Tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn Geoff, Matt and I will had to Vandy for our 2nd appointment. The last 13 days feel like an eternity. How can it just have been 2 weeks since he was dxed?....
"Dxed" that's diabetic lingo for "diagnosed". There are others: bg- blood glucose, T1- type 1, and d- diabetes.
I hate that I know that! I want to scream GO AWAY!! How can such a sweet kid have to learn this? It is so incredibly unfair. Yes, God is with us. Yes, we lean on Him. But we still feel betrayed. Why us? Why our Mattie? And how will he feel? Will this toughen him... God I pray not. He is such a gentle soul.
Lean not on your own understanding... I have no place to lean. My life has been spent leaning on my wits, my logic. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths... I don't want to be on this path so how can He direct me?
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A New Way of Life
When we are told that a child is on the way the worry begins. Will the baby have 10 toes and 10 fingers? Will it have a genetic deformity? Will it's brain be damaged? Shortly after birth many of these questions are answered and for most people they are answered very pleasantly. Now it is time for the real worry to begin!
For almost as long as I have known my husband I have known that his brother and father had a rare disease. They were type 1 diabetics.
There are 2 main forms of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. By far the most common is type 2. T2 diabetics are almost always over 40 yrs of age and overweight. Their disease can be controlled to a large extent by the food they eat and by the amount of exercise they get. Many can go through life with little or even no medication as long as they stick to a low carbohydrate diet and drink plenty of fluids. T1 diabetics are not so blessed.
The body is an amazing machine created by God! After we eat, the pancreas measures the sugar in the blood and releases just the perfect amount of insulin to unlock the cells of our body so sugar can be let in and used. For T2 diabetics the pancreas functions very well and releases insulin but the cells have trouble unlocking. Sugar and insulin build up to dangerous levels. The cure is pills that help the cells unlock and limited amounts of sugar in the diet. T1 diabetics are at the opposite end... their pancreas is not working... there is no insulin. No insulin to unlock the cells so the sugar builds and builds. The body squeezes water out of cells to help flush the dangerous levels of sugar out of the body. This triggers the brain to tell the T1 to drink more water. They drink more causing them to spend increasing amounts of time in the bathroom.
So how did this happen? For T1s it is a destruction of the pancreas cells by the body. Yep, that's right, the body itself is doing the damage!
For some reason (many doctors believe it is triggered by a virus) the body's own immune system targets the pancreas as a foreign object. The immune system begins a slow destruction of what it thinks is the enemy... in short it is doing what it is meant to do but in this instance it is aiming at the wrong target! Because of this type 1 diabetes is classified as an "autoimmune disease". A disease that is the result of a malfunctioning immune system.
So why am I posting this? Why a post about a disease that has a 1 in 250 chance of effecting me? Because we are in the 1 and not the 249. Last week our oldest son, age 11, was diagnosed as T1 diabetic. He also was diagnosed as having another autoimmune called Hashimoto's disease. Hashimoto's attacks are focused on the thyroid glad. I have Hashimotos. With 2 parents having autoimmune genes the chances that our children will be T1 goes to 1 in 2o... sorry guys... we wish we could take it on ourselves!
What does all this mean? It means that our son must get his insulin from somewhere else. It means his parents, and at some point in the future himself, must become his pancreas. We must know how much sugar (carbs) are in every bite he eats and then inject the proper amount of insulin. We test his blood glucose (BG) a minimum of 5x/day and he gives himself insulin shots after every meal and at bedtime. the goal is to keep his BG from rising above 180 or falling below 80... that is our ideal.
Two weeks ago our ideal was a larger house and a newer truck. This week our ideal is what every parent longs for, a happy, healthy child.
For almost as long as I have known my husband I have known that his brother and father had a rare disease. They were type 1 diabetics.
There are 2 main forms of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. By far the most common is type 2. T2 diabetics are almost always over 40 yrs of age and overweight. Their disease can be controlled to a large extent by the food they eat and by the amount of exercise they get. Many can go through life with little or even no medication as long as they stick to a low carbohydrate diet and drink plenty of fluids. T1 diabetics are not so blessed.
The body is an amazing machine created by God! After we eat, the pancreas measures the sugar in the blood and releases just the perfect amount of insulin to unlock the cells of our body so sugar can be let in and used. For T2 diabetics the pancreas functions very well and releases insulin but the cells have trouble unlocking. Sugar and insulin build up to dangerous levels. The cure is pills that help the cells unlock and limited amounts of sugar in the diet. T1 diabetics are at the opposite end... their pancreas is not working... there is no insulin. No insulin to unlock the cells so the sugar builds and builds. The body squeezes water out of cells to help flush the dangerous levels of sugar out of the body. This triggers the brain to tell the T1 to drink more water. They drink more causing them to spend increasing amounts of time in the bathroom.
