Time Is Running Out...Enter Meri's Contest Now!

Have you entered the contest over at Our Diabetic Life yet?  Time is running out.

She has 3 great prizes for 2 lucky winners! 


I wasn't going to tell you what the prizes are...gonna make you go check it out for yourself.  But I can't resist telling you about one of them. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote about our Water Bottle Fiasco! 
Ally needs a good water bottle for school - one that doesn't leak!  Meri recommended these Kids Mugs by Contigo to me.  I tried one and love it! 

So head on over to Our Diabetic Life now, you won't want to miss the chance to try one out for yourself. 

Oh yeah...and there are 2 more great prizes too!  But you'll have to wait and see what those are!

Tag...I'm It!

Me..Me...Meeeeee!

Hallie at The Princess and the Pump tagged me! So now it's my turn to do the Diabetes MeMe!


This meme has been around the block!  Sugar Momma at The Sugar Kids was tagged by Heidi at D- Tales who was tagged by Tracy at The Super Hero & The Princess...who was tagged by Wendy at Candy Hearts...who was tagged by Meri at Our Diabetic Life...who was tagged by Laura at Houston, We Have a Problem…who was tagged by My Diabetic Child…who was tagged by Jen at I am Your Pancreas…who was tagged by Reyna at Beta Buddies…who was tagged by Penny at A Sweet Grace...who accepted the meme challenge from Six Until Me.


What Type of Diabetes Do You Have?
Actually, I am a parent of a child with diabetes.  My 7 year old daughter, Ally, has Type 1 diabetes.


When Were You Diagnosed?
Ally was diagnosed February 10, 2009....the day I became a pancreas of sorts.


What's Your Current Blood Sugar?
She's at school now, so I am wondering the same thing!  Her BG this morning was 153.  Little higher than I'd like...may need to adjust some basals.

What Kind of Meter Do You Use?
One Touch UltraLink - one at home and one at school - mostly because this communicates wirelessly to her MiniMed insulin pump.  We also have a couple of One Touch minis - in my purse, her backpack, Grandma's house.


How many times per day do you check your blood sugar?
Used to be 10-12, but since she recently started on a CGM, its more like 8-10.


What is a "HIGH" number for you?
Technically, if she is above 130 she is "high" and we will correct it with insulin.  However, I don't get myself worked into a tizzy unless she is in the high 200's.


What do you consider "LOW"?
Less than 70.  If it's bedtime, we treat for anything less than 100.


What is your favorite low blood sugar reaction treater?
4 oz. Juicy Juice, ReliOn glucose tablets (raspberry or fruit punch flavored please!), Smarties


Describe your dream endo:
My dream endo knows Ally.  He/She knows all of the newest research and technology and can recommend the best management plan for Ally.  He/She wants Ally to have THE BEST life possible...just as much as we do.

This is not to say that I do not really like our endo, because I do!


Who's on your support team?
First off...it's really not MY support team.  You see, my husband is just as much a pancreas as I am!  I do write this blog and therefore, I do take most of the credit.  However, he works just as hard as I do to keep Ally safe and healthy.

OUR support team includes many people.  All the members of our family play important positions on our team.  Some may be the pitchers, the catchers, the basemen and some may be the fielders....but we love them and need them all the same!

We also have so many friends who support us. 

And for me personally, the friends whom I have met through the diabetes online community have made all the difference for me....the difference between sane and insane :)


Do you think there will be a cure in your lifetime?
I HOPE so!  I keep thinking about what Hallie said, that even if it is not in our lifetime, for our children...I still hope for a cure...no one should have to live with diabetes.  I think that a real CURE is a working pancreas (see below).  But, if there are some steps along the way from here to a cure that make Ally's life easier and healthier in the long run, I'm all for that too.


What is a 'CURE' to you?
A cure would mean that:
Ally would not have to check her blood sugar 8-10 times a day. 
Ally would not have to measure, weigh and count carbs for everything that goes into her mouth.
Ally would not need insulin for those things that go into her mouth.
Ally could go to a party and just nibble, eat, heck, she could stuff herself if she wanted to...and it wouldn't matter.
Ally could run and play without me asking her how she felt.  Without me asking her to stop and check her blood sugar.
Ally could go to school and not have to make a minimum of 3 trips a day to the clinic, missing out on the things the other classmates are doing.
Ally would not have to wear an insulin pump to keep her alive.
Ally would not have to have a site change every 3 days.
And MOMMY could sleep through the night!
A CURE would be a pancreas that worked!


