Big E and the geese! "MOM! It's gonna bite me!"Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
AH, MAN!
Living in an area that is plagued by tornadoes will keep you on your toes. When you add to that our single-wide living arrangements you get several "ah man!" moments every year.
Nashville is our local viewing area. The meteorologists range from calm to panic stricken. My favorite woman just said, "You need to be in your place of safety right now." I know this is serious but this phrase makes me laugh every time she says it.
Picture a kindergarten teacher clapping her hands and saying, "Okie dokie boys and girls, we need to find our safe place" and you will have her voice exactly... very church lady for you SNL folk.
The last time she said it she added this beauty, "If you live in a single-wide you do not have a safe place. The best place for you is in the road in a ditch." To which Brianne responded, "Well thanks!" Being my normal warped self I told Brianne while she was walking out to the ditch she might want to hold up a golf club so the lightening was directed away from me :)
It's 10pm and the news is alive with a tornado on the ground. It's heading this way. AH, MAN!
I refuse to lie in the ditch so we will head next door to the in-laws if it continues on this path. AH, MAN!
Nashville is our local viewing area. The meteorologists range from calm to panic stricken. My favorite woman just said, "You need to be in your place of safety right now." I know this is serious but this phrase makes me laugh every time she says it.
Picture a kindergarten teacher clapping her hands and saying, "Okie dokie boys and girls, we need to find our safe place" and you will have her voice exactly... very church lady for you SNL folk.
The last time she said it she added this beauty, "If you live in a single-wide you do not have a safe place. The best place for you is in the road in a ditch." To which Brianne responded, "Well thanks!" Being my normal warped self I told Brianne while she was walking out to the ditch she might want to hold up a golf club so the lightening was directed away from me :)
It's 10pm and the news is alive with a tornado on the ground. It's heading this way. AH, MAN!
I refuse to lie in the ditch so we will head next door to the in-laws if it continues on this path. AH, MAN!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Job's friends
There are a lot of thing in life that make one scratch their head. Like why people drive in the passing lane or slow down to merge onto an interstate. Maybe it's why there are people who insist on complaining about everything, even the nice stuff that comes their way. Or maybe it's people who find it necesary to point out your errors. And those that feel you need their help.
All of these things can get under the skin. Right now, for me, it is the latter, the helpers.
I LOVE having help! Help with chores, help with shopping, help with school, all things that I'd rather not do. However there ate those things in my life that I really would not like help with. Most of these things are the "how" things.
For instance, HOW I shop. I really like how I go about shopping. It is very systematic. Allowing me to hit every needed isle just in case an item has been left off the list. Even HOW I school is off limits. It's taken me years to get comfortable with my method so please do not tell me I need to do it your way.
And that too has taken me years... the ability to say I am comfortable with my way.
For too long I have been intimidated by what other, respected friends, have said or done. I have allowed myself to be bullied without even myself or them knowing they were bullying. They would say how they did something different from me and I would quietly beat myself over the head for not doing it the "right" way. The last few years have changed that. It started with Dad's death and it is surfacing with diabetes.
Over the last 8 weeks I have been told of herbs I needed to purchase to stabilize blood sugar. I have been sneered at by what I thought was a good friend because she thinks our eating habits have caused the diabetes... and she has told others her "facts". I have been called an "uncaring" mother because I let Matt eat at Burger King. I have been told by another friend that since she was able to handle gestational diabetes that what Matt has "is doable". I even have friends offering to buy me books about type 2 diabetes so I will have a better grip on how to handle food choices so that Matt can "stop taking" insulin.
To all of you, thank you. I know that you mean well and that you love me. I am thrilled beyond words that you have a desire to help.... but please stop.
Friends listen. They do not sit in a circle when you are at your lowest and berate you for what they believe to be your fault. That is what Job's friends did.
Right now you must trust that Geoff and I know what we are doing. You must put your need behind my son's need. Let us move at our own pace. If we need to change something we will see the need and we will make the change.
Pray for us.
All of these things can get under the skin. Right now, for me, it is the latter, the helpers.
I LOVE having help! Help with chores, help with shopping, help with school, all things that I'd rather not do. However there ate those things in my life that I really would not like help with. Most of these things are the "how" things.
For instance, HOW I shop. I really like how I go about shopping. It is very systematic. Allowing me to hit every needed isle just in case an item has been left off the list. Even HOW I school is off limits. It's taken me years to get comfortable with my method so please do not tell me I need to do it your way.
And that too has taken me years... the ability to say I am comfortable with my way.
