April Showers Bring...Blogger Basal!

Welcome to the April edition of Blogger Basal! 

You know the old adage April showers bring May flowers!  Well it kept popping into my head as I was thinking about the DOC (Diabetes Online Community) this month.  Ok truthfully, it's popping into my head because we have had non-stop rain for so many days this month that I have lost count!  It's actually a bit depressing.  The rain is more than depressing, it can evoke so many emotions...inconvenience, disappointment, frustration, annoyance. 

Diabetes is kind of like the rain...depressing, inconvenient, disappointing, frustrating, annoying...I could go on!  But just as the rain brings flowers and new life....EEERRRRRR!  (You know, that's supposed to be the slamming on the brakes sound!)  Wait a minute!  What positive thing could possibly come from diabetes?

Well, I've said it before.  The friendships and support that I have found in the DOC are like nothing I've ever experienced.  Each member is as beautiful as the Spring's finest bloom! 

If we have to endure the rain together, we might as well take a minute to smell the flowers!  (And also, to read some of this month's finest blog posts!)  So, as I think Stephanie's superhero Adam would say, "Let's get "DIABETICAL" with it!" (The Blogger Basal, that is!).


I Still Cry by Tracy

The rain...Don't get me wrong, I am not sitting around crying all the time. Sometimes these cries are more silent than others. But, Diabetes HURTS and I think it is OK to cry over something that has taken over our lives and changed it from the course we were heading down.

The flowers...The thing that gets me through the tears is seeing his smiling face. He is still a happy little boy, despite all the pain and pokes.

The Blue Candle by Kimberly

The rain...Every time I log on to my computer and I see profile pictures of blue candles, I lose too many breaths and my heart skips too many beats.

The flowers...I want to wake every morning as I do thinking about how blessed I am to have the two most precious little gifts in my life. Every time they look at me, I melt. Every breath they take is reason to me that I am the luckiest woman alive.

The Number 8 by Jen

 The rain...Addison's A1c went up over the past few months...I felt disappointed.

The flowers...Addison is a happy, healthy little guy. He is living a good life. He is getting the most excellent care from his mama and papa pancreas'.

4 Years Later and the Fear is Still There by Kris

The rain...I'm scared of correcting at night. I have been for 4 years. The fear of what happened 4 years ago won't go away.

The flowers...And every single minute of sleep that I lose is worth it just to make sure my sweet girl wakes up each morning.

Insulin, Accessible Necessity or Unattainable Luxury by Nicole

The rain...I complain and whine and cry about type 1 diabetes.

The flowers...I am thankful that we live in a country that believes that insulin is a necessity and not a luxury.

Death of a Pancreas by Amy

The rain...Ellie's pancreas, age 8 years 7 months, died sometime during the 3rd week in April; the probable cause being Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disorder occurring deep in the Islets of Langerhans.

The flowers...Bu-Bye rollercoaster of not-for-any-good-reason-but-a-sputtering-pancreas blood sugars!

Does Spring Entice the Green Eyed Monster? by Sarah

The rain...So, lately I am battling that little green eyed monster.  Feeling a bit envious of all those that embrace each change with a smile on their face and open arms.  I am wishing I could walk into a kids party and not cringe when I see the extra large juice boxes waiting on the table.  I feel like screaming when others say their budget is tight and here we were waiting to reorder insulin and syringes until payday came again.

The flowers...I am letting it go....or at least really trying because I know we have an endless list of reasons to be thankful...  Bring it on spring - I can handle you, just keep all the juice boxes and random extra sweets to yourself!

Why I Still Cry - Part 2 - A Mother's Love by Laura

The rain...When your children hurt - you hurt.

The flowers... there is no love like a mother's love.

Senator Scott Brown: An update by Moira

The rain...Before I could get my entire thought out, you held your hand up in front of my face to stop me (I thought: did he learn that when his daughter’s were teenagers?) and said, “I already know all about diabetes. My grandmother had it.” (taken from her Open Letter to Senator Scott Brown)

The flowers...In just six hours, the social media world had done what no one had yet been able to do: get Senator Brown to stop, think about us, and decide to dedicate some real time to us.

Knocked O-verrr! by Denise aka 'Mom of Bean'

The rain...You have the carb count spot on, you are confident in the ratios, basal rates have been spot on....BUT those BGs just aren't what they are supposed to be.

The flowers...It's at these times I wish I had Gru's coat and I could whip out a high powered D weapon and blast the whole 'game' that we are forced to play each day with this crappy disease away!

SWAGalicious by Heidi

The rain...When you learn from the coworker that nutritional information is not available.