The most annoying thing people say to you about your diabetes:
I'm glad it's easy to control.  She is doing really well with it.  EASY?  Did you say EASY?


The most common misconception about your diabetes:
It is frustrating when people think that Ally can't eat sugar because she has diabetes.  She has Type 1 diabetes.  I think they don't understand that almost everything you eat is either made of sugar or turns into glucose as it is digested.  She can eat sugar!!  She can eat sugar just as much as you would like your child to have sugar as part of their balanced diet.  She just has to have the appropriate amount of insulin to cover it.

And now, the most common response that I get AFTER explaining this...."Ok, so when I'm going to serve a treat with sugar, I'll let you know so that you can send an alternative."


If you could say one thing to your pancreas what would it be?
What WERE you thinking???  And then I would beg, plead, maybe even threaten that if it doesn't start getting its act together I might...(ok, how do you threaten a pancreas??)

I could always go with a reverse psychology approach. 
Dear Wonderful Pancreas,
I could never be worthy of your job.  I have tried for a year and a half now, and I just don't compare to your greatness.  Please, reconsider.  Please come back to work for us!


And now, the MeMe goes to...

Nicole at We CARA Lot!!

Sweet Friends

This is a story that has been floating around in my head for a long time.  I was recently reminded about it again when Ally wanted to give one of her Diabetes ID wristbands to her friend - a very sweet (non-D) friend!  (By the way, have you entered the D-Tales Contest yet?  You could win one of these very same wristbands from CoolMedID.  The contest ends tonight (Sept. 16th) at midnight.  And while you are there...Don't forget that the  Blogger Basal is coming up.  If you'd like to participate the deadline is Sept. 17th to submit your blog.)

How cute are they?

This is Ally with her sweet little friend, who happens to have a perfectly performing pancreas.  (That means she doesn't have Type 1 Diabetes!)  She is in Ally's class at school for the second time - yay!  She often accompanies Ally to the clinic when she goes to check her blood sugar.  She sits with her at lunch and knows that Ally has to eat everything that I packed in her lunch - and no trading! 

One afternoon, Ally had this sweet friend over to play. The two girls quickly disappeared to the abyss of our craft room...a very large closet that I transformed into a place to hold all of our crafty supplies. They had a plan! When the girls finally emerged, they were giggling AND sporting two very cute pump pouches. One that Ally wears to hold her insulin pump and one that they made out of paper for her friend.

And How Cute is THIS?

The ensemble was complete with a paper belt, paper pouch and paper tubing. But wait, they were not finished yet! The paper tubing was connected to a paper pump. It was so cute! It gave me goosebumps! I was thrilled that her friend was so interested in Ally's pump, yet not scared away by it.  She even wanted to wear it to school the next day.  How sweet!

So, while I find myself feeling sorry for Ally for being different, wishing that she could meet some other kids her age with T1 Diabetes, I remember that you don't have to HAVE diabetes to know how to be a friend to someone who does have it! 

The thing is that kids (and I guess adults too!) tend to be afraid of things that they do not know about.

This is a funny story about kids noticing Ally's differences, but just not quite understanding them:

When Ally plays soccer, we prebolus for her basal and then she removes her insulin pump.  She had practice the other night and in our usual rush to be there on time, we forgot to remove it before she ran out to the field.  As the other teammates were gathering, we quickly removed it.  One of the other girls asked her what it was...she said it was her "pump."  The little girl said, "Oh, do you pump up your ball with that thing?"

Hallie at The Princess and the Pump had a similar "funny things kids say" moment at Chick-fil-A when another child asked her if her daughter had a cell phone (noticing Sweet Pea's insulin pump). 

When I think about these stories, cute as they may be, I remind myself of the importance of educating others.  Not just adults.  The kiddos in Ally's life too.  Because if it is something they know a little about, it will just be a small part of who she is.  If you don't believe me, check this out.  Wendy at Candy Hearts posted this beautiful story called My Special Friend that a sweet little girl wrote about her daughter Sugar.