For too long I have been intimidated by what other, respected friends, have said or done. I have allowed myself to be bullied without even myself or them knowing they were bullying. They would say how they did something different from me and I would quietly beat myself over the head for not doing it the "right" way. The last few years have changed that. It started with Dad's death and it is surfacing with diabetes.
Over the last 8 weeks I have been told of herbs I needed to purchase to stabilize blood sugar. I have been sneered at by what I thought was a good friend because she thinks our eating habits have caused the diabetes... and she has told others her "facts". I have been called an "uncaring" mother because I let Matt eat at Burger King. I have been told by another friend that since she was able to handle gestational diabetes that what Matt has "is doable". I even have friends offering to buy me books about type 2 diabetes so I will have a better grip on how to handle food choices so that Matt can "stop taking" insulin.
To all of you, thank you. I know that you mean well and that you love me. I am thrilled beyond words that you have a desire to help.... but please stop.
Friends listen. They do not sit in a circle when you are at your lowest and berate you for what they believe to be your fault. That is what Job's friends did.
Right now you must trust that Geoff and I know what we are doing. You must put your need behind my son's need. Let us move at our own pace. If we need to change something we will see the need and we will make the change.
Pray for us.
Knoxville Zoo
The Silver Back Gorilla sat by the window and so did Eli. He's a bit nervous. Sorry for the glare. Gorilla was HUGE!
Red Panda- he looked like he was going to jump right down on us!
The giant turtle... only this one isn't real.
Matt's wingspan vs the Condor's wingspan
We had a very good time. It was arranged by a friend as a school field trip for the local home school group. The weather was perfect!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Today and Tomorrow
Up early making turkey bacon, scrambled eggs and toast. In total the carb count was 22 for Matt- he had 1 egg (1), 2 toasts (9), bacon (0) and milk (12). I DID NOT give him the Novolog because he had less than 25 grams of carbs. He was outside walking the dogs for 30 minutes after lunch. At 10 he checked bg and he was 130s! I was pleased with that. His Lantus and the exercise handled the lower carb breakfast well.
The bread we found at WalMart is "Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat w/Honey 45 Calories' & Delightful". It is very good considering we are not whole wheat people. For 2 slices it is only 9 carbs (14 - 5 fiber). We were told last week that if the fiber content was OVER 5 we could subtract the fiber from the carbs. Several cereals also have high fiber.
Tomorrow we will be at the Knoxville Zoo. It's our first all day trip since dx 7 weeks ago. I am nervous and the backpack is evident of this. There may be enough supplies in there to operate a T1 clinic!
On the advice of the people from the CWD forum (Children With Diabetes) I have added baby wipes to the pack. These are for hand washing. If you have a child with T1 or are a teen with T1 it is a good idea to check out the CWD forums.
What's in the pack:
syringes
insulin
Carb king book
alcohol swaps
bg tester
sugar tablets
glucogon
log book
lifesavers
3 extra juice boxes
5 lunchables
5 fiber bars
3 waters
bandaides
thermometer
chewable tylenol
advil
antiseptic cream
baby wipes
insurance card
ID and cash
It's a good thing Miss B hurt her knee and needs a wheel chair. I'll rent one tomorrow so she doesn't have to walk on it and she can hold the pack.
I have been taking pics and video. I WILL post some I promise!
On the down side I realized I had not taken my iron in more than 2 weeks.... oops. No wonder I am tired and snippy! My brain is just not wanting to cope with any more! Matt too is showing signs of mental fatigue. He has been very fussy, not like him at all, this week. He nearly cried in the store today. Of course it could have the addition of school today. No more fall break. Math was hard on both of us. We need a zoo trip! The plan is to laugh and sing and forget all about diabetes for as long as possible.
The bread we found at WalMart is "Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat w/Honey 45 Calories' & Delightful". It is very good considering we are not whole wheat people. For 2 slices it is only 9 carbs (14 - 5 fiber). We were told last week that if the fiber content was OVER 5 we could subtract the fiber from the carbs. Several cereals also have high fiber.
Tomorrow we will be at the Knoxville Zoo. It's our first all day trip since dx 7 weeks ago. I am nervous and the backpack is evident of this. There may be enough supplies in there to operate a T1 clinic!
On the advice of the people from the CWD forum (Children With Diabetes) I have added baby wipes to the pack. These are for hand washing. If you have a child with T1 or are a teen with T1 it is a good idea to check out the CWD forums.
What's in the pack:
syringes
insulin
Carb king book
alcohol swaps
bg tester
sugar tablets
glucogon
log book
lifesavers
3 extra juice boxes
5 lunchables
5 fiber bars
3 waters
bandaides
thermometer
chewable tylenol
advil
antiseptic cream
baby wipes
insurance card
ID and cash
It's a good thing Miss B hurt her knee and needs a wheel chair. I'll rent one tomorrow so she doesn't have to walk on it and she can hold the pack.
