Type 1 Diabetes 365

Heroes of Type 1

2016-05-29T15:42:00.003-07:00

I am so excited that after a lot of time, effort and energy...

The Heroes of Type 1 Book is almost finished! It has been sent off to the printer and is in the final stages!

Release Date will be in August.

I know this will be an inspiring book fo rall!
I cannot wait for the things to come. I know this book with help educate and advocate, inspire and share the truth behind Type 1 diabetes.
Please spread the word, order a book for yourself or as a gift. They are on a preorder sale right now ($5 off release price)

Heroes of Type 1
A Type 1 Diabetes Portrait series

Heroes of Type 1 is a compilation of
Type 1 diabetics from ages 1 to 73.
From a small baby, baseball player, doctor, hiker, dancer,
student, teacher, hockey player and many more!
Over 100 pages of Full color images!
Prepare to be inspired!
♥

Pre-order price - $19.95 + tax and S&H
Regular price - $24.95

Check out the new website as well wit h new blog posts and updates!

http://heroesoftype1.com/

JDRF

2016-03-28T23:11:00.003-07:00

Since Craigs Diagnosis we have really stuck with JDRF as a way of coping with it all. Helping, advocating and educating really helps us get through it all.

This year we did a coin drive at Madis school. The amazing school full of awesome students brought in over $900 in coins!! I couldnt believe it!!

Today we went to my older boys school. Craig spoke at teh assembly along with Nick Boynton. I met him through my Heroes of Type 1 project and hes super nice. He and Craig did such a great job at the assembly and it was great to hear their different perspectives and stories. Next week we have a Dodgetball tournament at the school, a dress down day as well as a school walk on friday!

Im thankful for the opportunity we have to help out JDRF and that my kids enjoy it and are not shy about advocating!!

Craig, Madi and Nick Boynton

LOVE this one!! SHow off those pumps!

The school principal and our friend Mr. McComb!

Being a mom... of 2 diabetics

2016-02-27T10:36:00.003-08:00

As moms, we do our best to care for our children. Many things we do go unseen, but I get it. I understand. I see you!!

Most days we just dont even think of all we can accomplish because we are just living life.. doing what we have to in order to keep it all together.

I have moments when I stop and think of this crazy life.

Living with 2 diabetics who need constant care and 2 other children who I worry get a lack of attention because of the necessity of attention to our diabetic kiddos.

Many late nights, worry, glucose checks, running up and down those stairs to get a juice box for one child, then checking the other and needing to go back down stairs to get insulin for a quick shot to fix a high, waiting 15 minutes for the one child who is low to get high enough to have a protein, then going back down to grab a Danimals, all at 2 am, lack of sleep, exhaustion and then what?

We get up in the morning, start a new day and move on.

Theres no talk about that rough night.. Just the sight of dark circles under my eyes, tired body and crazy hair lol. Who even has time to do their hair? Just throw it in a top bun and get on with it!

But I need you D moms to know that I get it. I know you're tired. I know you worry and I know the weight that you have on your shoulders.

Your kids may not see all you do, because they are half asleep.
Your spouse may not see it all because hes sleeping too (or at work in our case).
Your friends may not see it, or understand why you rarely see them. Why you have little time because you are running from school to school to drop off snacks, juice boxes and even insulin because your teenager forgot to fill his cartridge in the morning, running to the pharmacy to get insulin and supplies, fighting on the phone to get the supplies you need for your child to stay alive because the insurance just doesn't want to pay for 2 D kids, going to schools to teach new coaches, and teachers about your child's type 1 so they can be safe at practice. The advocating, fundraising, planning and serving you do. Your friends may not understand that you still need a friend, even if your life is busy and your kids have so many needs.

You may even feel like you've lost friends.

But I need you to know you are appreciated. You are needed. You are a freaking amazing D mom!

You rock those late nights and you work so hard to keep your child alive. Not only that but you do SO much, so that THEY can enjoy the little things that many kids don't have to think twice about. You are not alone in this.

So keep going. Don't give up and don't forget that you are strong, just like your D kids.
We focus a lot on the strength of our children, but remember, you are holding that strong kid up, helping them to build their strength so they can be independent.

I am so thankful for other D moms who have given care, support and advice. Its a great circle to be in!!

SO in the end, rock that messy hair and dark circles under your eyes! and remember that you are full of strength and love. Give your kids an extra hug today and just enjoy that moment. Then grab that meter and give them a lecture for not checking all day at school lol!!

whats new?

2016-01-18T19:01:00.002-08:00

Oh the past 6 months have been insane! I was in school full time, working full time, and trying my best to be a good mother, wife and friend.. It was rough!!
I finished my classes with all A's (yay!!) and now Im taking it easy!
Im only taking 1 class and Im working on my book.
My Heroes of type 1 project has become something bigger than I ever imagined. I though about how great it would be for a newly diagnosed T1 to see all of these T1 heroes.. So Im putting them all in a book!
Exciting news? YES! I am so excited!
I have a few people on my schedule to meet and photograph in the next few weeks. Max Domi (He is freaking awesome!! seriously and does so much for T1s), Nick Boynton, Cory Vaughn and many more! I cannot wait t see them all in a book. It will be an inspiring book for anyone!
One thing I realized in doing this photography project is that each person I have photographed shows so much strength and personality. T1 is a difficult disease and these brave spirits are dealing with it with such humility and courage!