A little while back I blogged about going Back to School with my Smarties, where I mentioned visiting Ally's class, reading a book and discussing Type 1 Diabetes with her classmates.  I also talked about the letter that I borrowed from Heidi at D-Tales which she shares with the parents of her son's classmates.  For sure, I don't have it all figured out...but it's a start to making Ally special for who she is...and diabetes, well that's just a small part of who she is.

Independence and Beyond!

Have you seen the Toy Story 3 movie? 

I don't want to ruin it for those of you who have not seen it yet, so I won't give you all of the details of "Infinity and Beyond."  But the basic storyline is that Andy (the little boy from the original Toy Story movie) has grown up and his mother asks him to clean out his room before going away to college.  Really, if I wanted to ruin the surprise of these adventures of Woody and his pals, I probably couldn't.  And that is because when I think about this movie, I only remember one thing.

I remember the look on Andy's mom's face when the room was all cleaned out and he was ready to leave.  Sending a child off to college is surely a sad time for any mom and, thankfully, I will not have to face that for a few years (ok, like 10!).  But it brought up all kinds of emotions inside me and sent my rootin' tootin' brain a spinnin'!  (I don't know, doesn't that sound like something cowgirl Jessie would say? ;) 

There will be a day when Ally is ready to move out of our house.  (pause for tissues...)

(Ok, back now.  I can't even say it without tears...maybe I won't say it again!) 

When that day comes, will she be ready?  Will I be ready? 

Her father and I have taken on the pancreatic role without hesitation.  We tell her when to check her blood sugar (although, she does check it by herself).  We count the carbs for all of her meals and snacks.  We tell her how much insulin she needs to cover those carbs.  (Well, if I'm being honest, the wonderful Bolus Wizard function of her MM pump does that!)  We keep track of her exercise.  We tell her when it is time to change her site.  We change the site.  We monitor her when she has had a lot of exercise.  We decide when and what she should do to treat a low.  The list goes on and on....

I remember this summer reading  IT exists!, by Meri at Our Diabetic Life, about letting go as her 12 year old son went off to Scout camp.  I remember thinking that she was so brave and also that she has done a great job preparing her son for this day. 

And then, at The Sugar Kids Blog, celebrating with 4 year old Sugar Boy as he was Checking His Own Sugar.  I remember thinking...that is awesome!  He will be so prepared one day to care for himself.

Just yesterday, I read Still Little....Yet So Grown.... at Candy Hearts, where 7 year old Sugar was so mature about taking a role in her diabetes care when she was with a babysitter.  I was so proud of Sugar!  And then it reminded me again of my fears about my own 7 year old daughter...one day, possibly taking on the role of pancreas for herself.

I guess the best way for me to assure that I will be ready, is really to do all that I can each and every day to make sure that she is ready for that role!  I don't expect her to be ready in the near future.  In fact, it seems lightyears away.  But baby steps might just take us "To Independence and Beyond!"

BETA BUDDIES: THE PAINFUL TRUTH Of My Nights

I had no intention of blogging today.  Until I read Reyna at Beta Buddies post.  Please take the time to read this:  BETA BUDDIES: THE PAINFUL TRUTH Of My Nights

It shook me up and it made me feel better at the same time.  It made me feel better because I realized that I was not alone in my thoughts and my fears.  It shook me up because it reminded me that although it is extremely rare, "Dead in Bed Syndrome" does exist.

I was just questioning myself after visiting Ally's endocrinologist this week.  She asked me why I was checking her blood sugar at midnight and 3 AM?  I answered, "I just do!"  Mostly because I couldn't understand why she was asking me that.  I wish I had said, "Why wouldn't I?"

I wanted to share this link to Reyna's honest post.  I want those people who ask me why I still wake up in the night to check Ally's sugar to read this.  I want them to understand.  I will not take the risk!

Diabetes Art Day

Welcome to Diabetes Art Day. 

Lee Ann at The Butter Compartment challenged us to represent diabetes through art.

Artists we are NOT!

But Ally and I stepped out of our box and had fun working on this project together.

Ally chose to represent our HOPE that one day she will say

that she used to have diabetes.

We plan to make one of these photos into thank you cards to send to all of our supporters in the

JDRF Walk for a Cure.