So how did this happen? For T1s it is a destruction of the pancreas cells by the body. Yep, that's right, the body itself is doing the damage!
For some reason (many doctors believe it is triggered by a virus) the body's own immune system targets the pancreas as a foreign object. The immune system begins a slow destruction of what it thinks is the enemy... in short it is doing what it is meant to do but in this instance it is aiming at the wrong target! Because of this type 1 diabetes is classified as an "autoimmune disease". A disease that is the result of a malfunctioning immune system.
So why am I posting this? Why a post about a disease that has a 1 in 250 chance of effecting me? Because we are in the 1 and not the 249. Last week our oldest son, age 11, was diagnosed as T1 diabetic. He also was diagnosed as having another autoimmune called Hashimoto's disease. Hashimoto's attacks are focused on the thyroid glad. I have Hashimotos. With 2 parents having autoimmune genes the chances that our children will be T1 goes to 1 in 2o... sorry guys... we wish we could take it on ourselves!
What does all this mean? It means that our son must get his insulin from somewhere else. It means his parents, and at some point in the future himself, must become his pancreas. We must know how much sugar (carbs) are in every bite he eats and then inject the proper amount of insulin. We test his blood glucose (BG) a minimum of 5x/day and he gives himself insulin shots after every meal and at bedtime. the goal is to keep his BG from rising above 180 or falling below 80... that is our ideal.
Two weeks ago our ideal was a larger house and a newer truck. This week our ideal is what every parent longs for, a happy, healthy child.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Home School Mom aka:Doberman Pinscher
"The Doberman Pinscher is a dog bred for stressful and dangerous work at the side of a brave handler. For this work, the Doberman must have character and an impetuous but controlled spirit supported by a courageous heart." I could also say this of a home school Mom!
She is forced to deal bravely with the daily chores of teaching her children and keeping her house. No one sets her schedule, no one chooses her path, so she must be disciplined. Her work is most definitely stressful and can be, depending on her adventurous spirit, dangerous! But it is her heart that keeps it all running smoothly... a heart devoted to her Master.
"To understand the Doberman, or any dog, one must understand certain deeply ingrained instincts. One of these core instincts is the Pack Mentality. Dogs run in packs. This is necessary for their survival. In nature, dogs and wolves live in highly organized communities usually consisting of family members. This community we call a pack." I love this quote for it sums up a home school mom's need for other home school moms very well. It is necessary for our survival!
At some point every parent asks themselves, "Am I the only one going through this?" The answer is always a loud "NO!" but it usually feels like a sobbing "yes". Add to this that home school moms are very often alone with just their immediate family and you multiply this feeling. So like birds of a feather we congregate together... for survival.
We reach out to one another and find relationships. We find friendships for ourselves and for our children. We find other mothers who have "been there and done that". We find comfort for our doubts and hope for our failures. We find God in others and we are comforted!
The Doberman tends to treat the children of the home as he would puppies. Puppies are valuable in the dog's mind. The Doberman can also sense the children's vulnerability and their importance to the family. Because of this, the Doberman is highly protective of the children. Highly protective is putting it mildly when talking about HS moms. Just attend a HS meeting and watch the faces as soon as a man enters the room! Moms go on high alert. Locating their own in the mass of playing children within seconds and then watching the man to see if he is greeted by anyone. Once his family has been identified and he has been welcomed into the pack (a hugs as good as a sniff!) then all goes back to normal, poor guy. But as in the dog world new comers, especially those who may pose a threat, need to be put into place before harmony can be established.
For the most part HS moms are like any other mom. They have a need to be welcomed, a need for security and a need for guidance but the HS mom rarely finds these needs nearby. Thus forcing her to go in search of her pack.
May God lead us each to the place we can best serve Him.
She is forced to deal bravely with the daily chores of teaching her children and keeping her house. No one sets her schedule, no one chooses her path, so she must be disciplined. Her work is most definitely stressful and can be, depending on her adventurous spirit, dangerous! But it is her heart that keeps it all running smoothly... a heart devoted to her Master.
"To understand the Doberman, or any dog, one must understand certain deeply ingrained instincts. One of these core instincts is the Pack Mentality. Dogs run in packs. This is necessary for their survival. In nature, dogs and wolves live in highly organized communities usually consisting of family members. This community we call a pack." I love this quote for it sums up a home school mom's need for other home school moms very well. It is necessary for our survival!
