Today is the last day of D-Blog Week.
The topic is to share a few of our favorite things from the week.
I find that kind of hard to narrow down.
It was a very busy week for me with all the ballet recitals and the trip to Lab City that I didn't get to read as many posts as I would have liked. I will definitely be reading up the next few nights.
I think my favorite thing is to see more people read my blog.
I have a very small readership, but I don't really promote my blog either. To be honest, I'd say there are very few people in my circle that actually know that I blog.
I feel its my way to connect with other D-parents. and I need that.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you that have read my thoughts this week, and those who have taken the time to reach out to me and comment as well. You will never know the impact that you have had.
THANK YOU!
Sunday, 18 May 2014
Saturday, 17 May 2014
D-Blog Week: Day 6
Today's topic is as follows:
Back for another year, let’s show everyone what life with diabetes looks like! With a nod to the Diabetes 365 project, let’s grab our cameras again and share some more d-related pictures. Post as many or as few as you’d like. Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures, or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.
Feb 25, 2012. Just 2.5 short weeks after Amy was diagnosed.
She was vomiting profusely, I knew it was a stomach bug. Her sister and cousin were both sick as well. She couldn't keep anything down. She was on NPH twice daily and Rapid twice daily. I was dealing ok. She had some ketones. But I wasn't sure if I should give her bedtime insulin or not. (2 weeks in remember).
I decided to bring her through our emergency department. At this point, we had only ever seen a family physician, CDE and dietician, I didn't have any contact numbers for our children's hospital that we now visit every 3 months for diabetes clinic.
We saw a doctor, and he tried to tell me that she had a UTI, that was what was causing the ketones. I tried to explain that she had diabetes, and I wasn't sure what to do. He told me not to give her insulin yet. He hooked her up to some fluids (Normal saline), and let us go when it was run in, and then to give the insulin 4 hours late.
When we got to our car, she started vomiting again. I called in to the building and they told me to bring her back in. The doctor told me there was nothing wrong, that she had a UTI and handed me a 27 page document about diabetes. I told him what he could do with his document, and took her home and managed the best that I could by reviewing the papers I was given at diagnosis and looking up as much as I could on the internet (I'm not saying that everyone should do this!)
Luckily we haven't had this happen again, but I keep this picture to remind me that I ALWAYS need to advocate for my child, especially when she is unable to do it herself.
Back for another year, let’s show everyone what life with diabetes looks like! With a nod to the Diabetes 365 project, let’s grab our cameras again and share some more d-related pictures. Post as many or as few as you’d like. Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures, or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.
Feb 25, 2012. Just 2.5 short weeks after Amy was diagnosed.
She was vomiting profusely, I knew it was a stomach bug. Her sister and cousin were both sick as well. She couldn't keep anything down. She was on NPH twice daily and Rapid twice daily. I was dealing ok. She had some ketones. But I wasn't sure if I should give her bedtime insulin or not. (2 weeks in remember).
I decided to bring her through our emergency department. At this point, we had only ever seen a family physician, CDE and dietician, I didn't have any contact numbers for our children's hospital that we now visit every 3 months for diabetes clinic.
We saw a doctor, and he tried to tell me that she had a UTI, that was what was causing the ketones. I tried to explain that she had diabetes, and I wasn't sure what to do. He told me not to give her insulin yet. He hooked her up to some fluids (Normal saline), and let us go when it was run in, and then to give the insulin 4 hours late.
When we got to our car, she started vomiting again. I called in to the building and they told me to bring her back in. The doctor told me there was nothing wrong, that she had a UTI and handed me a 27 page document about diabetes. I told him what he could do with his document, and took her home and managed the best that I could by reviewing the papers I was given at diagnosis and looking up as much as I could on the internet (I'm not saying that everyone should do this!)
Luckily we haven't had this happen again, but I keep this picture to remind me that I ALWAYS need to advocate for my child, especially when she is unable to do it herself.