The flowers...And when you see beautiful numbers for the rest of the day, you can officially declare the day and its super sweet, amazingly delicious, worth-every-carb and worth-every-calorie, half-lemon, half-strawberry frozen drink SWAGalicious!

 
Sweet Response by Lora

The rain...The seizures. The seizure medication and its side effects.  (Some may call that a storm!)

The flowers...Your words lifted my spirits more than you can imagine.

"Marks", "Squirts", JUVIE and PODS  by Reyna

The rain...I am trying to keep him from tripping, careening, falling, or flying to the ground to smash his already damaged melon into the asphalt, dirt, wood chips... pick your poison... it is all dangerous to a concussed cranium.

The flowers...As his body has slowed, interesting things have been discussed and divulged as his thoughts have time to stew.

Dexcom: 1st Grader by Wendy

The rain...But then one upload failed. And another.

The flowers...She held that picture...staring at each smile, touching the sensor images, and laughing at some of the funny faces. For a few minutes she was suspended in her own little world.

Sweetpea's Diaversary: Full Circle  by Hallie

The rain...Tuesday night, Sweets had a severe low.  She dropped from 500 to 32 to LOW in under 2 hours.  She had two seizures.  I used the glucagon.  We called 911.  We thought she wasn't going make it.  (What is with the storms this month?)

The flowers...For now, the important thing is - SHE is fine!  (J and I are still pretty shaken up,)  Dexcom saved her life.  With help from glucagon. 

Teeter. Totter. Breather.  by Meri
 

The rain...I'm on a teeter totter. 
I've hit the bottom...I feel the hardness of the reality...My head aches from banging the ground.
Diabetes is SUCH a big deal.

The flowers...Other days I'm flying high. Diabetes has nothing on me. My laughter echoes through the clouds. I'm light as a feather and I can stay up all day long. Numbers are good...there are no worries...deep breath...

One Day at a Time  by Heather

The rain...Last week at this time we had just returned from the emergency room with Princess with the horrible news that I would now be taking care of two children with Type 1 diabetes.  (Another storm!)

The flowers...Every time Princess gets a shot, Rufus has to get a shot too. I am so glad her bear is such a comfort to her.

A Poem of Lies  by Diane

The rain...There are many misconceptions about type 1 diabetes.

The flowers...This funny poem was written as part of the Health Activist Writer Monthly Challenge to write a poem where every line is a lie or misconception about your disease.

A Box Full of Hope  by Jennifer

The rain...I must say though; going through the box, picking up literature after carb counting book, after insulated totebag, I did fight back tears.

The flowers...I'm so happy for our daughter to be celebrated at long last and loved and embraced WITH her diabetes. It's not a "condition" anymore, its part of who she is and that can make her special.

It Takes a Village...or at Least a Classroom by Leighann

The rain...It’s not fair for a child to have to be anything but a carefree child.

The flowers...So while diabetes has definitely changed who my daughter is, and in many ways making her an even more caring and compassionate person and has given her empathy towards others, I think the same is happening for the children around her. And THAT is an amazing and powerful thing.

The Great Timing of All Things Going Wrong by Amy

The rain...So, of course, by the next day someone was sick. Lots of snot. Lots of hacking. Temps, Tylenol, tea and honey.  And then it just spiraled.

The flowers...Finally, I find a place that carries the tubing and is not closed. I'm very thankful. My husband thanks the store for being open on a Saturday.

On the Road: Chicago Diabetes Expo 2011 by Mike

The rain...When we left Indy, we thought the only diabetes showcase we would be attending was the one in Chicago.  As it often does though, diabetes had other plans and put on its own exposition. 

The flowers...All in all, the trip to the Chicago Diabetes Expo was a great experience and is something that I’m definitely looking forward to doing again.  I met some awesome people, learned some things, and had fun. 

Dear Blog by Donna

The rain...Dear Blog, I miss you!

The flowers...I am busy in ways I have never been busy before.  And I LOVE my new life!

(And this may be a first, in BB history!  We are highlighting to awesome VLOGS this month!  Just click on the links to see the video blogs.)

The Perfect Diabetic by Ginger V.

The rain...Diabetes Sucks!

The flowers...You don't have to be a perfect diabetic!

What's In My Diabetes Bag VLOG  by Haley

The rain...Haley has a broken hand :(

The flowers...She has turned this mishap into a new talent...check out her VLOG!  (And she gave my daughter an idea that has put a smile on her face all week!)

April showers bring May flowers!  And you can't have one without the other!

I hope you enjoyed this April edition of Blogger Basal!  And now it's May...bring on the flowers!



(p.s.  I was 99% finished with the Blogger Basal and I lost half of it :(  So if, in my attempt to recreate what I had done the first time, I missed your submission, please send me a message and I'll get it added right away.  Sorry:(