Putting this book together is an expensive feat and to help with publishing costs, Ive designed some T1 T shirts!! You can order here:
http://heroesoftype1.bigcartel.com/

Ive also started a facebook page for the book.. go check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/Heroes-of-Type-1-1666905883594202/?ref=bookmarks

And tomorrow marks Craigs 4th diaversary.. I almost cant believe weve been fighting this disease for 4 years now!

Mom gives voice to diabetic kids through unique photos

2015-12-08T20:46:00.001-08:00

November..

2015-11-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

As we know diabetes is a daily thing. Each day is different and there is never a "normal" day. Having 2 diabetics, here is how my evenings so.. But here is a "normal" night in our house. I thought about it tonight so I took pictures and I'd share... I am usually up late editing or doing homework, when I go to bed I'll check the kids. I went in to check Madis glucose and she was 60.. So I had to go get her a juice, wake her up, get her to drink it, then wait 15 minutes to recheck... After that I rechecked her (which took some wrestling a half awake child) her blood sugar had only gone up 4 points! That means she must have been dropping quick! So I gave her another juice... While I waited, I went in to check Craig: 201. Great! Ok he's good for the night, now back to Madi.. Recheck again (that means another finger poke, 3rd one in the past 30 minutes). Now it's 79.. So now she needs a carb protien to keep her levels good until morning. Gogurt does the trick, she sucks it down half awake with her eyes closed. Finally she can go back to sleep.. And so can I. So if you see Craig or Madi and they look pretty tired, now you know why:) this is real life, life with type 1 diabetes.

a quick before I go to bed check and she was low so I ran to grab her a juice. She drinks it with her eyes closed, half awake and drinks it quick..

she rests while I wait 15 minutes to re check if her blood sugar came up to a safe number.

15 minutes later and she only went up 4 points! That means she must have been dropping fast! Im so glad I did a check before I went to bed. Well, since the juice wasnt doing the trick, she had another juice and I waited another 15 minutes.

While I waited, I went in to check Craig. Yay! A great sleeping number, ok he's good, now back to Madi...

Finally an ok number..now she needs a carb protein snack to get her safely to morning. Gogurt does the trick.

She eats is like its a reflex, eyes closed and can finally go back to sleep..

The after math..Ill clean it in the morning, Im tired! I finally went to bed around 1 am

Madi woke up this morning at a blood glucose of 74!

no more pump..

2015-09-16T08:33:00.001-07:00

modern technology is a great thing... but right now, we need a break.

Madi has so many sores on her small body from pump sites and she has apparently developed an allergic reaction to the Dexcom sites. She gets a terrible rash underneath. When we take the site off, she has what looks like a bad burn. We tried a new site and after just 2 days we took it off and will not use any more until she heals completely.
Another reason we are taking a break from teh pump is becaue of to many highs... The not knowing if she is gettign insulin, if there is a kink or if she is just high for some other reason.
At least with the injections, we know she got the insulin. Theres no question if the cannula is kinked or the site is bad.
We have already seen an improvement in her numbers!
Shots are no fun and with injections she has to get 8-9 shots a day.
Also with no Dexcom, Im getting up at 2 am to check both kids to make sure their numbers are good. Especially since they are both so active and we are on the Lantus, we need to see how their body reacts in the evening for a bit.

I a sure after a while she will be ready to go back on the pump, but for now we are going back to the beginning...

why did I even get diabetes?

2015-08-23T19:45:00.001-07:00

tonights events went like this:
Madis blood sugar was 450... she broke down and cried..shes been fighting highs all day.. after a site change she ended up with the 450.
"Please mom, pray for a cure because I never wanted diabetes..why did Heavenly Father even give it to me? I dont want it!"
Tears flowing and sad eyes looking.. what is a mom to say?
Days like today are super hard.. and break my heart. All I could tell her is that she is very brave and strong and that Heavenly Father will help her with this trial. When we talk about T1, advocate for it, fund research and educate people about T1 diabetes, this is why... this face right here

sports.....and diabetes

2015-08-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

High School Conditioning = very late nights for this mom!
but the most important thing we decided early on is that we would not let Type 1 stop our kids from living the life they want to live!
They can do anything anyone else can!

So Craig started Baseball this week which included several days of physical conditioning. Although he drank Gatorade throughout the practice and did not wear his pump the whole time, he still dropped around 11 pm each night.

Here are some tips we try to use to keep this from happening..
He drinks Gatorade throughout to give him extra carbs. He also drinks water to keep hydrated and keep from highs due to the 110 degree weather!
He should be eating protein throughout the practice as well. That would help with the after practice blood sugar crash that we experienced this week.
Although I tell him this, he is a teenager and well, who has time to eat when the whole team is conditioning?
I get it, he doesnt want to be sitting out or eating when everyone else is running or doing whatever, but when you have diabetes, sometimes you have to!

BUT, when he doesnt do these things, it causes me to get up several times in the night to fix his lows and make sure he doesnt crash too low! So after chocolate milk because he was 79..an hour later he was 89... so then he had a sandwich. I checked him again 2 hours later and he was in the high 100s so he was good till morning. It sure makes for a long night (especially because Madi was fighting highs of over 500!)