At some point every parent asks themselves, "Am I the only one going through this?" The answer is always a loud "NO!" but it usually feels like a sobbing "yes". Add to this that home school moms are very often alone with just their immediate family and you multiply this feeling. So like birds of a feather we congregate together... for survival.
We reach out to one another and find relationships. We find friendships for ourselves and for our children. We find other mothers who have "been there and done that". We find comfort for our doubts and hope for our failures. We find God in others and we are comforted!
"We have encountered many false notions concerning the Doberman’s temperament. Two of the most destructive are “the Doberman is just like any other dog” and “Dobermans are stubborn and can be vicious.”
It is true, any dog not properly cared for can become dangerous and all dogs need to be respected. The Doberman is unique in that it owns an extremely powerful set of tools that it should not be held responsible for. The Doberman owner must harness these tools reliably under all conditions, with thorough training. One must understand that viciousness is a behavior, and all behavior is a result of instinct and conditioning. Viciousness in a dog is a reaction to a situation where it feels threatened." The home school mom is this to a tee. She is often, if not frequently, misunderstood and she must be properly trained.
How many times has the HS mom heard slurs about home education while waiting in line at Wally World or had to endure what should have bee a relaxing visit with the family only to be berated with "well meaning" comments on how much "better off" they all would be if they were in the government system. The world looks at what they believe to be truth and then wrongly judges those who stand in a different place. Many believe home school parents MUST be religious zealots or that they just think they are better than everyone else. What ever the misconception it comes down to them against us, thus forcing the HS parent into a corner... not a good place to confront either a Doberman or a HS mom!
So how does the HS mom handle these situations? With proper training. Training only found at the feet of Jesus! Daily must she go to her heavenly Father and seek His guidance. And most importantly, like all well trained dogs, when out in public the HS mom must always be aware of her Lord and constantly be casting her eyes upon Him. Asking "What? Where? How?" Looking to Him for our path.
"Dobermans are bred to have sure confident temperaments, so they do not often feel a threat unwarranted, and are in fact less likely to over react with viciousness or biting." Here is a wonderful thing about HS MOMS. They are confident! Not so much in the how but in the why of what they have taken on. This confidence is not placed in their ability to accomplish some great goal of raising NASA scientists but in the great task of raising Christians. Children that know God. Not the god of the school teacher but their God. This confidence is placed in His work and His power. It adds beauty to the HS moms countenance but makes leading her a bit like leading a Doberman, intimidating.
The pack is capable of amazing cooperation. As is the home school co-op as long as the leader is not easily intimidated... or at least doesn't look like she is!The Doberman tends to treat the children of the home as he would puppies. Puppies are valuable in the dog's mind. The Doberman can also sense the children's vulnerability and their importance to the family. Because of this, the Doberman is highly protective of the children. Highly protective is putting it mildly when talking about HS moms. Just attend a HS meeting and watch the faces as soon as a man enters the room! Moms go on high alert. Locating their own in the mass of playing children within seconds and then watching the man to see if he is greeted by anyone. Once his family has been identified and he has been welcomed into the pack (a hugs as good as a sniff!) then all goes back to normal, poor guy. But as in the dog world new comers, especially those who may pose a threat, need to be put into place before harmony can be established.
For the most part HS moms are like any other mom. They have a need to be welcomed, a need for security and a need for guidance but the HS mom rarely finds these needs nearby. Thus forcing her to go in search of her pack.
May God lead us each to the place we can best serve Him.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Home Church Outline
Several folk have asked for the outline the children memorize as we go through the Bible so I'm putting it here. It's not really an outline but a list of 3 main points from each book that help us remember where (in what book) to place all the other events and people.
Genesis
1. The Creation
2. The Flood
3. The Promise to Abraham- to make him a "great nation"
Exodus
1. The Exodus
2. The 10 Commandments
3. The Tabernacle
Leviticus
1. Rules
2. Feasts- Passover, Unleavened Bread, 1st Fruits, Waving of the Loaves, Trumpet, Day of Atonement, Tabernacle
3. Offerings- Sweet Savor (Burnt, Meat, Peace) Non Sweet Savor (Sin, Trespass)
Numbers
1. Preparing to enter the land
2. Failure to enter the land
3. Preparing again to enter the land
Deuteronomy
1. 2nd giving of the Law
2. Sowing and Reaping
3. Moses dies
Joshua
1. Taking and parting the land
2. "Choose you this day whom you will serve"- important because from this point on the Hebrew people will have to choose.