D-Blog Week: Day 5
Hi everyone, I apologize for my lateness, I didn't have internet for most of yesterday.
We took a 550KM ride across the province to go shopping at Walmart and stock up on everyday items like toilet paper, paper towels, dish liquid, personal care products, etc....then turn around this morning and drove back 550km again! and we took the girls!
I was totally expecting Amy's sugars to go through the roof, because every time we take this drive, it happens, but not this time!
Yesterday's topic (Friday) was to share the (non-medical) tips and tricks that help you in the day-to-day management of diabetes.
I don't have a whole lot of them, I just know what works for us.
1) we use a pump pouch. My mother has made Amy about 7 of them. She loves them, and they are handy because she doesn't like to wear pants that have pockets.
2) we use a baby monitor. Although we rarely use the CGM now (due to unreliable/false low predictions while she sleep due to pressure from lying on it), I still like hearing her. I am a very light sleeper, and I think if she were to have something like I seizure I would hear it.
3) we tuck used strips in the glucometer case pocket and keep a rolled up Kleenex in there to finger blot. Kinda gross, but it works for us. At least I have her stopped from licking her finger afterwards!
4) I send her school lunch with an itemized list and corresponding carbs every day. That was if something breaks or she doesn't want to eat it, she knows all the carb counts, not just the total. Remember, we have no school nurse, she does this herself with her teacher watching.
5) I carry a glucometer in my purse. Not only does Amy have her "diabetes bag", a beautiful LUG bag, that we take everywhere, but I also have a back up in my purse.
6) I dose Amy's insulin when I get out of the shower in the morning, before I wake her up. This gives lots of time for her insulin to start working. (but we still have breakfast post meal spikes!)
7) we let her be a kid.
I can't wait to see what everyone else has written, I could use some new tips!
We took a 550KM ride across the province to go shopping at Walmart and stock up on everyday items like toilet paper, paper towels, dish liquid, personal care products, etc....then turn around this morning and drove back 550km again! and we took the girls!
I was totally expecting Amy's sugars to go through the roof, because every time we take this drive, it happens, but not this time!
Yesterday's topic (Friday) was to share the (non-medical) tips and tricks that help you in the day-to-day management of diabetes.
I don't have a whole lot of them, I just know what works for us.
1) we use a pump pouch. My mother has made Amy about 7 of them. She loves them, and they are handy because she doesn't like to wear pants that have pockets.
2) we use a baby monitor. Although we rarely use the CGM now (due to unreliable/false low predictions while she sleep due to pressure from lying on it), I still like hearing her. I am a very light sleeper, and I think if she were to have something like I seizure I would hear it.
3) we tuck used strips in the glucometer case pocket and keep a rolled up Kleenex in there to finger blot. Kinda gross, but it works for us. At least I have her stopped from licking her finger afterwards!
4) I send her school lunch with an itemized list and corresponding carbs every day. That was if something breaks or she doesn't want to eat it, she knows all the carb counts, not just the total. Remember, we have no school nurse, she does this herself with her teacher watching.
5) I carry a glucometer in my purse. Not only does Amy have her "diabetes bag", a beautiful LUG bag, that we take everywhere, but I also have a back up in my purse.
6) I dose Amy's insulin when I get out of the shower in the morning, before I wake her up. This gives lots of time for her insulin to start working. (but we still have breakfast post meal spikes!)
7) we let her be a kid.
I can't wait to see what everyone else has written, I could use some new tips!
Thursday, 15 May 2014
D-Blog Week 2014 - Day 4
Today I chose to go with one of the wildcard topics.
Write a short story personifying a diabetes tool you use on a daily basis. A meter, syringe, pump, pill, etc. Give it a personality and a name and let it speak through you. What would it be happy about, upset about, mad about? (Thank you Heather of Unexpected Blues for this topic.)
I know how to contact mom and dad if either are needed, or to tell people that you have diabetes. My name is DB and I hang around you all day long.