SO here are some tips to help your athlete get through practice and regulate those later nigh crashes:

During the practice, consume extra carbs like gatorade, protein drinks ect.
Eat things like jerky, trail mix, protein bars, granola or favorite snacks to help sustain those good numbers rather than crashing right after practice.
Craig doesnt wear his pump during sports because he has lows..some people experience highs so they keep it on..thats up to you and how your body works.
After practice, make sure you have a good amount of protein and carbs so that when your body wants to crash, you have those carbs backing you up!
If you wear a pump allow a temp basal. Craig often uses a negative 20 or 30% basal. That means he is getting about 30% less basal for about 4 hours. It helps to reduce those lows.
and very importantly, make sure coaches know your childs needs and that they need to eat and drink during practice!

Good luck! Its a crazy disease that takes a lot of different aspects of detail especially with active kiddos!

JDRF

2015-07-09T11:34:00.001-07:00

This year we decided to tie Dye our JDRF shirts and it was a lot of fun and turned out so cool!! What a fun summer activity!!

Personal Essay

2015-07-07T08:54:00.003-07:00

Well Im in college and right now Im taking my last English Class. I had to write a personal essay about a personal experience that changed my life in some way. This is the first time I have written about Type 1 in any of my classes. I wanted to take the opportunity to write at least one paper on this crazy disease.. So I figured I would share it here on our blog.. enjoy!

Find The Blessings Through The Trials

As I sat outside the room looking at her through the glass windows, my heart broke for her future. She was sitting in the hospital playroom smiling and talking with her dad, her mind was distracted from the new life she would have; a life of shots, pain, worry and the constant obstacles that come with this new diagnosis. All I could think was, “Why? Why my little girl? How will we do this? She is so young.” The tears would not stop falling from my eyes. I had a small idea of what she would go through. We had received the same devastating news just a few months ago for our oldest son.

Just 3 months earlier, my son was not feeling well. He was constantly tired and very thirsty. I knew something was wrong. After what I thought would be a quick doctor’s appointment, we found out he had type 1 diabetes. I was in complete shock. He was healthy, played baseball daily and was thin and very active. How could he have diabetes? How is this even possible? What I soon came to learn is that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Anyone at any age could get it and there is nothing you can do to avoid getting it. I remember while in the hospital with my son I was completely heartbroken for him. As I struggled to understand and learn more about the disease, I asked the doctor, “What are the chances any of our other children will get this?” My heart became at ease when I heard, “There’s only a 3% chance of his siblings getting type 1 diabetes.”

For the next few months we learned how to deal with this new diagnosis for my son. We soon found out that it was a tedious, constant, unrelenting disease that would never go away. I watched him suffer through more than 6 shots, 8 finger pricks, emotional ups and downs, pain, sadness, and hardship every single day. There wasn’t a day that he could take a break from the disease. As a mother it was painful to watch him struggle and know there was nothing I could do to take this disease away; nothing I could do to alleviate the pain he was going through. I would find myself in tears late into the night, worrying about a diabetic seizure, or other complications with the disease. After a few months, I finally felt like, “Okay, we can do this, it’s going to be really hard, but we can help him have a fulfilling life despite this disease.” I felt like I had come to terms with the diagnosis; then another blow to my heart-my 4 year old daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

This new diagnosis was devastating. I watched her cry and had to hold her down for the doctors to give her shots, knowing that she needed to get the insulin to live. She would look into my eyes with an expression of fear and sadness. I had to tell her, “It’s ok, it won’t hurt too much.” I felt like I was lying to her. She would have to go through this pain every single day just to stay alive. The next 2 days were filled with diabetes education, shots, finger pricks, and trying as hard as I could to help her understand that all of this pain was necessary; something that is really hard for a 4 year old to understand. After the second day, I decided we needed a break and we would go to the hospital’s playroom. My husband had just shown up and we walked down the long hospital halls and down the elevator towards the playroom. When we got there I said, “I’m going to sit out here for a few minutes.” My husband and daughter continued to the playroom.

There I was, looking at her sweet little face, an innocent, carefree young girl but that carefree life was going to be filled with difficulty and pain that no child should have to endure. I sat there caught in pity for her life, sadness for her pain, and worry for her future. After about an hour we decided to head back to her hospital room. We walked into the elevator. After going up one floor another child entered the elevator. This sweet little girl was in a wheelchair and had an IV in her arm. A nurse was accompanying her to a different floor. I looked over at my daughter and she was hopping around, smiling and then did a ballerina twirl. She looked so carefree and happy to be active and unplugged from her IV. Right then it hit me, “She is going to be just fine. We can do this! She will go through the daily struggles, but she will still be able to run, play and live her life!” At that moment I knew that I had to stop feeling sorry for her and help strengthen her.

In the following weeks I helped her become independent in checking her blood glucose. She was so excited to be able to finally do it by herself. She felt accomplished, brave and strong. We decided to do something for the children still in the hospital. We gathered gift bags filled with toys, books, and crayons to deliver to the hospital for the children who were still there. My daughter and I delivered over 50 gift bags to the children’s hospital for those children who were not able to leave. I thought back to just a few weeks before when I was caught in my own sadness. It had distracted me from the reality that I was truly blessed in many ways. I was reminded of that little girl in the wheelchair in the hospital elevator. Although that little girl didn’t know it, she had helped me. That moment in the elevator helped me out of my pity slump, find gratitude for the blessings in my life and seek out ways to serve others. Sometimes in life things can seem unbearable until you realize the blessing sitting right in front of you.

another Diaversary....