I have been taking pics and video. I WILL post some I promise!
On the down side I realized I had not taken my iron in more than 2 weeks.... oops. No wonder I am tired and snippy! My brain is just not wanting to cope with any more! Matt too is showing signs of mental fatigue. He has been very fussy, not like him at all, this week. He nearly cried in the store today. Of course it could have the addition of school today. No more fall break. Math was hard on both of us. We need a zoo trip! The plan is to laugh and sing and forget all about diabetes for as long as possible.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Lows
The last few days have seen an increase in lows. Tomorrow I'll change his breakfast ratio from 1/20 to 1/25 and see if that helps. OR I could give him turkey bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast and forgo a shot altogether!
Home schoolers are always looking for ways to learn and this smells a lot like a science experiment to me :) Now to get Mattie on board with checking his bg more often for the sake of science.
Home schoolers are always looking for ways to learn and this smells a lot like a science experiment to me :) Now to get Mattie on board with checking his bg more often for the sake of science.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
This is the medic alert dog tag I ordered from medicalidstore. I was able to get it in blue. The engraving on the back is DIABETIC, T1. Total cost with shipping was below $20!
Site change, honeymoon or just because....
...your guess is as good as mine, but Mattie's bg #s have been GREAT this week!
Insulin injection sites should be rotated between 4 "ideal" spots: the back of the arm, the thigh, the stomach, and the hip. Matt's preferred spot is his stomach (yeah, sounds creepy to me too but he likes it). The insulin needs to be injected into the fatty tissue.
Since dx Matt has been giving his own shots rotating from the left to the right side of his stomach, making sure to avoid the belly button area. On Sunday he asked me to give his shot in his arm and I did. Again after lunch he asked and I gave the injection in the opposite arm. That evening and night he gave his shots in his stomach. All day Sunday his bg numbers were close to 100! A light went on for me. On Monday I asked if I could give his insulin in his arm and again his numbers all day were great.
Tuesday at Vandy's class I asked about changing injection sites. More specifically would doing so make such a difference. The nurse said yes!
When we were told to change sites we all thought they meant change from one side of the body to the other not from one body part to the other. However, It was recommended to us on Tuesday that we alternate body parts during the day, which we have. The result has been very satisfying. Matt usually gets 4 injections/day so we are now giving 3 in the arm and/or stomach and 1 in the hip. The Lantus stings so it goes in the hip- more fat less stinging????
This week has seen 95% of his numbers between 95 and 130! That's a non-diabetic normal range!
So now I ask is it REALLY the site change or is it the beginning of the "honeymoon phase"?
Yes, you heard me right, my 11 yr old may be honeymooning!
Honeymoon. The pancreas has been working very hard for months to work properly. It's beta cells are being killed and it is fighting to produce insulin. Then all of a sudden insulin is coming into the body from an outside source. The pancreas says, "Ahhhhh" and it rests a bit. After some rest, maybe a few weeks maybe a few months, the pancreas starts to operate at a higher level. The drs call it the last hurray!
The picture in my mind is of the 300 Spartans. At one point they know they will die. Do they turn and run in an attempt to save a few or do they fight. They FIGHT, hard, until there is none left. This is the honeymoon for the pancreas.
The honeymoon can last for weeks or even a year. During honeymoon the requirement for injected insulin is reduced and the bg numbers are more stable.
Whatever the reason for Matt's good numbers I am thrilled about this week. I pray it continues!
Happy Mom! Happy Dad! Happy Matt!
Insulin injection sites should be rotated between 4 "ideal" spots: the back of the arm, the thigh, the stomach, and the hip. Matt's preferred spot is his stomach (yeah, sounds creepy to me too but he likes it). The insulin needs to be injected into the fatty tissue.
Since dx Matt has been giving his own shots rotating from the left to the right side of his stomach, making sure to avoid the belly button area. On Sunday he asked me to give his shot in his arm and I did. Again after lunch he asked and I gave the injection in the opposite arm. That evening and night he gave his shots in his stomach. All day Sunday his bg numbers were close to 100! A light went on for me. On Monday I asked if I could give his insulin in his arm and again his numbers all day were great.
Tuesday at Vandy's class I asked about changing injection sites. More specifically would doing so make such a difference. The nurse said yes!
When we were told to change sites we all thought they meant change from one side of the body to the other not from one body part to the other. However, It was recommended to us on Tuesday that we alternate body parts during the day, which we have. The result has been very satisfying. Matt usually gets 4 injections/day so we are now giving 3 in the arm and/or stomach and 1 in the hip. The Lantus stings so it goes in the hip- more fat less stinging????
