Share and Don't Share

Often our health care team only sees us for about 15 minutes several times a year, and they might not have a sense of what our lives are really like. Today, let’s pretend our medical team is reading our blogs. What do you wish they could see about your and/or your loved one's daily life with diabetes? On the other hand, what do you hope they don't see? 

First of all, I'd like to say that our endo is outstanding!  I love that she really does try to get the full picture in the few minutes that we see her each quarter.  She also makes herself available to us anytime that we need something in between those visits.  Granted, it is just a few minutes every three months!  So, to all of the members of our health care team, I say...

If you could be a fly on the wall: 

~You would see that we try to keep up with our log book, really we do!

~I wish you could see the hurt in her eyes when we do site changes and insert new cgm sensors, so that you would understand why the numbing cream is still necessary.

~You would certainly notice the thoughtful planning that goes into her meals and snacks, so that you wouldn't question the random lows or after meal spikes.  Sometimes I just don't have an answer!

~I want you to see how hard she plays outside with her friends, so that you will understand why I take baby steps when adjusting her basal rates.

~I know that you would hear how many times the school nurse calls me to help make judgement calls about bolusing for carbs, or treating lows, or treating highs, or the special surprise birthday treat, etc.

Looking at blood sugar numbers on paper or a cgm graph (as awesome as it is to have), never tells the whole story!

On the other hand, I hope that, if you were a fly on my wall, you had at least one eye closed (how many eyes does a fly have anyway?):

~That time when I was just too tired to do a set change, so we let it go for one more day.

~When we forgot to bolus her for a meal.

~I don't dare tell you that we let her run a little high overnight that night because we just couldn't get out of bed to do the correction, even though the MySentry is staring back at me with a big 200!

Believe me, I'm embarrassed to admit any of these things.  But life happens.  And one thing that I know about D is that we can do everything right and still have days where it seems impossible.  Sometimes it has to be ok for us to not be perfect!


This has been my submission for Day 1 of Diabetes Blog Week.  Now go read what other bloggers had to say about  Share and Don’t Share - Monday 5/13.

Happy More Than a D Mom Day!

I'm laying in bed, pretending to still be asleep, listening to the hustle and bustle going on outside my room.  I hear, "Dad, can we give Mommy her presents this morning?"  Followed by the rustling of gift bags coming down the stairs.   I hear them planning a surprise breakfast for me.  I hear one little one whispering to "close Mommy's bedroom door so she won't hear us."  Lexi asks if she can make Mommy a card.  The others remind her that she already made something for mommy, pointing to the adorable handprint card and bookmark that she made for me at preschool.  "Yeah, but I already gave those to Mommy.  Can I make another card?"

I'm going to stay here in bed a little longer and soak it in :)  I can hear the love!  All of that stuff is the best Mother's Day gift ever!  But Shhh...I didn't hear a thing!

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Do you ever dream, Forrest, of who you wanna be?  Forrest:  Who I'm gonna be?  Aren't I gonna be me? Jenny:  You'll always be you.  Just another kind of you.  You know?    (from Forrest Gump movie)

 

When Hallie invited me to join her Mother's Day marathon of blogging about "More Than a D Mom," I thought of this quote from Forrest Gump.  I decided to join her and the other wonderful D Moms that have gone before me in this blogging series.

I will always be me. Just another kind of me.

I like that!
 

For Mother's Day, I'd like to give myself a gift.  It's a reminder that, while D seems to consume my thoughts most days (Wendy said it best here!), it should not consume my life.  It should not be who I am. 

At Friends For Life conference last summer, one of the things that the awesome PWDs taught Ally was that she could do anything, even with diabetes.  And in one of my favorite blog posts ever, a guest post from Sara, she wrote a letter to Ally telling her to remember that diabetes does not define her.

So, my Mother's Day gift to myself is to rewrite my personal definition of ME.  I think I've found it...

I will always be me.   Just another kind of me.

That is the perfect evolving definition!