2015-05-08T20:07:00.001-07:00

this girl... on her 3rd Diaversary... 3 years ago we were rushing to Phoenix Children's hospital with the devastating diagnosis of type 1 Diabetes... I cried for days.. every time I looked at her I felt that we had lost her innocent and carefree childhood... It was now filled with carb counting, insulin shots, finger pricks, night time checks and many worries.. Since her diagnosis she has had over 7665 finger pricks.. and over 6500 shots of insulin..
She has fought Type 1 diabetes for 3 years now... Every single day... She is brave and so very strong..
Please read these warning signs of type 1..they are so hard to catch because they can be looked at as normal, or a growing child..
Increased Thirst, frequent urination, weakness or tired a lot, irritable, hungry all the time, lethargy.
We took Madi to the pediatrician thinking maybe she had a UTI.. even though her brother was diagnosed just 3 months prior, I had NO thoughts that she too could be Type 1 diabetic.. even though she showed the same signs..
Thank you everyone who has cared for, prayed for and watched after my Madi...

This girl.... she is brave, tough, smart, wild, fun, sweet, sassy and she is so strong!

She fights though each day with faith..

Today was a rough one... she woke up at about 300 so we did a site change.

By 9 am she was 500. I dosed her and hoped it was a breakfast spike since we had just

changed her pump site.

Well by 11 am she was HI...

So we did another site change at school.. She felt miserable and couldnt eat lunch because

she was so high.

I ended up taking her home at 11:30... By 2 she was 350 which is still high but not 600 so i thought she was coming down.. by 4 she was above 600 again.. Terrible!! I dosed her with a syringe and changed her insulin fro her pump.. Im not sure if maybe the pump isnt working or what!!! Here we are at 7 pm and she is 379... Luckily no ketones but I hate having her so high and for soem reason

we cant get her lower!! It was a rough

terrible day for her but she is still smiling at the end of the

day.

Questions for Madi on her 3rd Diaversary....

What do you want people to know about Type 1 diabetes?

M: If I even touch you, you;re still my friend and you will not get diabetes if I touch you.

What is Type 1 diabetes?

M: Type 1 diabetes is like, a sickness but you always have it.

Why is it hard?

M: Because when you;re really really high you cant eat stuff you want to. So then you have to wait and change your site and do really hard stuff. Then when you;re lower, you can eat anything you want to.

What is the hardest part?

M: When yo have it get shots and insulin because new sites hurt. Its hard because you don't get to eat when everyone else gets to.

What do you want to say to people who have helped you?

M: Thank you for helping me change my sites, dosing me for lunch, and thank you for taking care of me. I know you care about me.

Why do you have to be brave?

M: So you can get everything done, because if you don't, you will die.

JDRF walk 2015

2015-04-13T15:13:00.001-07:00

JDRF walk 2015

This year we had a great time at the walk! Our theme was "stronger then Type 1"

We used Craig s quote "It's a constant struggle but yo have to stay strong"

The great thing about the walks is that all of the type 1-ers dont feel alone. You get to see all of the different teams and meet new people and realize that your crazy life of fighting this disease isnt that rare. Thank you everyone who donated and walked with us!

The next day my sister did the walk in Montana! They ordered shirts from us and got a team together and walked in honor of Craig and madi! It was so awesome to see!!

For our fundraising we did a coin drive at Madis School that raised over $400.

We also did a dodge ball tournament at another school where Landon goes. We did an assembly first and then they fundraised for a week adn we finished it off with a fun dodge-ball tournament.! That raised $550!!

Landon!

The winning team!

Find the joy............

2015-02-21T23:01:00.004-08:00

Im not sure I can begin to tell you the magnitude of the lameness that my week has been but Ill try!

First off let me say that I have 4 kids; 2 that have Type 1 diabetes, I am working and going to college to get my degree and trying to keep our house together (somewhat).

I have homework to do, my kids need rides from here to there;scouts, sports, playdates, school, and who knows what else, laundry to be done, house to be cleaned, my yard is covered in weeds and I got a letter from our HOA this week, I need to go grocery shopping, get medical supplies, and sometime in there I really need to try to get some kind of rest.

So my day to day activities/trials are constant chaos. I love my life and all but sometimes it’s a bit much. Im feeling emotionally, spiritually and mentally weak. Besides all the chaos of life with 4 amazing kids, this week has been especially trying…..

Craigs CGM stopped working. Well this might not be a huge deal except he just started HS baseball and he has practice until 7 pm. I really depend on that CGM to warn me when his blood sugars get dangerously low at night. Now you could say “just do a temp basal, have him eat before bed.” Well yes, that’s a great idea and we do that, we lowered his night time basal too but the problem is that he will still drop around 1am unexpectedly after baseball. Maybe 2 nights a week this happens! So without our friend Dex, Im doing several night checks.

When he has a great night, then Madi has a terrible night! One night this week, her CGM kept telling me to calibrate it, but her Bs was too high for it to accept it…. So it kept going off at night. I finally got her Bs low enough to calibrate and then the alarm kept going off said she was “high”… Well yes, I know she is high, she is coming down from 400! Then at about 4am the Dex went off again!! I rolled over and ignored it until about 20 minutes later when it went off again and I looked at it. It said “Under 55”.. CRAP! I ran downstairs to get her juice and woke her up to drink it. I brought her in my room to sleep in my bed at that point. I don’t think I slept at all that night, then my alarm went off at 5 am to get up for work. I got out of bed and just cried! I made it through the day and well, I survived! We all did!