Yup, that's right, I'm a Medical Alert Bracelet.
I get to go everywhere with my owner. She puts me on in the morning before school.
I tell everyone who needs to know that my owner has diabetes, and how to reach mom and dad. I even know my owner's home phone number. We go to school, to ballet, and Girl Guides; to friends houses, the grocery store and even the cabin. I'm very special.
Some days I have a pink sign and some days purple. Some days I have a pink rope, or pink beads, or two strands all sparkly and colorful. You see, I'm quite stylish thanks to Lauren's Hope. It seems like every year I get a fun new outfit added to our collection.
It feels great to know that I could save my owners life. Without me I know that the mom and dad would worry all the time. I'm something that eases some of that worry.
And at night time, I have my own special place on a hook next to my buddies, the pump pouches, until the next morning, when I wrap myself tightly around my friend, doing my best to keep her safe!
Write a short story personifying a diabetes tool you use on a daily basis. A meter, syringe, pump, pill, etc. Give it a personality and a name and let it speak through you. What would it be happy about, upset about, mad about? (Thank you Heather of Unexpected Blues for this topic.)
I know how to contact mom and dad if either are needed, or to tell people that you have diabetes. My name is DB and I hang around you all day long.
Yup, that's right, I'm a Medical Alert Bracelet.
I get to go everywhere with my owner. She puts me on in the morning before school.
I tell everyone who needs to know that my owner has diabetes, and how to reach mom and dad. I even know my owner's home phone number. We go to school, to ballet, and Girl Guides; to friends houses, the grocery store and even the cabin. I'm very special.
Some days I have a pink sign and some days purple. Some days I have a pink rope, or pink beads, or two strands all sparkly and colorful. You see, I'm quite stylish thanks to Lauren's Hope. It seems like every year I get a fun new outfit added to our collection.
It feels great to know that I could save my owners life. Without me I know that the mom and dad would worry all the time. I'm something that eases some of that worry.
And at night time, I have my own special place on a hook next to my buddies, the pump pouches, until the next morning, when I wrap myself tightly around my friend, doing my best to keep her safe!
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
D-Blog Week 2014: Day 3
Today's topic is as follows;
What Brings Me Down. May is Mental Health Month so now seems like a great time to explore the emotional side of living with, or caring for someone with, diabetes. What things can make dealing with diabetes an emotional issue for you and / or your loved one, and how do you cope? (Thanks go out to Scott of Strangely Diabetic for coordinating this topic.)
I'm going to make this short and sweet since it's been crazy busy this week with ballet recitals. Tonight I was getting Amy ready for her show. I was just putting the finishing touches on her hair, an Elsa coronation bun, she looked beautiful. Then, I see Corey changing her site. And the worry comes back.
Will her young teenaged instructors keep an eye on her backstage, will she go low, be too high, drink too much then have to go to the bathroom right before she performs, will she be uncoordinated?
Sometimes, I wish we didn't have to deal with these things.
What did we do? Tested right before I left her, slightly high from Subway supper; left water and apple juice with her; told her to have someone come get me if she needed to.
As for the recital, she rocked it!
What Brings Me Down. May is Mental Health Month so now seems like a great time to explore the emotional side of living with, or caring for someone with, diabetes. What things can make dealing with diabetes an emotional issue for you and / or your loved one, and how do you cope? (Thanks go out to Scott of Strangely Diabetic for coordinating this topic.)
I'm going to make this short and sweet since it's been crazy busy this week with ballet recitals. Tonight I was getting Amy ready for her show. I was just putting the finishing touches on her hair, an Elsa coronation bun, she looked beautiful. Then, I see Corey changing her site. And the worry comes back.
Will her young teenaged instructors keep an eye on her backstage, will she go low, be too high, drink too much then have to go to the bathroom right before she performs, will she be uncoordinated?
Sometimes, I wish we didn't have to deal with these things.