This week has seen 95% of his numbers between 95 and 130! That's a non-diabetic normal range!
So now I ask is it REALLY the site change or is it the beginning of the "honeymoon phase"?
Yes, you heard me right, my 11 yr old may be honeymooning!
Honeymoon. The pancreas has been working very hard for months to work properly. It's beta cells are being killed and it is fighting to produce insulin. Then all of a sudden insulin is coming into the body from an outside source. The pancreas says, "Ahhhhh" and it rests a bit. After some rest, maybe a few weeks maybe a few months, the pancreas starts to operate at a higher level. The drs call it the last hurray!
The picture in my mind is of the 300 Spartans. At one point they know they will die. Do they turn and run in an attempt to save a few or do they fight. They FIGHT, hard, until there is none left. This is the honeymoon for the pancreas.
The honeymoon can last for weeks or even a year. During honeymoon the requirement for injected insulin is reduced and the bg numbers are more stable.
Whatever the reason for Matt's good numbers I am thrilled about this week. I pray it continues!
Happy Mom! Happy Dad! Happy Matt!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Home Church Continued
Here are the "3 Things" from the books we've read since the last post"
II KINGS
1. Elisha the Prophet
2. The fall and dispersion of Israel
3. The fall and captivity of Judah
I CHRONICLES
1. Genealogies
2. David organizes the kingdom
3. David prepares to build the temple
II CHRONICLES
1. Solomon is king
2. Kings of Judah
3. Decree of Cyrus
EZRA
1. Zerrubable's return
2. Ezra's ministry
3. Completion of the temple
NEHEMIAH
1. Rebuilding the wall
2. Reading the Law
3. Response of the people
ESTHER
1. Esther is queen
2. Haman tries to kill Jews
3. God uses Esther to save Jews
We are now reading through Job.
I have read through Job several times and thought I knew it pretty well. However, God is teaching us some marvelous things through Job. I am convinced Job is one of the greatest books in the Bible!
II KINGS
1. Elisha the Prophet
2. The fall and dispersion of Israel
3. The fall and captivity of Judah
I CHRONICLES
1. Genealogies
2. David organizes the kingdom
3. David prepares to build the temple
II CHRONICLES
1. Solomon is king
2. Kings of Judah
3. Decree of Cyrus
EZRA
1. Zerrubable's return
2. Ezra's ministry
3. Completion of the temple
NEHEMIAH
1. Rebuilding the wall
2. Reading the Law
3. Response of the people
ESTHER
1. Esther is queen
2. Haman tries to kill Jews
3. God uses Esther to save Jews
We are now reading through Job.
I have read through Job several times and thought I knew it pretty well. However, God is teaching us some marvelous things through Job. I am convinced Job is one of the greatest books in the Bible!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
What we Learned Today
Every time we start out for Vandy I question the trip. Do we REALLY need to go and learn more stuff? I mean we are online all the time reading this stuff so why do we need to show up to learn it all over again? Then upon my arrival home I spend 30 solid minutes telling Geoff all the new stuff.
The first class was mainly about sick day care. I LOVED IT! The nurse that directed the class had been T1 since she was 11. The children picked up on that quickly and listened more intently than they would have done otherwise... so did the moms. Most of what was taught at that meeting was in my previous post. Today was about complications that might arise with prolonged highs and how to avoid them.
The nurse in charge today was another T1 (I'm sorry these lovely ladies have this but secretly I think they have it just so Mattie can get along better... sorry ladies :) I can't remember their names so I'm renaming them Nurse 1 and Nurse 2 in honor of the Cat in the Hat. Nurse 2 is older than Nurse 1. She was dxd at age 8 back in the 60s! Like Nurse 1 she is a beautiful woman in very good health, inspiring.
The first thing on the notepad says "#s on the frig". It was recommended that all important # are placed on the frig- Vandy, local Drs., school nurse (Ooo, ooo, that's me!) and pharmacy. Next is this ratio 90/10.
Of all the diabetics 90% are Type 2 and 10% are Type 1. When you see an info-mercial or commercial that says "diabetes" they are referring to T2.
The rest of the note pad is filled with dietary info: What fat and exercise do to bg; The type of foods we should ALL be eating and the ones to avoid; How to translate label % into grams.; And worst of all the terrible news that diet sodas remove calcium...
WHAT?... it's one thing to give the child info on what he is to eat but DON'T YOU MESS WITH MY DIET SUNKIST SISTER! I said you mean the diet stuff is weakening our bones? Yes.