Thrusday I was so excited to get off work because I knew that in less than 24 hours I’d be on my way to see my family in Washington, including my sister and new nephew!! This is a trip I have looked forward to for months! Yay!! A mommy trip. A break from life, chaos, work, school and everything. Well as I left work I turned right, then remembered Craig needed some new jeans before I went out of town. So I veered left and it was a right turn only. Well of COURSE there would be an officer watching! SO I get pulled over, can’t find my registration or insurance. Seriously?!! Is this really happening?!

Then its Friday, yay!! Up early to get to my flight. I actually got there 3 hours early. I sat at my gate and the time came to get on the plane but I noticed the destination was NOT where I was going.. I looked at my ticket booklet and the bag person wrote what looked like a C-8. Yes, gate C8 right?? I looked at my ticket and it was C18!! C18!!! I ran to the right gate and they left me.. My plane left me! I missed my flight..

Tears streamed down my face, I was devastated! Why is this happening?! I just want a weekend where I can see my family, feel at peace, enjoy some sleep, and rejuvenate my spirit!

Well I finally was able to get a new flight that left later and although I was sad I would have wasted a day at the airport instead of being with my family, at least I got a new flight!

Now this all sounds a little stressful (understatement much?) but let me tell you the tender mercies of the Lord in my life.

This whole week our school has been doing a coin Drive for Madi and Craig’s walk team for JDRF. It has been so sweet to see all of those coins coming in! In the cafeteria a girl told me someone in her class brought in $30! I said “that’s so awesome, I bet your class will win that pizza party” She looked at me and said, “I don’t care about pizza, I care about a cure.” Sweetest thing I heard! Especially after being up all night fighting this disease! Heck ya, I want a cure too!

That officer that pulled me over asked for my registration, license and insurance. Well as I said I couldn’t find my registration or an updated insurance card. He was so nice and didn’t give me a ticket for anything I have to pay for. He gave me the no insurance ticket but all I have to do is take it to the courthouse and show my insurance card because of course I have insurance!!

And today I missed my flight and was completely devastated but then I got a text from the school nurse saying Madis blood sugar was HI. That means over 600. Poor Madi!! I wanted to be there so bad to help and hug my sweet girl! Well I wasn’t there, I was sitting at the airport. Her school nurse is amazing and I told her I could walk her through doing a site change IF she was comfortable with it.

She said ok and put me on speaker phone. I walked her through it and she did awesome! An hour later (yes, Im still sitting at the airport!) she text me that the site change worked and Madis blood sugar was coming down and was 280 now! From 600! So what? Well had I been on that first flight (the one I missed) I would have been unavailable to receive calls, would have not known about Madis 600 bs and would not have been able to walk her school nurse through that site change to help her feel better. She could have gotten really sick, really fast!

I received kind texts from friends and this was one of them

“You’re the farthest thing from a hot mess! You’ve got so much on your plate (just that I can see! I’m sure you deal with private trials like we all do as well) and you smile and put your head down and move forward all the time. I Appreciate YOU! You’re a beautiful example to me. I wish we all had mirrors that showed us our true selves once in a while. Well, the selves that are strong and capable and wise. The other true selves we see enough! You’d be shocked at the powerful face smiling back at you if you got a peek at what the rest of us see in you…”

I felt so thankful for the kind text and and found comfort in it when I was having a really difficult time this week.

It’s all in perspective.

My life feels like a jumbled mess most of the time.

I feel like im never really put together.

But in the end, I have happy, amazing kids, a great husband, and many people around us who help us, support us and love us. I am truly happy in our jumbled up crazy life. Yes, sometimes things are hard, really hard… a lot of this time. But you find your true strength in you trials. You can find the joy in them and you can push through..

So remember when times are rough, you are strong. You are capable… You are amazing! God is with you and will help lift you up. He will only give you trials you can handle so if you ever think “I cant handle this!” Just remember YOU CAN!! And You will! Be of good cheer, life is good, but you must look for the joy.

Now here's to a great week!!

November! Support for T1D Awareness! Family & Friends

2014-11-28T18:49:00.001-08:00

How thankful we are for our friends and family who wore BLUE of fridays in November for Diabetes Awareness Month. To some, it's just clothes, but to us, its support and love and we appreciate it!!

#herosoftype1project

2014-10-14T19:18:00.001-07:00

I started this project to focus on the strong people who fight Type 1 diabetes everyday. It took a lot of time away from my family as I did 31 photo sessions all across the valley. I am thankful to my family for supporting me in this project!

It was amazing meeting all of these inspiring people!

I wanted to shine light on their strength, courage and also the pain accompanied by this disease. I wanted to educate people about Type 1 by introducing them to real people who have it.

Type 1 diabetes has no cure, is a 24/7 disease that needs constant care. It requires many daily shots, finger pricks, counting carbs, fixing highs and lows, dealing with emotional stress as well as physical pain. It is a very difficult disease that has no cure.

Introducing some of the heros of Type 1 and what they want YOU to know about Type 1 diabetes..

All photos are copyright to Teri Lyne Photography, please do not edit. If you would like to see more from each session, each day in November I will honor one of these people on my facebook and post 6-8 pictures from their photo session :

https://www.facebook.com/pages/TeriLynePhotography/126615137395691

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles" Christopher Reeve

#herosoftype1project

Prepare to be inspired!