3. Joshua dies
Judges
1. The Cycle- People disobey, God judges, people cry out, God delivers, rest and peace (this cycle changes when the Kingdom splits)
2. Flawed Judges
3. Every man did what was right in his own eyes.
Ruth
1. Ruth was a Moabite
2. Kinsman Redeemer
3. Ruth was David's great grandmother
I Samuel
1. Samuel was the last Judge and the first prophet
2. Saul anointed king
3. David anointed king
II Samuel
1. Young David
2. Middle aged David
3. Old David
I Kings
1. Solomon anointed king
2. Elijah the Prophet
3. Kingdom splits
New Cycle- People disobey, God judges, people REPENT, God delivers (no more rest)
We are going through II Kings now so I will post the new points when we finish.
Genesis
1. The Creation
2. The Flood
3. The Promise to Abraham- to make him a "great nation"
Exodus
1. The Exodus
2. The 10 Commandments
3. The Tabernacle
Leviticus
1. Rules
2. Feasts- Passover, Unleavened Bread, 1st Fruits, Waving of the Loaves, Trumpet, Day of Atonement, Tabernacle
3. Offerings- Sweet Savor (Burnt, Meat, Peace) Non Sweet Savor (Sin, Trespass)
Numbers
1. Preparing to enter the land
2. Failure to enter the land
3. Preparing again to enter the land
Deuteronomy
1. 2nd giving of the Law
2. Sowing and Reaping
3. Moses dies
Joshua
1. Taking and parting the land
2. "Choose you this day whom you will serve"- important because from this point on the Hebrew people will have to choose.
3. Joshua dies
Judges
1. The Cycle- People disobey, God judges, people cry out, God delivers, rest and peace (this cycle changes when the Kingdom splits)
2. Flawed Judges
3. Every man did what was right in his own eyes.
Ruth
1. Ruth was a Moabite
2. Kinsman Redeemer
3. Ruth was David's great grandmother
I Samuel
1. Samuel was the last Judge and the first prophet
2. Saul anointed king
3. David anointed king
II Samuel
1. Young David
2. Middle aged David
3. Old David
I Kings
1. Solomon anointed king
2. Elijah the Prophet
3. Kingdom splits
New Cycle- People disobey, God judges, people REPENT, God delivers (no more rest)
We are going through II Kings now so I will post the new points when we finish.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Home School Humor
This morning, just a few minutes ago, Kendal made me laugh so hard I had to share.
Kendal loves to color in her Rhyme and Color workbook from Rod and Staff. Every page has a different letter with a short poem. The page is also filled with items that begin with the letter. Today she is on the "V" and the "W" pages.
The "V" page is full of vegetables and she was confused when she saw the tomatoes. She thought the page should be the "T" page. After a brief explanation from me she looked across at the "W" page.
Here's want I heard Kendal say:
"W... W... Water"
"W... W... Well"
"W... W... Willow Tree"
"W... W... W... Whatchamajigit"
I turned and saw her looking at a stone "walkway". She did not know what "w" word to use so she said "watchamajigit". I love it!
Kendal loves to color in her Rhyme and Color workbook from Rod and Staff. Every page has a different letter with a short poem. The page is also filled with items that begin with the letter. Today she is on the "V" and the "W" pages.
The "V" page is full of vegetables and she was confused when she saw the tomatoes. She thought the page should be the "T" page. After a brief explanation from me she looked across at the "W" page.
Here's want I heard Kendal say:
"W... W... Water"
"W... W... Well"
"W... W... Willow Tree"
"W... W... W... Whatchamajigit"
I turned and saw her looking at a stone "walkway". She did not know what "w" word to use so she said "watchamajigit". I love it!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Molly
Molly2/25/08 - 3/24/09
- All things bright and beautiful,
- All creatures great and small,
- All things wise and wonderful,
- The Lord God made them all.
- He gave us eyes to see them,
- And lips that we might tell,
- How great is God Almighty,
- Who has made all things well.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Hidden Taxes
As with all folk undergoing new construction there comes the time when you must face the government. Yesterday was such a day for me.
More than a decade ago when we first moved to this property I discovered that buying a home was only the beginning of the outward flow of cash. First there was the environmental department. They needed cash for a "perk test" on the land near the septic system. Next there was the electric company. They wanted money to come out and "inspect" the electric before the power was turned on. Then there was the water company that needed money to hook us to the main line. In total we paid out about $600 in fees for work that took less than 2 hours total for all three services. At the time this was a huge amount but we had no choice. If we did not pay then we would not get the basic necessities.
