the Diabetes Community, March 1st has been donned the "Write *HOPE* on your Hand for Diabetes Day!

We participated in this event last year, and have every intentions of doing so again this year.

We are asking you, our wonderful readers, to do the same!

It's a simple act to show your support for those living with diabetes to those around you!

Little Man is going to school today with "HOPE" written on his hand, and I will have it on my hand all day as well.

Will you?

Let's all participate in this, and continue to HOPE for a cure!!