Meet Alyssa.. She is 8 years old and was diagnosed at age 5. She is a sweet and fun girl! She loves to run, swim, camp and go quading. She stands up for others and is really concerned about angels watching over everyone she loves.

Meet Berbindi ...She is 17 years old. She is a girly girl. She volunteers for Girl Scouts and loves animals. She loves baking and would someday like to own her own bakery.

Meet Brayden... He is 3 years old. He was diagnosed at just 15 months old. He loves super heros, swimming, and playing outside. He loves puppies and turtles.

Meet Charlize.... She is 13 years old. She was diagnosed at the age of 3 and has been fighting Type 1 for 10 years! She loves video games, archery, and hanging out with friends.

Meet Craig.... He is 15 years old. He was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago. He is an Eagle Scout, on the High School Dive and baseball Team, and is a JDRF youth ambassador. He enjoys baseball, hanging our with friends and being active. He doesn't let Type 1 stop him from accomplishing anything. Craig's little sister also has Type 1 diabetes.

Meet Madilyn, she is Craig's sister. ... She is 6 years old and was diagnosed at age 4, just 4 months after her older brother. She is so very brave!She loves gymnastics, lalaloopsies, art and her family. She is full of sass and energy.

Craig & Madilyn

Meet Ellie... She is 3 years old. She likes to dance, give hugs and she loves Disneyland.

Meet Enjolie... She is a 5 year old and was diagnosed at just 18 months old. She loves to dance! She likes fashion so much that she is constantly styling herself and her little sister. Her other joys include art and playing with friends, but most of all just being with her family.

Meet Nina, Enjolie's grandmother.... She is 70 years old and has had Type 1 since birth. She loves dance, has been dancing since age 4 and continues to dance as much as possible. She has many joys in life, but her main joy is her family. She has been blessed with 2 beautiful daughters, 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandson.

Meet Hayleigh... She is 14 years old and was diagnosed at the age of 4. She loves to volunteer. She is a cheerleader and is also involved in theater. She has planned to attend ASU ever since she was 8 years old. When she graduates she wants to be a math teacher.

Meet Jadyn.... He is 10 years old and was diagnosed at age 4. He loves camping, sports and swimming. He is a little shy but very lovable and caring.

Meet John... He is 12 years old. He was diagnosed just 1 year ago. He plays the flute, competitive soccer, loves math and fencing. He also enjoys skateboarding.

Meet Josh.... He is a dynamic and talented 10 year old. He loves theater, singing and comic books. He likes to be busy and not have to think about his diabetes too much. He was diagnosed at age 6 and would give anything for a cure!

Meet Kaitin.... She is 15 years old and was diagnosed in 2012. She loves animals and dancing. She has been dancing since she was 10 and does many styles including clogging. Her diagnosis came as a shock as no one in her family has Type 1 diabetes. She is overcoming her challenges she is faced with each day and is determined to not let it get her down. She hopes to someday become a nurse and work with diabetic children at PCH.

Meet Karlie... She is 11 1/2 and was diagnosed in 2007 at the age of 4 1/2. She enjoys crafting, reading and basketball. She loves science.

Meet Kenneth.... He was diagnosed at age 11. He has been riding bulls since high school. His father was also Type 1 diabetic. Besides bull riding, he enjoys camping, archery and hunting.

Meet Khristen.... She is 16 years old. She is one of the strongest and most resilient kids her parents know. She has always had a great attitude about life with diabetes. Her dad has Type 1 diabetes as well. He has had diabetes for 33 years.

Meet Landon.... He is 12 years old. He has a big heart. He loves to make people smile. Everything means so much to him and he's got strength to fight anything.

Meet Madi.... She is 13 years old and was diagnosed in 2013. She loves hanging out with her friends. She is friendly, outgoing and loves to help people.

Meet McKayla.... She is 14 years old. She has been a competitive figure skater and she loves cheer leading. She enjoys gymnastics and dance as well. She has a D.A.D (Diabetic Alert Dog) named Ladie.

Meet Meghan... She is 17 years old. She is a senior at Moon Valley High School. She loves theater and choir. She sings and competes in a vocal ensemble for competitive choir.

Meet Nathan.... He is 9 years old. He is very brave. He loves his family and is an amazing big brother. He loves Minecraft as well!

Meet Paul..... He is 8 years old and was diagnosed at age 4. He loves to run and play video games. He enjoys math as well. He likes to wrestle with his brother everyday. He has a great smile and people are just drawn to him.

Meet Rachelle.... She is 16 years old and was diagnosed at age 3. She plays piano and loves to dance. She has been dancing since she was 5 years old. She is very brave , courageous and doesn't let her Type 1 define her.

Meet Sarah..... She is 5 years old. She loves LEGOs, any animals, and the beach. She was diagnosed at 27 months old. She is in Kindergarten and is very brave. She is pictures with her D.A.D (Diabetic Alert Dog).

Meet Savannah... She is 11 years old and in 6th grade. She likes cross country and has a purple belt in karate. She was diagnosed in June of 2014. She also enjoys reading.

Meet Skylar... She is 9 years old and was diagnosed at age 3. She is very independent and strong willed but also very caring and thoughtful. She likes to play teacher and do crafts. She likes anything girly and is really spunky!