Matt put his arm around me and lay his head on my shoulder. See I told you he was sensitive.
If Matt can do what he's doing then I can give up Sunkist.
Over all this was a very good class and I'm glad I went. I now have a better grasp of why foods we eat are not "good vs bad" but "better vs worse". And Yes, Virginia, there really is a magic food. It's called W A T E R.
Coolest diabetic thing today- fat is absorbed so slowly that several hrs after eating a high fat meal, even with the right carb/insulin ratio, it can look like the insulin did not work. That's why pizza can be a snafu.
Coolest non diabetic thing today- on the way home we passed the airport at the exact time a huge passenger jet was crossing over the highway. It was right in front of us. It was so low and close Matt said, "I can read the words!" As my brother would say we were EOR (end of runway)... WAY COOL!
The first class was mainly about sick day care. I LOVED IT! The nurse that directed the class had been T1 since she was 11. The children picked up on that quickly and listened more intently than they would have done otherwise... so did the moms. Most of what was taught at that meeting was in my previous post. Today was about complications that might arise with prolonged highs and how to avoid them.
The nurse in charge today was another T1 (I'm sorry these lovely ladies have this but secretly I think they have it just so Mattie can get along better... sorry ladies :) I can't remember their names so I'm renaming them Nurse 1 and Nurse 2 in honor of the Cat in the Hat. Nurse 2 is older than Nurse 1. She was dxd at age 8 back in the 60s! Like Nurse 1 she is a beautiful woman in very good health, inspiring.
The first thing on the notepad says "#s on the frig". It was recommended that all important # are placed on the frig- Vandy, local Drs., school nurse (Ooo, ooo, that's me!) and pharmacy. Next is this ratio 90/10.
Of all the diabetics 90% are Type 2 and 10% are Type 1. When you see an info-mercial or commercial that says "diabetes" they are referring to T2.
The rest of the note pad is filled with dietary info: What fat and exercise do to bg; The type of foods we should ALL be eating and the ones to avoid; How to translate label % into grams.; And worst of all the terrible news that diet sodas remove calcium...
WHAT?... it's one thing to give the child info on what he is to eat but DON'T YOU MESS WITH MY DIET SUNKIST SISTER! I said you mean the diet stuff is weakening our bones? Yes.
Matt put his arm around me and lay his head on my shoulder. See I told you he was sensitive.
If Matt can do what he's doing then I can give up Sunkist.
Over all this was a very good class and I'm glad I went. I now have a better grasp of why foods we eat are not "good vs bad" but "better vs worse". And Yes, Virginia, there really is a magic food. It's called W A T E R.
Coolest diabetic thing today- fat is absorbed so slowly that several hrs after eating a high fat meal, even with the right carb/insulin ratio, it can look like the insulin did not work. That's why pizza can be a snafu.
Coolest non diabetic thing today- on the way home we passed the airport at the exact time a huge passenger jet was crossing over the highway. It was right in front of us. It was so low and close Matt said, "I can read the words!" As my brother would say we were EOR (end of runway)... WAY COOL!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Class #2
Tomorrow is our 2nd diabetes class at Vanderbilt.
The last one was GREAT! I learned so much. The educator is also T1 and she had some very helpful info on dealing with sick days. This class, however, is about complications. I am not looking forward to this.
Matt is a very sensitive child. I'm smiling because I know what everyone thinks when you say your child is sensitive, it means they are an uncontrollable BRAT. But that is not what I mean. I mean that Matt FEELS things more than the rest of us. So I'm of German decent and a couch can sometimes feel more than me BUT really Matt does!
Matt will be the husband that brings his wife flowers just because he thinks she needs them. He gives hugs freely and always knows when things are not right. He wants to make everything better all the time. He is a huge sweety with a big heart. So I DO NOT want him to panic about long term complications. Now if I could stop worrying about him worrying :) ...oh bother.
The last one was GREAT! I learned so much. The educator is also T1 and she had some very helpful info on dealing with sick days. This class, however, is about complications. I am not looking forward to this.
Matt is a very sensitive child. I'm smiling because I know what everyone thinks when you say your child is sensitive, it means they are an uncontrollable BRAT. But that is not what I mean. I mean that Matt FEELS things more than the rest of us. So I'm of German decent and a couch can sometimes feel more than me BUT really Matt does!
Matt will be the husband that brings his wife flowers just because he thinks she needs them. He gives hugs freely and always knows when things are not right. He wants to make everything better all the time. He is a huge sweety with a big heart. So I DO NOT want him to panic about long term complications. Now if I could stop worrying about him worrying :) ...oh bother.
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