What did we do? Tested right before I left her, slightly high from Subway supper; left water and apple juice with her; told her to have someone come get me if she needed to.
As for the recital, she rocked it!
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
D-Blog Week 2014: Day 2
Day two of D-blog Week is looking to bring out the poet in bloggers. I'm not the greatest poet in the world, but would like to share the little poem I originally wrote for this post on Amy's second Diaversary.
It's been two years since you came into our lives
like a permanent, uninvited guest.
We've taken some time to get to know you
and still feel like you're a Pest.
The site changes, sensor changes, and finger sticks
still make my baby girl cringe.
But changing to the pump has made it easier
and much better than using the syringe.
3am gluc checks night after night
in range I hope and I pray.
Can't rely on the number seen before bed
it changes depending on the day.
It's a lot of hard work for a little girl,
especially when you damper the fun.
Luckily, our family has learned the ropes
and know what needs to be done.
I look forward to reading other people's posts today!
(sorry about how the poem looks, it wasn't this way in my draft!)
It's been two years since you came into our lives
like a permanent, uninvited guest.
We've taken some time to get to know you
and still feel like you're a Pest.
The site changes, sensor changes, and finger sticks
still make my baby girl cringe.
But changing to the pump has made it easier
and much better than using the syringe.
3am gluc checks night after night
in range I hope and I pray.
Can't rely on the number seen before bed
it changes depending on the day.
It's a lot of hard work for a little girl,
especially when you damper the fun.
Luckily, our family has learned the ropes
and know what needs to be done.
I look forward to reading other people's posts today!
(sorry about how the poem looks, it wasn't this way in my draft!)
Monday, 12 May 2014
D-Blog week 2014: Day 1
I'm excited to be participating in D-Blog week again this year. I was introduced to many new (to me) bloggers last year and continue to read about some wonderful people!
This year, the first topic is as Follows:
Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you.
****************************************************************
Of course any parent or PWD is concerned about any of the above. We would all love for our treasured children to be safe during the school day, with minimal worry. We would love to know that if they are having on off day because their sugars are too high, or too low, such that their performance is affected, that they will not be penalized for something out of their control, that if they did poorly because of blood sugar, then it will not be reflected in their grading. I certainly don't see this as a scapegoat, that if my child were to do poorly on something I wouldn't automatically assume or "blame" diabetes, but I would ask what the readings were before testing time. Its well known, that blood sugar levels affect a number of things such as concentration, thinking, and sometimes actually doing an activity. I would like to know that there are people in the building that can recognize highs and lows; people who know my daughter well enough to see when something just isn't quite right' people who know what to do or where to look when something is wrong; people who genuinely care about the well being of my child. We're lucky light that! I have not had any major issues with our school. Everyone is very accommodating and will go out of their way to ensure Amy is cared for and included. Just today I received a picture of a muffin and carb count of a recipe for a snack that a teacher brought in from the Kids Eat Smart Program. She was making sure that Amy was included. Yesterday a classmate brought in their mini cotton candy maker for show and tell, and I received a call describing the amount of sample each kid would receive and how many carbs in each teaspoon of mixture. The staff at the school have been amazing. I'm lucky that this isn't an issue for us.
Although I don't feel I formally advocate for any cause, we are lucky enough to be in town for Amy's Endo appointment that we will be participating in this years TELUS walk to Cure diabetes. If you would like to make a donation to Team Amy, you can do so here and help make our first fundraiser a success! I'm also canvassing our neighbourhood for the Canadian Diabetes Association this May, again a first time event for me.
One thing that I do see as essential is that all people with diabetes deserve the same access to care and support. If you live in Canada and believe the same, please sign the Diabetes Charter for Canada
This year, the first topic is as Follows:
Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you.