Meet Zane.... He is 7 years old (almost 8!) and was diagnosed at age 18 months. He likes pokemon, archery, soccer, basketball and reading. He has a sensitive and loving personality. he is very brave.

Meet Adalyne... She is 11 years old and was diagnosed at age 2. She loves to run cross country, do monkey bars and go camping. She is quick to make friends and is a master at Minecraft!

Meet Caleb... He is 9 years old and has had Type 1 diabetes since he was just 21 months old. He loves Skylanders and Minecraft. He is really good at math. he is silly, fun and very outgoing. His little sister also has type 1 diabetes.

Meet Abbigayle...She is 7 years old and was just diagnosed 4 months ago. She is Caleb's sister. She is outgoing and loves to be the center of attention. She enjoys drawing and coloring.
She loves to do make up and nails with all of the neighborhood girls and with her little sister.

If you would like to donate to JDRF to help fund a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, you can do so here:
http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?fr_id=4736&pg=team&team_id=167103

Thank you so much everyone who participated in my heros of type 1 project. I loved meeting every one of you!

A1C

2014-10-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Trip to the endocrinologist???
How about an A1C of 7.4 for Craig and 7.5 for Madilyn?
Heck Ya!!
ok so I was super stressed about the whole thing because Madi hasnt had the best numbers lately and with diabetes, it feels like you have no control of it half the time.. but apparently we are doing ok...
Even when I feel like Im failing at being a pancreas half the time, I guess its all working out fine..

Dont be so hard on yourself.. No one can be the perfect pancreas.. its just not possible!

November is Diabetes awareness Month!!

2014-09-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am SO beyond excited to share all of the photos I have taken over the past month.
I decided to do Diabetes Awareness Project with my photography. I have met 30 different people who have type 1 diabetes and photographed them. It has been such an awesome experience. I have met some brave kids! and adults! All with different stories and challenges.
I will be sharing in November, but I thought I would share Madis picture. Each person gave me a quote on what they wanted people to know about Type 1 diabetes. I will be posting one person each day in November, with their story and a quote.
It is so telling of each person when you read their quote.
Madis quote might not seem that deep, but it reminds me that kids made fun of her and a boy said, "EW get away, I don't want to get diabetes!" and another kid told her it was disgusting that she had diabetes... She what does she want people to know about Type 1??
"You won't get diabetes by touching me or being my friend!"
She is one tough girl, but it makes her sad when people dont want to be her friend because she has diabetes :(

I cannot wait to introduce you all to these brave people! Coming in November #herosoftype1project on instagram, Teri Lyne Photography on facebook, and Ill also be posting to this blog each persons quote with their picture!!

Is it November yet!????

as a mom....

2014-09-21T21:17:00.002-07:00

Today was a rough day..

As a parent of a child, or in my case children with Type 1 diabetes, there are so many levels of emotions that come with the everyday minute to minute care of diabetes.

There is
Sadness... I often feel sadness when I see my child in pain because they have to change a pump site. They are frustrated with diabetes and with life in general and there is not much I can do to help. I can't fix it for them. I cant take this disease away from them. Sadness when my child yells "I hate diabetes, I dont want it anymore!" Sadness when I see their sores all over their body from pump sites and CGM sites. When I see their callused fingertips that never get a real chance to heal. Sadness when that meter says 432 and we are at school and I see the disappointment on their face because they know they have to do a site change and they feel really crummy but they have to continue on with their day..when all I really want to do it take them home and cuddle them!! Sadness when they express frustration with the disease and all I can say is Im sorry...but Im sorry isnt enough.

Fear... fear when its late at night and they are sound alseep but their blood sugar is in the 40s... what if I hadnt check ed them.. what if one night I sleep through it and they dont wake up.. Fear when they arent home and I dont know if they are doing what they need to to be safe with their diabetes..what if they pass out and no one knows what to do? I dont live in fear, but I have days when I have fear...

Helplessness... Often I feel helpless. When their numbers are all crazy and their pump site isnt working, or its kinked, when they keep dropping even though we made sure they were at a good number..when they are exhausted because they had 2 lows that night and they didnt sleep much but they have to get up for school anyway and act like everything is great when no one know what they went through all night... when they are in tears because they dont want to rip the site out...I feel helpless because even though they dont want to get it, they NEED to get that pump site so they can get their insulin. Helpless when they ask about a cure and I have no answers for them...

Frustration...Oh the frustration!!! Living on barely any sleep because every night at least one of them has a high or low and their CGM is going off. Frustration because of the medical bills and prescriptions I am constantly filling.. frustration because there is not one thing I can do to make this disease easier for any of us...frustration because sometimes there is no rhyme or reason for the high or low they are experiencing! This disease is so unpredictable!

The stress is often overwhelming but you have to just keep going. Their lives depend on it.
Theres no day off from it, theres no break and theres no answer..You just have to keep going..

I have to be reminded of this quote.. and remind my children of it. They have the emotional and physical pain of this disease. Even though they are tough and push through, they are struggling every day. Especially lately.

I know in life, we need to be positive and find the good in our lives. There is so much good. and we are so very blessed.. but that doesnt take away the daily struggle..

I love this quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf,
"Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges. When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ’s Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven’s embrace."

Diabetes is hard.. for everyone involved... It is a day to day disease...
I know my kids are strong.. they are so very brave... I know they are much more thatn the pain and frustration this disease causes... Some days, they need a little reminder of that. Days like today....

over it...