Since I have gone through the process before I was somewhat prepared for the call I made yesterday. I knew the name of the government agency and found their number easily enough. The State of Tn Regional Health & Environmental, Division of Water Pollution Control is in charge of all the perk tests in this county and you must have a perk test BEFORE you get any other permits. In fact it is a great idea to take the perk permit with you when you go for other permits, they sometimes want to see it. So I started with the "environmental people".
"Environmental Department, this is Debbie", is how the conversation began. My response, "How much is a perk test?"
Now you might say that I was being a bit brief. Maybe, you think, I should have told her I was building a home in the area and made all nice with chit-chat. Well you'd be wrong. Lesson learned from the last time I visited this office- environmental folk do not chit-chat. They believe they are doing God's work and they are not there for niceties.
Debbie's response, l o n g p a u s e , "You mean a 'septic test'?" Spoken with all the joy of a liberal.
Ugh! Apparently the terminology had changed and Debbie was not thrilled that I had not gotten the memo.
Rolling my eyes, "Yes, a septic test"
"It's $350"
Ah, there it was. A new tax slipped in under the radar of the common man.
I was about to point this "new tax" out to Debbie when I remembered that I had a gun pointed at my head. Not a gun filled with bullets but one filled with the dreadful idea of composting toilets. I had to be nice... DANGIT!
"If my land does not perk do I get a refund?" said in my nicest I-want-to-smack-you voice.
Another l o n g p a u s e , "I don't know. Hold please"
Which being interpreted means that no one has ever asked this before. WHY?? Because of that gun to the head. We have no choice. If we want to go to the bathroom inside a house that doesn't have a moon carved on the door we got to pony up with the cash.
Her answer, "No"
I politely thanked her and hung up. There it was written in ink on my note pad, $350. This constituted a more than $250 tax increase! Yep, that's right, 12 years ago we paid less $100 for a perk test... I mean septic test. Now they have repackaged it and more than doubled the price. A price which we will no doubt pay. Makes those composting toilets looks better somehow....
NAH!
More than a decade ago when we first moved to this property I discovered that buying a home was only the beginning of the outward flow of cash. First there was the environmental department. They needed cash for a "perk test" on the land near the septic system. Next there was the electric company. They wanted money to come out and "inspect" the electric before the power was turned on. Then there was the water company that needed money to hook us to the main line. In total we paid out about $600 in fees for work that took less than 2 hours total for all three services. At the time this was a huge amount but we had no choice. If we did not pay then we would not get the basic necessities.
Since I have gone through the process before I was somewhat prepared for the call I made yesterday. I knew the name of the government agency and found their number easily enough. The State of Tn Regional Health & Environmental, Division of Water Pollution Control is in charge of all the perk tests in this county and you must have a perk test BEFORE you get any other permits. In fact it is a great idea to take the perk permit with you when you go for other permits, they sometimes want to see it. So I started with the "environmental people".
"Environmental Department, this is Debbie", is how the conversation began. My response, "How much is a perk test?"
Now you might say that I was being a bit brief. Maybe, you think, I should have told her I was building a home in the area and made all nice with chit-chat. Well you'd be wrong. Lesson learned from the last time I visited this office- environmental folk do not chit-chat. They believe they are doing God's work and they are not there for niceties.
Debbie's response, l o n g p a u s e , "You mean a 'septic test'?" Spoken with all the joy of a liberal.
Ugh! Apparently the terminology had changed and Debbie was not thrilled that I had not gotten the memo.
Rolling my eyes, "Yes, a septic test"
"It's $350"
Ah, there it was. A new tax slipped in under the radar of the common man.
I was about to point this "new tax" out to Debbie when I remembered that I had a gun pointed at my head. Not a gun filled with bullets but one filled with the dreadful idea of composting toilets. I had to be nice... DANGIT!
"If my land does not perk do I get a refund?" said in my nicest I-want-to-smack-you voice.
Another l o n g p a u s e , "I don't know. Hold please"
Which being interpreted means that no one has ever asked this before. WHY?? Because of that gun to the head. We have no choice. If we want to go to the bathroom inside a house that doesn't have a moon carved on the door we got to pony up with the cash.
Her answer, "No"
I politely thanked her and hung up. There it was written in ink on my note pad, $350. This constituted a more than $250 tax increase! Yep, that's right, 12 years ago we paid less $100 for a perk test... I mean septic test. Now they have repackaged it and more than doubled the price. A price which we will no doubt pay. Makes those composting toilets looks better somehow....
NAH!
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