It's important to remember where I came from.  As well as the journey I have taken to the kind of me I am today.  (It's ok to laugh at me!  I sure did when I found some of these pictures!  And sorry for the poor quality, I'm older than digital photos!!)

I am a daughter.

 

 

I am a sister.

  

 

I am a wife.

 

 

 

I am a mother.

 

I am a friend.

 

 

 

 

I am a soccer player.

(Well, I played soccer for close to 20 years anyway!  Couldn't run to save my life today). 

 

 

 

I am a grandaughter.  I am a teacher.  I love being involved in service projects.  I like to cook.   I love chocolate!!  I prefer a relaxing vacation over an active sight-seeing one.   I am a stay at home mom.   I love to snuggle with my girls.  I enjoy ironing - I know, crazy right?  I write lists.  If I have accomplished something not on my list, I write it in so that I may cross it off.   I love a good party.  I love laughing with friends.   I like craft projects.

 

The top row are pictures from high school.  The bottom left was a picture from my first year of teaching.  My grandma and me are in the middle.  And the bottom right picture is from the day that I met Keith!! 

 

 All of these things have made me the kind of me I am today.

 

And we all know how my definition of me changed on February 10, 2009.  The day that I became a D Mom. 

 

 

 



I will always be me.   Just another kind of me.

 

I am a D Mom...and so much more!

This "More Than a D Mom" series has been brought to you courtesy of Hallie.  Check out Hallie's post, along with these other awesome friends - Meri, Lora, Wendy, Tracy, Donna, Heather and Nicole, who are all so much more than dMoms to me!

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Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful Mother's and D Moms out there! 

P.S.  Here is the extra card that Lexi made for me today :)  Notice the bags under my eyes??  Lol!

Angel Wings Too Soon

My heart hurts for the family of 13 year old Mark Deary, who died from Type 1 Diabetes without even knowing he had it.

According to ABC channel 13 WHAM, he "was sent home from school on Thursday with what appeared to be a stomach bug.  By Sunday, Mark Deary had lapsed into a coma and died."

It pains me so much to know that, if someone recognized the symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes, he may not have received his angel wings too soon.

I don't blame anyone specifically, I didn't know.

When Ally was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I had no idea that extreme thirst, frequent urination, drowsiness, increased appetite, sudden weight loss, sudden vision changes, sugar in the urine, fruity odor on the breath, or heavy or labored breathing were symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes.  I didn't know that Type 1 Diabetes can mimic other illnesses, like the flu.  I knew something was wrong, but diabetes did not even enter my mind.  Nor did I know how serious the disease was or how quickly it could take the life of someone who went untreated.

I have since heard story after story of children who were sent back home from the doctor with a diagnosis of "the flu" or "a possible UTI", and by the grace of GOD had a parent who just knew it had to be something more.  I have also heard of many sweet children who were misdiagnosed and sadly died before receiving the proper treatment. 

A simple urine test can check a child for diabetes.  Why aren't urine samples a part of all children's annual physicals?  Parents, please request finger sticks and urine samples.  You have nothing to lose by checking, but EVERYTHING to lose by missing a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes because of skipping these simple tests.

Please share the Warning Signs of Type 1 Diabetes with all of your loved ones!  I didn't know.  The Kuehl Family didn't know.  The family of Mark Deary didn't know. 

I have written about the Warning Signs before.  Please read about them again.  And again.  And even again.  And then pass them on.

Lets Take Control of Diabetes Now where I shared the story of the Kuehl family who lost their precious baby because his T1D diagnosis was missed.

Ok, so I freaked out! and checked my non-D kid's sugar, because now I know the symptoms of T1D all too well.

In Educate and Re-Educate I shared how Ally's diagnosis could have easily been missed...or too late!  Once the flu like symptoms are present, Type 1 Diabetes moves quickly.  Don't waste time!  Ask for the simple tests in case the medical professional doesn't think of it!

Rest in peace sweet Angel!