2014-09-20T10:41:00.001-07:00

Madi has had too ma y kinked sites lately.. she loves gymanstics and her little body has no body fat... so flipping, backbends, cartwheels... kinks those sites by her muscle rubbing against them.. She is SO over it!!

walk team

2014-09-19T19:53:00.003-07:00

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes!

Check out our walk team, donate if you can, and join us on walk day!! Help fund a cure for type1 diabetes!

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?fr_id=4736&pg=team&team_id=167103

dang it...

2014-09-15T21:37:00.003-07:00

The CGM has been a rollercoaster for Craig. And he wants off.. He is so over it.
I on the other hand love it!

But Im not the one wearing it.. and he is too old to force him to wear it.. in my opinion.

He takes very good care of his diabetes and has a great A1C, so i cant complain much.

He does dive and baseball and the biggest problem is keeping the sensor on long enough.. The longest he has gone is 4 days...then it falls off.
I ordered Opsite and it has worked great for Madi, but I got it in the mail when Craig decided he was over it.
He had a practice for a church activity. He said it was poking him and he could feel it under his skin..the CGM was saying it couldnt communicate and he pulled it out.
He hasnt put a new one in since.
The hard part is that now, theres no visual of his blood sugar. At night I have to check him, or hope he is ok..
Even if he goes to bed a good number, does not guarantee he wont drop. Especially since he is involved in so many activities..

I still am hoping he decides to put it back on. It is such a relief to me to know and have an alarm at night.
I worry he may not wake up..
Ive checked him before and hes been in the 40s and not woken up.. Ive just woken up from my sleep and felt the spirit tell me to check him. Its been amazing that every time that happens, he is low.
The other night I felt it. I woke up and felt I needed to check him. It was 5am so I thought to myself, "no, he is fine, he will be up in an hour and he was good before bed"
I could barely keep my eyes open or even think about getting out of bed...
I closed my eyes and again felt I need to check him.. I again ignored it and closed my eyes..'Then I had a flash of him having a seizure in his sleep..
Ya, that woke me right up! I got his meter and checked him and he was low.
Those are the things that really make me want him to wear the CGM!!
Its a scary disease.. And its so hard to see him struggling..
He just wants to be "normal" and not have tubes and sensors on him 24/7...
Which I understand..
He has always been so positive about his care, and he is just having a hard time right now.
I know it will pass..

Official Eagle Scout!

2014-09-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Craig has worked SO hard to become an Eagle Scout. He did his project for Phoenix Childrens Hospital. He wanted to give kids something to do in the hospital because he knows how it feels to be stuck in a hospital as a kid. He is amazing! Here is his project:
http://craigseagleproject.blogspot.com/

Type 1 slow him down??? ppsshhh!!

2014-09-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well, Craig decided to do dive this year. He is liking it! Its pretty fun to watch! He wore his CGM the whole time.. Had to wrap it though.. We've had a tough time keeping it on for the 7 days with all this pool time!! We have to wrap it with medical gauze.. waterproof stuff! But it works for the most part... Hoping we can keep this one on for a whole week!!

Craig never lets diabetes stop him from doing what he sets his mind to! He goes to Dive practice and if they dont have practice one day, he goes to baseball practice (open field or pitching practice for fall ball) Some days, he goes to baseball.. then dive!! He is one driven young man!!

lots of stuff!

2014-08-28T16:14:00.001-07:00

Its been a whirl wind around here to say the least!!
Both kids got approved for CGMs and they are both hooked up!

Its been good. and not so good.. We have been trying to problem solve since the start. First Madi was terrified to get the CGM site. Then she got it and it wasnt as bad as she thought. We had a couple long nights in a row with lows.. Here is the second night of the kids on their CGM:

"I think I should do a video diary for a night in the life of a d mom.... This is both kids right now.. Madis alarm went off so I got her a drink to bring her back up.. Craig had his in his room but I thought if check him.. Apparently he slept through his alarm because he was 43!!! I'll be keeping his in my room from now on. Both kids got juice, now I wait 15 minutes and hope their sugars come up.. Then they need a protien-carb food.. Sleep is not in my future."

I kept thinking, "I shoudl be getting more sleep..right?"
But the great thing about the CGM is the alarms!! theres so much less guessing! I love that.
One problem we are having is with Craig.
He is doing baseball and also is on the HS dive team.. SO he is in teh pool A LOT! they sensors dont want to stay on. We have tried skin tak.. and Tegaderm.. Now he put the site in his arm and is wraping it with waterproof medical tape so we will see if that works better! Any ideas are welcome!!

Im also taking a break from making pump pouches/belts.. I have been so busy with working 6 days a week, having 4 kids (2 with T1) and Im starting school in 2 weeks! I will do custom orders if you email me though.. And I kept a few glucose meter cases up on my Etsy Page. I felt so guilty taking them down because I know how nice it can be to have a new case.. Kids get excited about it.. but I just only have so much time in the day!

Both kids have started school! Madi is in 1st grade and her teacher is great!! Sh e even doses her for snack time! And Craig is a Sophmore (really?!) and he is pretty independent so he does everything himself..

Another exciting thing is that Craig was chosen to be a JDRF youth ambassador! Im eso proud of him that he isnt shy about talking about Type 1.. he isnt scared to tell his story, educate others and advocate for this disease! Excited for the things to come!