****************************************************************
Of course any parent or PWD is concerned about any of the above. We would all love for our treasured children to be safe during the school day, with minimal worry. We would love to know that if they are having on off day because their sugars are too high, or too low, such that their performance is affected, that they will not be penalized for something out of their control, that if they did poorly because of blood sugar, then it will not be reflected in their grading. I certainly don't see this as a scapegoat, that if my child were to do poorly on something I wouldn't automatically assume or "blame" diabetes, but I would ask what the readings were before testing time. Its well known, that blood sugar levels affect a number of things such as concentration, thinking, and sometimes actually doing an activity. I would like to know that there are people in the building that can recognize highs and lows; people who know my daughter well enough to see when something just isn't quite right' people who know what to do or where to look when something is wrong; people who genuinely care about the well being of my child. We're lucky light that! I have not had any major issues with our school. Everyone is very accommodating and will go out of their way to ensure Amy is cared for and included. Just today I received a picture of a muffin and carb count of a recipe for a snack that a teacher brought in from the Kids Eat Smart Program. She was making sure that Amy was included. Yesterday a classmate brought in their mini cotton candy maker for show and tell, and I received a call describing the amount of sample each kid would receive and how many carbs in each teaspoon of mixture. The staff at the school have been amazing. I'm lucky that this isn't an issue for us.
Although I don't feel I formally advocate for any cause, we are lucky enough to be in town for Amy's Endo appointment that we will be participating in this years TELUS walk to Cure diabetes. If you would like to make a donation to Team Amy, you can do so here and help make our first fundraiser a success! I'm also canvassing our neighbourhood for the Canadian Diabetes Association this May, again a first time event for me.
One thing that I do see as essential is that all people with diabetes deserve the same access to care and support. If you live in Canada and believe the same, please sign the Diabetes Charter for Canada
Monday, 5 May 2014
Eight Years old
NO, I'm not talking about how long Amy has had diabetes.
I'm talking about Amy. Last week, she turned eight years old.
Now eight may not seem very old, but this little lady is growing and maturing fast. I'm not sure if its just the responsibility that goes along with having diabetes, or if it's just her personality.
Amy has had a great year. She's reading above grade level and doing excellent in all other areas of school. She needs to work on getting along with her sister, and I'm hoping the back talking is just a phase.
She has decided that she doesn't really like wearing the CGM, I've written about that in the past here. We've decided not to push the issue. She usually feels her lows just under 4.0. We also have a pretty good handle on her basal rates. I have told her that if she gets sick, we WILL be slapping one on pretty quick!
Her teacher this year has been wonderful. She texts me pictures of holiday parties so I can give her a carb value to enter. She informs me of events before they happen, when she knows about them, and when she doesn't she has learned to read how many carbs, but will still call to confirm that it's okay for Amy to eat.
I'm debating activating my old iphone 4 for her, but still have reservations that 8 is a little young. Does anyone have any experience with this? I think it a whole other post!
I'm talking about Amy. Last week, she turned eight years old.
Now eight may not seem very old, but this little lady is growing and maturing fast. I'm not sure if its just the responsibility that goes along with having diabetes, or if it's just her personality.
 |
| My 8 year old! Diabetes don't stop us from having cake! |
 |
| The knock off DQ ice cream cake I made. Swaging here! |
 |
| Amy's friends that attended her PJ party. Thanks to my mom for the owls |
Amy has had a great year. She's reading above grade level and doing excellent in all other areas of school. She needs to work on getting along with her sister, and I'm hoping the back talking is just a phase.
She has decided that she doesn't really like wearing the CGM, I've written about that in the past here. We've decided not to push the issue. She usually feels her lows just under 4.0. We also have a pretty good handle on her basal rates. I have told her that if she gets sick, we WILL be slapping one on pretty quick!
Her teacher this year has been wonderful. She texts me pictures of holiday parties so I can give her a carb value to enter. She informs me of events before they happen, when she knows about them, and when she doesn't she has learned to read how many carbs, but will still call to confirm that it's okay for Amy to eat.
I'm debating activating my old iphone 4 for her, but still have reservations that 8 is a little young. Does anyone have any experience with this? I think it a whole other post!
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